Chapter Nine, now used as in ancient times
Chinese friends, please tell me what exactly happened? Why have those dockworkers who were willing to recite the Bible disappeared? And why are the remaining dockworkers unwilling to recite our Bible?
"Are we borrowing troops from Britain?" The hot-tempered Maidusi interjected, "The British Empire places the utmost importance on the safety and freedom of its overseas citizens. As long as Wei Lin and I make a request to the Consul of Aliguo, our British army will certainly not stand idly by!
Indeed, dear Wu, was not your grandfather a Chinese official? Father Martin raised a more critical question, asking: "Why did your grandfather not use the power of the government to suppress these rioters?"
Continuing on, before Wu Chaoyue could figure out what to do, the British missionary Maidus suddenly stood up and said to Wu Chaoyue fiercely: "Wu, let's go to the concession! I will introduce you to our British consul, and ask him to help you resolve these troubles"
Wu Chaoyue shook his head with a bitter smile, but halfway through the motion, he suddenly paused, and a thought quickly sprang to his mind, "How could I have forgotten that method? And forgotten all these great supporters in front of me?"
Seeing Wu Chaoyue speak so confidently, the priests of the congregation were all moved. However, a few cautious missionaries, due to their limited understanding of China, worriedly asked a completely unnecessary question, "If we do this, will the Chinese authorities also arrest us?"
"Using a warship's cannon to seek justice?" Wu Chaoyue almost cried out in shock, thinking to himself that if he dared to do such a thing, he would definitely not be remembered as anyone in the history books of the future
Mr. Martin, you are not a Chinese official and cannot help me
"No!" Fortunately, Father Luo Weilin stood up in opposition and said: "Maidosi, regarding the incident in Qingpu last time, the consul of Aliguo, in order to take revenge for you and me, directly brought a warship to the foot of Jiangning City. As a result, although the Chinese government compensated us for our losses, the Chinese people harbored great resentment towards us because of this incident, making our missionary work in China even more difficult. If we do the same this time, it will not only lead to further misunderstandings from the Chinese people, but it may also bring more trouble to Wu!" If we do the same this time, it will not only lead to further misunderstandings from the Chinese people, but it may also bring more trouble to Wu!
Wu, just now when I was entering the city, I recognized two dockworkers who had listened to the gospel. Why did they run away as soon as they saw me? No matter how I called out, they wouldn't stop? Yesterday, when they heard me proclaiming the gospel of the Lord at the dock, they didn't react this way
After great effort, Wu Chaoyue finally managed to explain the situation in English, also informing the Western missionaries about the immense and terrifying power of the secret societies that have existed in China for over a thousand years. He directly told these foreign priests that it was precisely because they had assisted in preaching to the dockworkers that their own secretly controlled society, the Shuangdao Society, had suffered violent retaliation from other gangs, incurring heavy losses in the conflict
Wu, how many dockworkers have already preliminarily accepted the Bible and gone there? Why are they not at the dock today
The priests nodded in agreement, all in favor of adopting Wu Chaoyue's approach, and they expressed their commitment to provide assistance until the end. Unbeknownst to them, Wu Chaoyue, who did not wish to be like Wu Sangui, quietly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly thanked the foreign gentlemen for their help. Only then did he meticulously explain the specific methods to the foreign gentlemen, and he immediately assigned tasks, urging the foreign priests to take action separately.
After listening to Luo Weilin's introduction, Wu Chaoyue was unexpectedly somewhat tempted by the significant influence of Luo Weilin and Maidusi. However, considering the legacy of his descendants and the evaluations in history books, Wu Chaoyue forcibly dismissed this gratifying thought. After a moment of contemplation, he then said: "Respected fathers, I have thought of a good solution. If you could assist me with a favor, then those Chinese warriors who help you with your missionary work will not only be saved, but in the future, there will certainly be no one to obstruct or undermine your missionary efforts at the Shanghai docks."
Wu Chaoyue laughed upon hearing this and said with a hearty laugh, "Rest assured, no one understands the character of these Qing officials better than I do. Whether from the early or late Qing dynasty, the Beijing office's petition bureau only dares to apprehend Chinese petitioners, lacking the courage to arrest you foreigners"
"Why?" More than twenty fervent priests immediately expressed their discontent, clamoring to ask, "Wu, why? Why do those workers who have recited the Bible no longer dare to work at the docks? Why will they not recite the Bible again? They are potential believers we have worked so hard to find! Many among them have already developed a strong interest in our Catholic faith!"
Martin nodded in disappointment, indicating that he understood Wu Chaoyue's predicament. He then asked, "Dear Wu, my Chinese friend, what can I do for you? If there is any way I can assist, please let me know, and I will do my utmost to help."
"It is simply a matter of seeking redress from the authorities, directly filing complaints with various levels of government!" Wu Chaoyue said with a cold smile, "As long as you take the initiative to approach the Shanghai County Office to report those thugs who disrupt and obstruct your missionary work, and then file complaints against Songjiang Prefect Chen Tinghuang and Jiangsu Governor Yang Wending, accusing Shanghai County Magistrate Yuan Zude of sheltering the thugs, distorting the truth, and arresting the Chinese heroes who protect the workers, do not fear that Yuan Zude will not face dire consequences, nor fear that he will not obediently release them!"
"What is a good solution?" Father Zhongyang was overjoyed upon hearing this and eagerly said, "Wu, quickly tell us your good solution, we will definitely help, we will definitely help!"
After hearing Wu Chaoyue's simple analogy, the priests finally understood his meaning. Then, more than twenty priests began to draw crosses on their chests, praying to God to bless the innocent dockworkers and to protect the Chinese warriors who were harmed while defending the dockworkers. Father Martin also apologized to Wu Chaoyue, saying, "Dear Wu, I did not expect this matter to cause you so much trouble. I apologize to you; it is we who have implicated you."
No foreign priest understood the meaning of Wu Chaoyue's words, but the basic idea of Wu Chaoyue was generally understood by the priests. Although Maidusi and several other impatient foreign priests felt that this approach was too troublesome and a waste of time, far simpler and more direct than directly requesting their own consulate to send troops, Father Luo Weilin, the founder of Renji Hospital and Xiehe Hospital, strongly agreed with Wu Chaoyue's method. He said, "Dear brothers in the faith, what Wu suggests is indeed the best approach. We have come to China to spread the gospel, not to wage war. By following Wu's method, we can establish a good impression of adhering to Chinese laws among the Chinese people, making it easier to evangelize in the future. However, if we directly wage war, even if we succeed, it will only instill more fear and hostility in the Chinese people towards us, rather than fostering any sense of affinity."
"Has this already been done?" The unlearned Wu Chaoyue was even more astonished. When he hurriedly inquired with Luo Weilin about the details, he learned that four years ago, Luo Weilin and Maidusi had gone to Qingpu County to preach. Due to a language barrier, misunderstandings arose with the local fishermen, who injured them with bamboo poles. Out of anger, Maidusi went to the British consul in Shanghai, Ali Guo, to lodge a complaint. Without hesitation, Ali Guo immediately dispatched two warships into the Yangtze River, directly approaching what is now known as Nanjing, and aimed dozens of cannons at the city, forcing the officials of the Liangjiang region at that time to provide an explanation for Luo Weilin and Maidusi. This ultimately led to the downfall of the Qingpu County magistrate and caused the fishermen from ten villages in Qingpu to raise three hundred taels of silver as compensation for Luo Weilin and Maidusi's medical expenses (referring to the Qingpu Incident)
No amount of wailing would help; Wu Chaoyue had already caused the Wu family to offend all the gangs in Shanghai. Naturally, he did not dare to further offend the foreign missionaries who still considered him a friend. Thus, despite knowing it was a self-inflicted trouble, Wu Chaoyue steeled himself and went to the front hall to receive guests. As expected, the moment Wu Chaoyue stepped into the living room, more than twenty foreign priests rushed at him like flies drawn to blood, surrounding him and shouting in various foreign languages mixed with their poorly spoken Chinese.
"Petitioning?" The priests were all confused and asked, "Wu, what is petitioning?"
Wu Chaoyue could only manage a bitter smile. First, he asked the priests to be quiet, and then he briefly recounted the events, saying: "Esteemed priests, I apologize, as those dockworkers have already faced violent threats from the underworld forces in Shanghai. In order to protect these workers, three of my gang friends have lost their lives, fifteen have been injured, and nine have been deliberately taken away by the Shanghai county office, which secretly shelters these criminal forces. Those who were captured are still enduring severe torture in prison"
Dear Wu, what has happened? Why have those dockworkers who recited the Bible all disappeared? Thousands of them, it seems as if they have all vanished.
I can find the evidence for you! Wu Chaoyue said quickly: "As long as you come forward to report the situation, I can guarantee that once this matter is successful, no evil forces will dare to obstruct your preaching at the Shanghai docks in the future"
"Then what do you want us to do?" Maidos and the priests all asked eagerly.
After expending considerable effort, Wu Chaoyue finally made the foreign priests understand what it means to petition and what constitutes a higher-level petition, as well as how to accuse Yuan Zude and the Shanghai gang he secretly supports. However, after hearing this, the foreign priests remained skeptical and asked, "Wu, is this approach effective? We have no evidence to accuse a Chinese official of corruption and collusion with thugs; will the Chinese authorities believe us?"
He has no authority to intervene in local government affairs. Wu Chaoyue's expression grew more helpless as he had to briefly explain the powers of his comprador grandfather to the foreign guests. He then continued, "Currently, the authority to sanction these thugs in Shanghai lies with the county magistrate's office. Unfortunately, the magistrate of Shanghai, Yuan, is a supporter behind these thugs. Therefore, not only does he fail to stop these thugs, but he also deliberately arrests the Chinese heroes who protect the dockworkers. It is akin to some corrupt police officers in the West who accept bribes from criminals, intentionally allowing them to continue their crimes, and even facilitating the criminals in retaliating against the victims who report them."
Listening to this series of questions, Wu Chaoyue, who was feeling downcast, could only respond with a bitter smile and had no idea how to answer. After finally calming himself down, Wu Chaoyue first waved his hand to silence a group of foreign priests, and then spoke in English: "Dear respected priests, it is with great regret that I inform you that the dockworkers who have recited the Bible will likely not return to the docks today. Even if they continue to work at the docks in the future, they probably will not dare to recite the Bible or listen to the Gospel anymore. Therefore, you might as well inform your merchant ship friends to offer the job opportunities to others."
Wu Chaoyue shook his head and said, "Mr. Martin, we are friends, so there is no need for such formalities. I do not hold any grievances against you. What I want now is to resolve this matter quickly, to rescue those innocent Chinese warriors who have been captured, and to address the current troubles as soon as possible. Therefore, I am unable to assist you with your missionary work for the time being"
It is still relatively good. The British missionary, Luo Weilin, who has been in China for fourteen years, is quite familiar with these circumstances and has also had contact with the Chinese gang forces. With his assistance, more than twenty foreign priests finally understood Wu Chaoyue's introduction and realized the painful sacrifices made by the old Wu family in this incident. However, this led to even more confusion among the priests, who began to question: "Wu, the Shanghai gangs are so brutal, why doesn't your Chinese government take action? Is it that your Chinese laws do not punish these ruthless thugs?"
The relationship between Maidosi and Luo Weilin is excellent, and seeing that friends have said so, Maidosi can only nod and say, "Alright then, let's proceed according to Wu's method. If it does not succeed, we will consider seeking assistance from our own military. Wu, please explain the specifics of how to proceed; I am willing to help you, as this also helps myself"
Wu Chaoyue, who was contemplating this idea, felt a surge of joy. Just as he was about to nod in agreement, Father Maidosi spoke even more fiercely: "I will ask the Consul of Ali Country to, just like last time, directly bring British warships into the Yangtze River and use our British army's cannons to demand justice for you!"
"No need for an army, no need to borrow troops." Wu Chaoyue quickly shook his head and said, "There is no need to resort to force and violence; I only need you to do one thing, and all these troublesome issues can be resolved!"
"It's very simple, just two words." Wu Chaoyue raised two fingers and, with a sinister smile, uttered a term that absolutely has not yet appeared in this era, "petition!"
"Wu, there are still two Western cargo ships at the dock, and they are waiting to load and unload goods. Where are your workers? Why aren't they hurrying to carry the Bible and work to earn money? Although the owners of those two ships promised to provide job opportunities only to our designated workers, what should we do if there are no workers?"