New Shun 1730

When leaving Liu Yu, Fazaklei's face was already a little stiff due to the long-term fake smile.

After returning to his residence, Fazaklai picked up his pen and, as usual, recorded his experiences at the beginning of his trip to Macau in his diary.

…………

【December 4th. clear. Macao. 】

This Chinese Duke, with his usual shamelessness and reputation as notorious as Frederick II, adopted extremely shameless and unfair competition methods.

It seems that the company's financial statements this year will be very ugly.

He said that in view of the efficiency of China's affairs and the fact that this matter needs to be submitted to the emperor for a final decision, all the company's merchant ships in Macau, Shanghai and Guangzhou will be impounded for a period of time. Use strict checks to ensure that no opium is smuggled in, or provide sufficient evidence to prove that no one on the ship is engaged in the opium trade.

I tried my best to explain the company's problems clearly, but the Duke was unmoved and explained the matter with the darkness of politics:

He believed that if there was no strict investigation, if there was evidence in the future that the company's merchant ships had hidden opium, or that the sailors and employees on the ships were directly involved in the opium trade, he would be attacked by his colleagues and other officials of the imperial court. , saying he likely took bribes.

For the sake of his official position and family, and for his favor in front of the emperor, he certainly would not care about the interests of the company's hundreds or thousands of shareholders.

This reminds me of how in our country's parliament we call each other's political opponents Scottish horse thieves and Irish bandits. and the story of the Jenkins Ear affair, in which those who accused those who opposed the war were bribed with Spanish silver.

It seems that the world is similar.

They also have their own moral system and govern the country with a morality that can clearly distinguish between right and wrong. I think there is only room for extremes and more extremes.

Undoubtedly, this is not good news for the company.

Once the monsoon period is over in February, if we still can't set sail... I'm afraid this year's profits from tea and raw silk will be gone.

【December 7th. Negative. Macao. 】

Horrible news came, and the savagery of the Orientals shocked all civilized people.

This murderous Lord Duke, as the imperial envoy to deal with the Macau incident, compiled the list of criminals.

In fact, it was more of a massacre than an execution.

324 people related to the opium trade, including but not limited to smugglers, smugglers, equipment suppliers, and opium den operators, were sentenced to death. Among them, 240 are Chinese, and among the remaining 84, there are 12 compatriots. But there was nothing I could do to save them.

Not only that, the cruel Bloody Duke also sent me an invitation to watch, saying that he had reserved a good seat for me.

In addition to these more than 300 poor people, some Dominicans were also sentenced to death.

Among them, 13 Dominican monks, led by Bai Duolu, were sentenced to death. Many members of the underground church organizations they established in Fujian, Suzhou and other places were sentenced to exile in Macau.

Most of these Catholics were poor, and they were different from the Puritans who sailed on the Mayflower. In fact, they were unable to even scrape together the money to escape this demonic kingdom.

Poor Macau. Of course, the Jesuits did not perform miracles of five loaves and two fishes. These people who are constantly being exiled will make Macau become a hell.

However, it is impossible for the Jesuits and the Bishop of Macau to choose not to accept them. However, from the perspective of businessmen, I want to know whether the Jesuits have the ability to relieve them and ensure their most basic survival?

【December 17th. clear. Macao. 】

Today is the day of the first executions. I was "invited" to watch, and indeed had a "good" seat in the front row.

It must be said that China is a nation that worships gods, and their idol worship is very serious. If things like science and mechanics are proven to be valid, they will worship these things like gods.

Today's first batch of executions adopted a new execution method. This method of execution also proves what we have always believed, that the worship of reason and science is also terrible.

A wooden platform about 20 feet high uses a pulley structure to lift a heavy guillotine. The guillotine is inclined.

As for why it is 20 feet high, a student of the Bloody Duke told me in a very proud tone that it was carefully calculated.

At such a height, there is enough kinetic energy to ensure a clean end every time without damaging the guillotine.

As for why it is tilted, this young man also used some mechanical principles that I didn't understand at all to explain.

I never thought that anyone would use science in this way. In fact, they worship science as a new god, which is no different from worshiping temples, dragon kings, gods of wealth, and ancestors.

They may even regard the application of science as another form of divine manifestation.

At the Academy of Sciences in Beijing, the purpose of their scientific research is very clear, which is for application. He also continued Leibniz's argument and repeatedly scorned the Royal Society's approach of "science for the sake of science and studying the universal truths of the world" and denounced it as "reduced to the status of some aristocratic classes." Pastimes,” such as some papers on various mushrooms.

Clearly utilitarian. Just like they worship gods, what they desire is not the truth of creation, but things such as rain, clear skies, and good harvests.

However, this student of the Bloody Duke has another explanation for the guillotine. He believes that this is a kind of benevolence.

He believes that executing death row prisoners in a scientific way is more humane than our European burning, wheel torture, dismemberment, and hanging.

It will make the criminals die without pain. Compared with hanging and dismemberment, this is a humanitarian progress. In his words, this is called benevolence.

According to him, the sentence of execution by cannonball against Pedro and others is actually more benevolent. Because it is less painful. He told me from the perspective of mechanics the speed of the cannonball leaving the barrel and the speed of crushing the human body, and concluded that the speed of the cannonball is forty-five times the speed of the guillotine falling from a height of 20 feet. Therefore, the most painful time between death and not dying is also a forty-five-fold difference.

I asked him sarcastically if inventing more effective weapons that kill people faster is also a kind of benevolence in his understanding?

But not only did he not take these words as sarcasm, but his eyes showed a special brilliance.

He said that compared to the pain of being hit by lead bullets, which cannot be cured but cannot die immediately, if a more powerful firearm that can kill instantly is invented, it is undoubtedly a kind of benevolence. Weapons are just tools. He cannot decide whether the war will start, so he can only solve the pain in the war as much as possible.

With such an idea, it is no wonder that he used science to explain the superiority of the guillotine.

This atmosphere is terrible. In their Academy of Sciences, perhaps it is also with this mentality that they have created naval guns, howitzers, and rifled guns with the same loading speed as smoothbore guns, which they think are more benevolent.

A terrible nation.

However, after watching the execution, to a certain extent, I agree with the view of the student of the bloody duke: indeed, compared with the axe, guillotine, burning, hanging, and wheel torture, this method of execution does seem to be more humane.

The incision is smooth, the process is fast, and there is no pain.

This execution will continue for several days, including some executions in Guangzhou City in the future. After today's execution, the Bloody Duke told me that anyone who sells opium in the future will be treated the same way.

I can only say that the company will strengthen supervision in the future.

What else can I say?

[December 25. Guangzhou. Cloudy.]

The Chinese chose the day of the Lord's birthday to execute missionaries such as Bai Duolu in Guangzhou. He showed the bravery that a pious person should have, and even before his death he was still persuading the lost lambs who tied him to the cannon to return to the right path.

He also said that the Lord would not blame them, they just carried out the will of the pagan emperor.

May his soul rest in peace and go to the land of lush grass and water.

[December 26. Guangzhou. Sunny.]

"Believing in the gods of Westerners will not give you eternal life."

"Believing in science will prevent you from smallpox."

This is the slogan they shouted after executing missionaries such as Bai Duolu. This is a man-made opposition. In fact, we do not disbelieve in science.

Obviously, this artificial opposition is to replace the possible true god with a new god. According to the Bloody Duke, the best way to weed the field is to plant pine trees, not to squat on the ground to pull weeds.

The Bloody Duke knew very well what science is, but he deliberately distorted science into a kind of god. Obviously, he tried to spread this concept quickly by means similar to missionary work.

It must be said that this artificial opposition is effective. But he forgot that rational worship would bring disasters, making people think that they have the power to spy on the power of heaven, that heaven can summarize laws, and that it is good to obey these laws and bad to violate these laws. This is delusion.

However, the method they invented to prevent smallpox by inoculating some magical things has been promoted in major cities and the army in Jiangsu.

It is said that the emperor's court will also promote it in the future. Because over the past ten years, it has indeed been proven to be 100% effective and there is no danger. Like Europe, even in the court, it is a major event worth celebrating if a child can survive five years old.

Today, this is being promoted in Guangzhou City. A large number of officials and gentry took the lead in vaccinating their children with bean sprouts.

They still remember the smallpox that raged twelve years ago.

Undoubtedly, this will be another effective political propaganda.

He did plant a pine tree to prevent weeds from growing again.

Although, he did save many people by doing this.

But the political flavor in it is too strong, which shows that he lacks a truly kind heart.

Just because he really saved the lives of many people who might have died of smallpox, he can't be said to be a good person.

Because his purpose is evil.

He refused to promote vaccination in Macau, although his reason was that there was a shortage of manpower. The capital had recognized the effectiveness and wanted to send a large number of people to the capital to expand the influence and help the subsequent promotion.

But I think he wanted to disintegrate faith through a contrast.

A large number of people crowded into Macau, business declined, housing was in short supply, the city was dirty, and the plague would soon be prevalent. The outbreak of smallpox was inevitable.

He was creating a contrast. Those who carried out his will would definitely go to hell.

Although I hated his cruelty and darkness, I had to go and vaccinate the bean sprouts.