Matteo Ricci gave Ji Xiang many books, but a considerable portion of them were intended as tribute to the Wanli Emperor.
Fortunately, the Jesuits had acquired properties in several locations. Matteo Ricci stated that since he didn't have much money on him and would likely only stay in Shuntian for a month this time, he could simply "borrow" books from his teammates later.
After all, if the construction of the great cathedral was truly approved, several of his teammates would come to Shuntian.
Fan Lixian, Meng Sande, Long Huamin, Luo Ruowang, Guo Jingju... Matteo Ricci's teammates' names were also considered exemplary blends of Chinese and Western styles, the kind that immediately struck one as not being from the Great Ming, yet carrying a certain Ming flavor...
Ji Xiang also noted down the names of these individuals.
In the future, when he passed by the residences of those priests, he could simply mention Matteo Ricci's name to gain access. Matteo Ricci had said that by mentioning his name, one could get a Bible for free, and the Christian teachings they possessed were even more extensive than Matteo Ricci's own.
Ji Xiang's face lit up with joy.
It was easier to get things done when you knew people.
As long as you let me be a freeloader, we are firm good friends.
The Christian teachings were certainly useful, and Ji Xiang was also planning to glean some advanced uses of "wishes" from them. At this moment, he learned some more news from Matteo Ricci.
Matteo Ricci was indeed the first Western missionary to arrive in Shuntian. Their initial landing point was in Haojing, where there was a Mazu Pavilion. A legitimate great cathedral was built there, approved during the Jiajing Emperor's reign, and it was by no means an illegal structure.
After this church was established, several priests crossed the eastern sea, led by Father Francisco Xavier, and under the assignment of Father Valignano of the Society of Jesus, they went to Japan to preach, achieving some initial success.
"Oh?"
Ji Xiang stroked his chin, pondering.
For some reason, he felt that the supernatural events involving printed matter in Japan were somehow connected to the Western Christian teachings.
It was truly a case of complementing each other's strengths.
"So, does that mean Western teachings are flourishing in Japan?"
However, Matteo Ricci offered a wry smile in response to some of Ji Xiang's questions:
"That was in the early stages. After Oda Nobunaga died, Toyotomi Hideyoshi became the Kampaku of Japan. He issued the 'Edict for the Expulsion of the Kirishitan,' stating that Japan was a land of gods, and their Christian teachings were foreign evil arts. He accused them of gaining believers through knowledge and disrupting the Buddhist teachings of Japan, which was a grave sin. He welcomed Western ships for foreign trade but refused entry to those who practiced Christian teachings."
"Currently, there are no more missionaries spreading Christianity in Japan. Early this year, Hideyoshi gathered all those who practiced Christian teachings in Nagasaki Prefecture and had them crucified."
Ji Xiang, at this point, could somewhat understand Toyotomi Hideyoshi's actions.
After all, it involved issues of governance, and religion was a sensitive area. In East Asia, the principle of the monarch reigning supreme over divine authority was followed. If religion began to shake the foundations of rule, persecution would ensue.
"The beliefs in Japanese spirits, gods, and Buddhist temples are very strong. If you touch the whiskers of a tiger, how can the tiger not get angry?"
Ji Xiang commented thus, and Matteo Ricci sighed, "It is said that this incident of killing was related to a merchant ship from the Kingdom of Portugal... When coming out to preach, one must be prepared to sacrifice oneself for the doctrine."
Matteo Ricci made the sign of the cross on his chest, while Ji Xiang took some scriptures and asked Matteo Ricci some questions.
"To be honest, I have some questions that I'd like to ask you... Why do the copies have 'wishes' on them? Is it because of your Christian teachings, or is there something special about this paper?"
The latter was unlikely, as the Inner Scene Divine Tablet had not reacted. Of course, Ji Xiang couldn't be sure if the Inner Scene Divine Tablet would react to Western items, so he could only ask Matteo Ricci on the spot.
"Wishes? What you are referring to is likely the response received from prayers to God, the flow of faith within that?"
"Yes, something like that, that's it."
Matteo Ricci seemed puzzled. "I'm not very clear about this. All the books we received are like this, and they haven't undergone significant changes. You say that wishes gather on the books; perhaps it's due to their widespread dissemination..."
Ji Xiang shook his head. "No, that won't happen. These copies, under normal circumstances, should not have wishes gathering on them. The faith of wishes should appear on your original text, the Lord's Prayer..."
Matteo Ricci began to think. He genuinely wanted to help Ji Xiang.
However, the principles of Eastern and Western methods differed greatly. Although there were commonalities, it was impossible to truly achieve "word-for-word accuracy" in translating those words and spells in a short period.
It was understandable. Although Matteo Ricci was a renowned Western missionary in the Great Ming and possessed extremely high erudition in Confucian literature, he was not considered a top figure within the church in the West. The mystery behind the phenomenon of wishes appearing on copies would naturally not be known to Matteo Ricci.
Therefore, there was only one cumbersome method.
Reading, one sentence at a time.
There was no fully translated version of the "Lord's Prayer." Although Ji Xiang had some familiarity with Latin, it was only superficial knowledge acquired in his previous life, and it was insufficient for translating the Bible of this era.
Thus, there was a simplified introductory version called "The True Record of the Lord."
Matteo Ricci highly recommended it, stating that it was the first book translated from Western into Ming vernacular by Western missionaries after their arrival in the Great Ming.
"There is indeed a Chapter One on God, Chapter Two on God's Affairs..."
"Chapter Four on God's Creation of Heaven, Earth, and Man, Chapter Five on Adam, the Man-God..."
"Chapter Seven on the Soul's Return to the Five Places..."
After briefly reading through the table of contents, Ji Xiang recited each chapter aloud. If there was anything miraculous, the Inner Scene Divine Tablet would manifest text, his internal spiritual energy would flow, and his mind would be meticulously focused.
This was also a copy. Matteo Ricci said it was an initial print copy, with a total of twelve hundred copies, all of which also bore faint, ownerless wishes.
Most of it contained translated vocabulary compiled by the missionaries themselves, with little content from the original Bible, but it was still worth examining.
Ji Xiang read on, and upon reaching the fifth chapter, the Inner Scene Divine Tablet displayed text!
Ji Xiang's eyes instantly flashed with brilliance as he accelerated his reading, finishing all the text in the fifth chapter!
"The first principle I speak of pertains to beings: celestial spirits and demons, those who are spiritual but without form. Now I shall speak of the concept of both soul and form. After God cast out the fallen angels, the positions in Heaven became vacant. Therefore, He created Adam and Eve, who possessed both soul and form, to propagate humanity. If there are those among them who do good, their souls shall ascend to Heaven to fill the positions of celestial spirits..."
Within the Inner Scene Divine Tablet, the text fully appeared:
[Testimony of Adam, the Man-God: That which God created is of three kinds: one is formless, one is with form, and one possesses both soul and form. The formless ones are the celestial spirits/demons!]