Chapter 1097: Schall von Bell

"I know you have many things you wish to ask me, but under these circumstances, I think you need to answer my questions first." The man sized me up coldly. "What is your name, and where do you come from?"

"My name is Johann Adam Schall von Bell," I answered hastily.

It is rather laughable, really — when I spoke that name, I suddenly felt a sense of strangeness, as though I were speaking of someone else. Over the past few years, I had grown so thoroughly accustomed to using Schall von Bell to refer to myself.

Then, I told him my origins, my experiences, and my purpose in coming to China, exactly as they were.

He listened to my words without uttering a single sound, and only after I had finished did he look at me noncommittally, as if pondering how he ought to deal with me.

"Might I have the honor of learning your name, sir?" To ease the atmosphere, I took the initiative and asked him. "Of course, if you find it inconvenient, it is perfectly fine not to answer me… Still, I thought — since God has arranged for us to meet in a place ten thousand li from home, why should we not be a little friendlier to one another?"

As though something in my words had touched him, the man suddenly broke into a grin.

"My name is Louis de Rochefort. As you were just now probing, I am a man who holds holy orders — assuming I have not been expelled yet."

His words left me deeply perplexed, stirring both a faint sense of kinship and an added measure of wariness. Why would he say he might already have been expelled from his order? Could he be some priest who had broken his vows?

At that moment, he offered me an explanation.

"I am a priest — or was once a priest. I even spent time in Rome back in the day. However, I belong to the Dominican Order, and because of the Jesuit affair back then, I was forced to leave Rome."

Though his tone was perfectly flat, I felt extremely uncomfortable hearing it. After all, I am a Jesuit priest myself!

But we were not in Europe now, and I had no interest in debating religious matters with him.

"Before God, we are equally His lost lambs," I said, attempting to lessen some of his hostility toward me.

Judging by the attitude of the men escorting me, he was an important figure here.

It seemed that many of the unconventional innovations Zhao Jin had introduced must have come about through his influence.

At that thought, I breathed a sigh of relief. It appeared my earlier worries had been unnecessary — a Dominican priest was far easier to get along with than a heretic. Perhaps the two of us could cooperate in the future and influence Zhao Jin, persuading him to support our missionary work.

At the same time, I was intensely curious about this man. To have become such a highly respected figure under Zhao Jin — that must have been a legendary journey.

Just then, he beckoned with his hand, motioning for me to step before him.

"Alright, since we are both here now, let us set aside those matters of religious orders. There are other things I wish to ask you."

I complied with his request and walked up to him. Only then did I notice that he seemed to have just emerged from a workshop — his body was covered in coal dust and grime, and the white inner garment beneath his coat had been stained grayish black, yet he appeared not to mind it much.

"You said earlier that you were invited by the Ming court and were heading north to the capital with cannons, is that correct?" Though his tone remained fairly amiable, his manner was still somewhat arrogant. "Before you arrived, the cannons you brought with you had already been transported here to me."

"Yes," I replied. "Those cannons were a gift, given as a supplement to make the Ming Empire more receptive to our missionary work."

"And yet you still took their money," the man answered with a touch of sarcasm. "So — do you personally know how to manufacture cannons?"

"I possess some knowledge of mechanics, but among my traveling companions there is one far more excellent than I. I believe he is more proficient than I am in the craft of cannon-making," I answered very cautiously.

"Very well. I have the honor of informing you that, as of today, you are now one of my assistants, aiding me in manufacturing cannons for my employer." In a tone that brooked no dissent, the man said to me, "You ought to thank yourself for having studied this field of knowledge. Otherwise, you would have been sent to the black cells, where the treatment is far worse than this."

Paying no mind to his discourteous tone, I asked him in astonishment.

"This is a place for manufacturing firearms and cannons?"

No wonder Zhao Jin wanted to keep this place so secret. So that was it — I finally understood.

"Yes. This is now the largest firearms and cannon factory in Asia," this de Rochefort replied to me with considerable self-restraint. "Though it still cannot compare to the finest factories of the King of Spain or the King of France, I believe that within a few years, in our hands, it can become the largest firearms and cannon factory in the entire world."

"But… I am a missionary, sir," I protested, concealing my anger as best I could.

"Come now, since you are here, you have no choice — ha!" Seeing my discomfiture, he burst out laughing.

His tone carried an air of thorough self-satisfaction; it seemed that long years of management had cultivated his arrogance.

Still, I did not understand his hostility toward me. Only later did I come to realize that his hostility did not stem from our religious orders at all, but from his desire to prevent us from seizing his advantageous position. He wanted to continue using his special role before Zhao Jin to further his own interests.

At that moment, of course, I had no way of knowing everything this man was thinking. I could only resign myself to fate and obey his orders — albeit most unwillingly. I regarded him as Zhao Jin's agent here and the general superintendent of arms production.

This was a mistake on my part. I should have realized from the start that a man like Zhao Jin would never entrust his most important arms factory to a foreigner.

After this exceedingly unpleasant conversation, I was escorted back to the dormitory. Then, under the expectant gazes of my colleagues, I recounted everything I had just encountered.

As I had anticipated, upon hearing my account, my colleagues were all struck simultaneously by the twin blows of shock and anxiety. And so, we were forced to begin a serious discussion about our future.

We were, of course, unwilling to let our grand ambitions vanish without a trace here, reduced to wretched prisoner-craftsmen. Yet we also dared not defy the orders of Zhao Jin and that man.

Clearly, though he was a fellow priest, I could see little pity for us in that man — I had no doubt that if we refused to cooperate, his threats would certainly become reality.

In the end, after a long and solemn discussion, we resolved to contribute our abilities here for the time being, and then seek an opportunity to get out.

We reasoned this way because we believed that so long as we demonstrated sufficient ability, Zhao Jin would not ignore us indefinitely. Even if only for the sake of producing better firearms and cannons, he would surely find ways to satisfy some of our demands.

At the same time, some among us thought that after we had been missing for so long, the Ming court would exert pressure on Zhao Jin, compelling him to release us sooner. Thus, we would only need to cooperate for a short while. This notion was later regarded as a naive idea born of ignorance of the true situation — but at least at that moment, we still believed the Ming court held some degree of influence over Zhao Jin, or could at least command his outward respect.

And so, in a state of anxious unease, we spent our first day here in the dormitory. Incidentally, judging by what we observed, the standard of our meals was quite excellent.

The next day, we were woken at first light by a knocking at the door. These robust, powerful men entered our dormitory, roused us one by one, and then informed us that this was the hour when the factory craftsmen here assembled for collective labor. As we were now counted among their number, from this day forward we must rise on our own at this time every day and assemble outside the door, without the slightest delay.

One colleague, who had been in poor health lately, raised an objection — and was swiftly forced to change his mind by their fierce glares. In the end, we could only silently acquiesce to this unreasonable demand. I must confess to you, this was the lowest moment of our entire journey to Xuzhou.

Next, this group of men led us out of the dormitory and toward the factory district.

Perhaps to maximize the use of our knowledge and prevent us from secretly colluding, they dispersed our people, scattering us among separate individual workshops. They wanted us to serve as instructors to the craftsmen, imparting to them European mechanical manufacturing experience.

I felt somewhat honored that I was assigned to the largest of the workshops.

The moment I stepped into this workshop, the wave of heat that hit my face nearly suffocated me in an instant. After a moment of dazed disorientation, I saw that inside were several large iron furnaces, along with some draft animals pulling machinery. And among these furnaces and machines, a group of people dressed in thin clothing — some even stripped to the waist — labored without pause.

I was not particularly impressed by the draft animals, for the river was frozen over at this time and water power could no longer drive these machines, leaving them reliant on animal power. But I was filled with intense interest in these iron furnaces, for their appearance was far too peculiar.

It was a strangely shaped furnace, with its opening placed in an odd location, looking entirely different from those in European workshops. I was brimming with curiosity and could not help wanting to step closer and observe.

But I quickly halted my steps, for it was far too hot inside. Though the bellows ceaselessly blasted air into these iron furnaces, the blast only intensified the temperature within. Even at some distance from the furnaces, I still felt drenched in sweat from head to toe.

Thanks to the two old friends "Yuan Heng Li Zhen" and "Dragon King of the Wind" for their tips, and thanks to everyone for your subscriptions and monthly tickets. Thank you all.