The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 786: Workers of South America Unite

The port of Callao on the Pacific coast of Peru in South America is called "Goose City" by the Chinese workers who came here from thousands of miles away to make a living because the word "goose" is in its name and it is a port for trafficking in guano.

It was still winter in South America in June, but the temperature in "Echeng" near the equator was not low. The sea breeze from the nearby Pacific Ocean was moist and gave people a hot and humid feeling. Chen Ashui from Guangdong was squatting under a wooden shed near the fish market, with several dark red whip marks on his neck covered with fine beads of sweat - these were caused by Zhao Sihai, the supervisor, whipping him with a whip when he was a contract worker carrying bird droppings at the "Echeng" dock!
"when"

The sound of a gong exploded from the corner of the street. A row of True Covenant Crusaders in black clothes and black pants marched through the puddles in formation, their leather boots with anti-skid iron plates on the bottom making the stone slabs jingle. Chen Ashui caught a glimpse of the Taiping sword on the waist of the leading officer. The four golden characters "Western Palace Guards" on the scabbard shone in the sun, making him squint. Half a month ago, it was this team that rushed into the wooden building where the dock workers lived, dragged the whip-wielding Chaozhou man Zhao Sihai to the "Tulou Cathedral" of the True Covenant faction and beheaded him in the street. Now the head of that man surnamed Zhao was nailed to the wooden pole outside the Tulou - he died with his eyes open!

Thinking of the day when Zhao Sihai was beheaded, Chen A Shui turned his head and looked towards the end of Chinatown, where stood a three-meter-high Hakka earth building. The rammed earth walls were mixed with broken shells. When the sun shone on it, it glowed blue-gray, just like a giant turtle lying on the beach.

A red wheat cross flag was erected on the roof, and the corners of the flag rustled in the wind. The construction of this earth building began more than half a year ago. The people who paid for it were more than a hundred True Covenant missionaries who came from the sea on a large steamship. The leader was a Guangxi man named Zeng, who was in his forties and had pockmarks on his face. People called him Zeng Mazi, but his subordinates called him Bishop Zeng.

When Bishop Zeng first arrived, he was quite friendly. He sent visiting cards to all the gang leaders in Goose City, and gave the white men in Goose City gold, a specialty of California, USA! After everything was arranged, he hired two thousand strong laborers from Chincha Island, the guano island, to help him build the Tulou Cathedral.

But who would have thought that Zeng Mazi would change his attitude just after the Tulou Cathedral was completed! Those laborers who helped build the church were all carrying rifles for some reason! Chen Ashui only remembered that night, teams of crusaders carrying rifles with bayonets rushed out of the Tulou and attacked all the halls on Chinatown! Those hall leaders who had not converted to Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother early on, no matter how powerful they were on weekdays, and how many big foreigners they had as their backers, were of no use that night! All those people were taken to the outside of the Tulou Cathedral, and Zeng Mazi waved his hand, without saying a word, and those people all lost their heads.

From then on, the sky of Chinatown in Goose City changed!

Today, there are twelve twelve-pound Napoleon cannons mounted on the walls of the Tulou Cathedral, with the muzzles pointing blackly at the streets and docks of the Port of Callao. Even the governor's office and the court of the white lord are under the muzzles of the cannon!
In front of the gate of the earthen building, there was a half-person-high fortification made of sandbags. Three Mitellus multi-barreled rifles were mounted inside. The barrels as thick as bowls were filled with bullets, facing dozens of Peruvian soldiers with smoothbore muskets on their backs - they followed the white master from the city of Callao to cause trouble.

But later on, they discovered that they had encountered the truest truth in the world!

Thirty-six human heads were nailed to the outer wall of the earthen building. The one in the middle was the leader of the Triad Society, Zhao Sihai, whose eye sockets had become two black holes. Three months ago, this Chaozhou guy was still wielding a whip on the dock of Callao Harbor, beating the contract workers from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Now his dry mouth was wide open, as if he was about to shout out the last half of his begging for mercy.

The Peruvian soldiers were sweating profusely and dared not move. They dared not move!

Three hundred crusaders were lined up in two rows. They had red scarves wrapped around their heads, their black cloth jackets were starched straight, they had Taiping Army standard bayonets on their waists, and Tianli three-year rifled rifles slung across their backs. Their murderous appearance frightened Sanchez, the Peruvian judge in Callao. He had tried cases in courts across Peru for twenty years, and he had never seen such an arrogant criminal!
Sitting on the high platform was a man in a red robe and a red crown, with pockmarks all over his face. He was Zeng Shuiyuan, a veteran of the Western Temple of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. He was now the Archbishop of the True Covenant Diocese of Peru. Six months ago, when he first arrived at the Port of Callao, he gave Chief Justice Sanchez a statue of the Virgin Mary made in California—made of pure gold!

Now, facing the foreign leader who came to question him, Zeng Shuiyuan didn't even raise his eyelids, and tapped the armrests of the armchair with his knuckles. Thump, thump, thump. Every thump made Sanchez's temples throb.

"Killing people? Why can't we kill the guilty people?" Master Ma, who was wearing a long gown, pushed his gold-rimmed glasses. This graduate of Shanghai Jiangnan School of Political Science and Law was the best at reasoning, and he could even reason in Spanish. "Law? Laws that cannot protect Chinese workers cannot protect mine owners and farmers either. Bishop Zeng has issued an episcopal decree to bring justice to all Chinese workers in Peru and the Incas who converted to the true covenant. The contracts of the Chinese workers are all invalid!"

Delgado, the mine owner on Guano Island, poked the ground with his silver cane and said, "Void? Why can we void a contract that has been written in black and white?"

"With just 12 Napoleon cannons, 18 Mississippi rifles, and Miterius rifles! Is that enough? If not, the California militia will attack us soon!"

Lieutenant Colonel Manuel, the commander of the garrison in Callao, shuddered - the California militia. Too scary! Back then, the Mexicans provoked the Texas militia and lost half of their country! If the California militia attacks, the Peruvians will have to be Americans and speak English for generations! It's really scary! "What we, the True Contractists, want is justice!" Master Ma continued, "From today on, all the contracts of Chinese in Peru are invalid." Master Ma unfolded a bishop's decree written on yellow silk: "Daily working hours must not exceed five hours, the monthly salary must not be less than twenty silver dollars, and food and accommodation must be provided. The dormitories must have glass windows and gutters, and there are five days of paid leave each month - the True Contract Inspectors will check every ten days, and those who violate the rules..."

He suddenly stopped and looked back at Zeng Shuiyuan.

"Violators," Zeng Mazi stood up, unsheathed the old sword of the West Palace Army, and spoke slowly in stiff Spanish, "According to Article 7 of the True Agreement, they will be executed immediately!"

Make a decision?
Lieutenant Colonel Manuel, Judge Sanchez, and Master Delgado were all dumbfounded. How could you do this? The revolutionaries in Europe didn't want to shoot the capitalists! How can we do this business? No, this is no longer an ordinary charlatan, we must strike hard!

After the Peruvian soldiers and the white Peruvian masters retreated, Zeng Shuiyuan walked to the top floor of the earthen building. The gunner of the 12-pound cannon was cleaning the fuse. When he saw him coming, he wanted to salute, but he waved his hand to stop him. Looking far away, cargo ships outside the harbor were like ants, carrying tons of guano to Europe.

"Tomorrow, send an inspector with a battalion of people on board the California Navy's Liberty armed merchant ship to the Chincha Islands." He said to Master Ma who followed him, "Announce the Emancipation Decree to the 30,000 Chinese workers there!" The wind lifted his red robe, revealing the Taiping sword at his waist.

Suddenly, there was the sound of crackling firecrackers on Chinatown outside the earth building. It was the wedding of a Chinese businessman who had married an Indo-European woman. The Chinese in Goose City were beginning to prosper. Zeng Shuiyuan closed his eyes and listened, and a very light smile appeared on his pockmarked face.

The palm trees of the presidential palace in Lima rustled in the sea breeze. President Juan Antonio Pezzet slammed the telegram on his desk, causing the silver inkstand to jump half an inch.

"Thirty thousand Chinese laborers! Three thousand guns! Twelve-pounders on the Chinese fort at Callao!" He grabbed a gilded paper knife and pointed the tip of it at the nose of Secretary of War José Galvez. "Last month you said those Chinese were just on strike—now they've even torn down the Peruvian flag!"

Galvez's shirt was soaked with cold sweat. He could smell the burnt smell of the president's cigar mixed with the smell of alcohol, and he could also feel how angry the president was. Three hours ago, the governor of Callao sent an urgent telegram: the True Yorkists occupied the port authority building, and the Chinese workers painted eleven huge Chinese characters on the wall with guano ash - "Workers of South America, unite!"
"Mr. President, Zeng Shuiyuan's armed men have taken control of the Chincha Islands..."

"That's not what I want to hear!" President Pezzet roared, "Did the 8,000 soldiers under your command grow up eating corn paste? Send three regiments to Callao tomorrow! Blow up the earthen buildings!"

Suddenly, lightning flashed outside the window. Galvez glimpsed a four-wheeled carriage driving into the courtyard. It was the carriage of the Spanish ambassador, with Bourbon patterns on the carriage. During this period, this damn Spaniard kept talking to him about the "yellow peril" and the "True Joseph threat". He thought it was all nonsense, but he didn't expect it to be true!
"Mr. President," Army Minister Galvez came up and said, "There are only 20 white people in Peru. The Chinese have exceeded 3! If the Peruvian Indians are also bewitched by the True Yomiuris, then we will..."

"What do you mean?" The Peruvian President turned and looked at his Army Minister.

"President, I'm afraid we need... we need the Spanish motherland!" Army Minister Galvez said word by word. "Without the Spanish motherland, how can 20 white people rule 230 million Indians and Indo-Europeans forever? Now, the Chinese and the True Jew have intervened again! They mobilized blacks and Indians in the United States and divided the entire West! The United States has nearly 3000 million white people! And we only have 20."

"Mr. President," the voice of Presidential Secretary Sanders came in at this time, "The Spanish Minister wants to see you!"

"Quick, please invite him in!" President Juan Antonio Pezet, whose father had participated in the resistance against Spanish colonial rule, suddenly found that he loved his distant Spanish motherland so much!

(End of this chapter)