Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 142 Reactionary Doctrine: Galileo – He'd follow whoever offered the milk!
Unfortunately.

Galileo, already soaked to the bone in the downpour, could only grumble to himself; he would never dare to say these words aloud.

He is now more like an uncivilized monkey than the ignorant masses he once saw.

that's it.

A disheveled Galileo was taken into the most luxurious and magnificent building in the area, namely the church.

Upon entering the church, Galileo saw that the huge church was filled with onlookers.

When the crowd saw Galileo enter, they all cast mocking and ridiculing glances at him.

Galileo sought a shred of pity or sorrow in it, but found himself finding nothing.

Galileo was then escorted to the trial dock by two Catholics who were holding his arms.

Once everything is in place.

The cathedral bishop, dressed in a majestic red robe, then gave Galileo a disdainful glance and said solemnly:
"Galileo Galilei, listen to me!"

The sixty-three-year-old Galileo calmly raised his deep eyes, but his tone dared not presume to overstep his bounds: "I'm listening."

"According to our understanding, some people have reported that you are secretly supporting the absurd theoretical system of the reactionary Copernicus. Is this true?"

Galileo nodded dejectedly: "That's true."

A chorus of boos erupted from the crowd, and the look of disdain in their eyes toward Galileo intensified.

The bishop then asked, "You have abandoned your faith in the Lord to support heretical and reactionary doctrines, spreading falsehoods and making yourself a laughingstock. Do you realize your mistake?!"

Galileo nodded dejectedly again: "I understand."

At this point, the crowd erupted in agitation, shouting and cursing, with some even standing up and yelling:
"Repent, you foolish donkey! The Lord will forgive you before you commit a grave mistake!"

“Tie the incorrigible heretics to the rack and burn them alive!”

"All heretics must die!"

"."

Looking at the extremely excited onlookers.

Galileo's eyes were lowered, but a primal cry erupted from the depths of his heart:
These uncivilized primitives, fuck your mothers!
Born in Italy, a small country, and facing a populace that is almost entirely devoid of critical thinking skills.

This is practically God's punishment for him!

I was just seeking the truth! What did I do wrong that you treat me like this?

A spark ignited deep within Galileo's calm, profound eyes.

He wanted to roar at everyone.

However, under immense pressure from all sides, Galileo had no choice but to bury his head even lower.

The cardinal then slowly stood up and pressed his hand down.

As soon as he made that move, the crowd fell silent.

Galileo watched this scene and found it increasingly absurd.

The cardinal left his seat and calmly approached the judge's bench.

He pointed at Galileo with one hand, while looking at the crowd in the stands:
"Galileo's utterly corrupt Copernican system of thought reflects the pessimism and despair of the heretics, and even more so, it demonstrates that these insidious and cunning heretics are still relentlessly blaspheming against God!"

"Their reckless groping and wandering, seeking new paths, is essentially an attempt to challenge the authority of the Lord!"

"As Catholics, the most devout servants and believers of the Lord, we certainly cannot stand idly by and watch such disrespectful acts against the Lord occur!"

The cardinal paused briefly at this point, looking at the crowd of people inside the church.

The crowd quickly and enthusiastically applauded, everyone feeling greatly inspired by the bishop's speech.

"Clap clap clap clap"

The applause lasted for a long time.

It wasn't until church staff members exerted all their strength to stop them several times that the crowd gradually calmed down.

Looking at the ignorant and obedient people before him, the cardinal was very satisfied.

Then, pointing to Galileo, he continued, "As for this man, Galileo Galilei."

"Our religion can say with absolute certainty that Galileo, a heretic, was a 'whoever feeds me' type!"

"Galileo, having received benefits from the heretics, promoted the absurd heliocentric theory in an attempt to overthrow the great doctrines of Catholicism."

"For the great Lord, this is an unforgivable sin!"

The cardinal paused again, and the crowd quickly turned their angry gazes toward Galileo.

“However,” the cardinal suddenly changed the subject.

"Galileo's situation is understandable; he was mainly misled by heretical doctrines, which led him to where he is today."

"Moreover, he has realized his mistake and has a good attitude in admitting his error. As long as Galileo reflects on his grave mistake in the future, our religion can forgive him mercifully on behalf of the Lord."

"Galileo, do you know your mistake?"

Galileo nodded numbly, thinking, "Whatever."

immediately.

The cardinal then led a group in a profound critique of Galileo.

Galileo was released two hours later amidst a chorus of jeers.

now.

The heavy rain outside has stopped.

Galileo walked alone on the road, dejected, looking even more forlorn than when he arrived.

He wandered aimlessly into a tavern.

As with the previous times he had been criticized and denounced, he tried to numb his inner pain with alcohol.

It's still the same as always.

As soon as Galileo entered the tavern, everyone inside turned to look at him.

Someone laughed and said, "Galileo, you've just been dragged off to be criticized by the church again!"

He didn't answer, but instead called out to the bartender behind the counter, "Two liters of wine, and a plate of salami."

After saying this, Galileo ignored those who were mocking him.

He simply sat down at the bar alone and laid out nine silver coins.

Those people then deliberately shouted loudly behind his back, "You must have gone to promote the heliocentric theory again!"

"I just saw you in the church being yelled at by the bishop!"

Galileo remained unmoved.

Those who had mocked him, seeing that their verbal provocations had failed, were too lazy to bother arguing with this old man who was on the verge of death.

The crowd simply continued to point at Galileo's retreating figure in small groups and mock him.

The tavern was soon filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Galileo, on the other hand, could only sit at the bar and gulp down the wine in his glass.

These damned monkeys, how dare they mock me, a pioneer in the pursuit of truth!
God should send this group of people and this despicable country of Italy to meet Satan!
And those parasites in the church, they are the ones who should be burned at the stake!
Galileo clenched his fists, silently uttering vicious curses.

Being one step ahead of the times makes one a genius admired by all; being two steps ahead makes one a madman despised by all.

This timeless truth, which remains unchanged throughout the world, was embodied so vividly in Galileo at that moment.

As time goes by.

The mocking voices at Galileo in the tavern gradually subsided.

After all, this wasn't the first time Galileo had been criticized and denounced this year.

The amusement that mocking him brings is no longer as captivating as it once was.

The people in the tavern soon started chatting about all sorts of random things.

During this period, the so-called taverns in Italy were actually the center of local social life.

People eat, drink, chat, discuss business, and exchange news here.
Therefore, the tavern was a mixed bag, with all sorts of people talking about all sorts of things.

There are some clever and quick-witted people who learn useful information from others and thus change the course of their lives.

However, for Galileo...

The things people were discussing in the tavern were as ridiculous as children's games, and he had no interest in listening to them at all.

Galileo finished his last glass of wine with a cold smile to himself, and was just about to get up and leave.

But then they saw a group of people walk into the tavern.

The group attracted a lot of attention as soon as they entered, because several of them were Han Chinese with yellow skin.

This is quite rare in the area.

Upon seeing the group of people who had just entered the tavern, Galileo paused in his tracks.

The leader of the group came to the bar and shouted loudly to the bartender, "Hey buddy, ten liters of strong liquor, please!"

The man didn't speak with a local accent, and judging from the composition of the group, they were clearly merchants who traveled around doing trade.

Someone in the tavern looked at them and asked, "Hey! Where did you two come from, looking all travel-worn?"

The leader smiled at the crowd:
“We came from Venice to buy some things. If any of you have any rare items you want to sell, feel free to bring them to me for a look.”

"But we need to hurry, because we will be leaving in a few days."

"Leave? Aren't you doing business in the country?"

The leader shook his head: "We are engaged in international trade, mainly doing business with the Ming Dynasty."

The people in the tavern all looked like they suddenly understood; no wonder there were several Han Chinese in the group.

Although the church announced a strict ban on overseas trade a hundred years ago, especially maritime trade with the Ming Dynasty.

But the bottom line of this law is flexibility.

There's no other way; we need to make money.

Even the Pope himself had a fleet of ships for maritime trade, let alone others.

Even God can be less principled when it comes to gold coins.

Then someone else said, "Hey buddy, tell us some interesting facts about the Ming Dynasty." At this, everyone immediately became interested.

Thanks to the local "Travels of Marco Polo," the Italian people are filled with curiosity about this mysterious Eastern power.

Even Galileo sat back down after he had just gotten off the chair.

After ordering another liter of wine from the bartender, Galileo pretended to be nonchalant as he drank while listening intently.

He had read many imported books about the Ming Dynasty, and was naturally very interested in this legendary place where honey and milk flowed.

Seeing that everyone was so supportive, the group of merchants naturally spoke freely and without reservation.

They had been doing business with the Ming Dynasty for several years and had an exceptionally deep understanding of it.

The merchants began by talking about the turmoil and domestic situation in the Ming Dynasty over the years, which made everyone in the tavern look at each other in bewilderment.

It is said that the Ming Dynasty was a celestial empire.

But judging from these actual descriptions, it doesn't seem as exaggerated as the rumors suggest.

It seems that, apart from a small minority, the average standard of living for ordinary people there is not as high as in Italy.

That's it?

The people in the tavern couldn't help but feel like they had been deceived by rumors for years, and they all laughed and cursed.

Only Galileo listened to these things without any emotional reaction.

Which country in the world isn't so ignorant and backward?
This is normal, nothing to be surprised about.

How could the Ming Dynasty be so far ahead of Italy at the same time?
then.

The merchants noticed that the crowd seemed uninterested, and then it appeared they had remembered something.

He quickly began to talk about the newly enthroned emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the various deeds he had accomplished since taking the throne.

The moment the topic of the newly enthroned emperor of the Ming Dynasty came up, everyone in the tavern became instantly interested.

The deeds of rulers naturally arouse the curiosity of the people.

Not to mention that this ruler stirred up a bloodbath as soon as he took office.

The people in the tavern stared wide-eyed as they listened to the merchant's exaggerated tales.

Even Galileo himself frowned as he listened.

How did he manage to subdue all his opponents in less than a month after ascending the throne?

And it even garnered the support of almost all the people in the capital?!
Moreover, he could leave the capital and travel to a place on the verge of collapse (Shaanxi), where he could save thousands of people from suffering by himself.
Are you describing what you saw and heard in the Ming Dynasty, or are you recounting Greek mythology?!
Galileo glanced at the merchant, his brow furrowing more and more deeply.

If it's fabricated, then the details are far too realistic, aren't they?

But if these things weren't made up, they'd be far too exaggerated.

as predicted.

Before the man could finish speaking, someone in the village said in disbelief, "Stranger, are you making up a story to deceive us?"

"How could the Ming Dynasty emperors have defeated so many Yuan elders as soon as they came to power?"

"From ancient Rome to the present day, or even looking at the history of the entire European continent, have you ever heard of such a person?"

"Could he be an envoy sent to earth by God?!"

The leading merchant said, "I swear in the name of the Lord that I have not uttered a single falsehood! My fellow travelers can testify to all those I have mentioned above!"

"If there is any exaggeration, then let our cargo ships be swallowed by the sea while they are sailing!"

The rest of the caravan members nodded in agreement, indicating that they were not lying.

Seeing that the other party had made such a statement, no one in the tavern dared to question anything further.

Although a businessman's words are often deceitful, the weight of this oath cannot be underestimated.

Even Galileo believed what they had just said.

Someone urged impatiently, "We believe you, please continue!"

The leading merchant scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "By this point, we had already embarked on our journey home."

"However, given the abilities of the Ming emperors, they must have already accomplished many great things within the country. Perhaps when we set foot on Ming territory again, we will see earth-shattering changes."

"I'll come back and tell you about it later."

"Oh right, before we left, the last major thing the Ming emperor did in the country was to promote new learning in the capital, for which he killed many opponents."

"The content of the new learning program seems to be all related to physics and mathematics."

The businessman finished speaking.

Over there, some people exchanged glances, then pointed at Galileo's retreating figure and mocked:
"Galileo, why don't you go to the Ming Dynasty and serve the new emperor? Don't you love studying these seemingly useless things? Maybe you'll be given an important position there!"

"Hahaha!"

"..."

The tavern was filled with a joyful atmosphere once again, and everyone laughed merrily at Galileo's lonely figure.

Galileo simply stood up and left the tavern.

Galileo's departure went unnoticed by others; after all, he was just a ridiculous old man who liked to do unrealistic things all day long.

After Galileo left, the group of merchants surrounded him and continued to chatter about interesting things related to the Ming Dynasty.

The tavern was bustling with activity.

the other side.

Upon returning home, Galileo instantly changed from his previous dejected state, his expression becoming serious.

He was contemplating a very serious question at that moment.

That is... should I go to the Ming Dynasty and see if I can continue to pursue the truth there?

As a rational thinker, Galileo had his own insights into many things.

Others might simply be shocked by the various deeds of the new Ming emperor.

But he can see the essence from the phenomena in just a few words.

If everything the merchant said is true.

This new emperor of the Ming Dynasty was definitely a ruler even greater than Caesar, Octavian, Frederick the Great, and many other great rulers.

Such a ruler would absolutely tolerate his so-called "heresy doctrine".

Moreover, the other party intends to promote new learning in China, which further demonstrates their vision and knowledge.

As for the brutality of the new Ming emperor, Galileo considered it no big deal.

He was merely turning his sword against those who benefited from the system; how can that be considered brutal?

The most important question now is whether or not I should leave Italy and take a gamble in the Ming Dynasty.
Galileo paced back and forth in the room, beginning to weigh his situation.

Even a fool can see that.

If he continues to stay here, he will absolutely not be able to avoid being imprisoned, and he will spend the rest of his life in humiliation.

The church will not kill him, but it will continue to deconstruct his doctrines.

Just like we did today.

They only use this method to establish the church's authority.

If he were to go, it would undoubtedly be a huge gamble, and Galileo had no idea what kind of situation he would face after arriving in the Ming Dynasty.

The unknown can be both frightening and intriguing.

The conflict between the spear and the shield kept Galileo awake all night.

That night, Galileo pondered for a long time.
Finally, on the morning of the next day.

Galileo made a decision that changed his own life and accelerated the transformation of the world order.

He's going to the Ming Dynasty!
He's 63 years old; he's practically halfway to his grave.

If he misses this opportunity, he may spend the rest of his life in regret.

He had long harbored the idea of ​​leaving Italy.

The reason he hadn't taken any action before was simply because there wasn't a suitable country to accommodate him.

But now? The Ming Dynasty has suddenly appeared in his field of vision.

Regardless of whether the Ming Dynasty can accept him or not, this is the best option he can have at the moment.

Shouldn't he have taken a chance for the truth?

This is an opportunity fate has given him! He can't let it slip away!
Besides, there's nothing left in China for him to worry about.

Although he has children, they are all adults.

If we leave Italy, my children's situation will only be better than it is now.

Even the church would be happy if someone like him just disappeared on his own.

Although at his age, he might die on the road if he undertakes a long journey.

But if one can die on the road to pursuing one's ideals, then that would be a kind of luck.

Having figured these things out, Galileo no longer hesitated and acted immediately.

After arranging the funeral at home, Galileo secretly found the group of merchants who were still resting in the city.

He explained to them his intention to travel with them to the Ming Dynasty.

However, after hearing Galileo's words, the merchant hesitated.

Regardless, Galileo was a celebrity in Italy.

Taking this kind of person with you could easily cause a lot of trouble.

Seeing the other person's hesitant expression, Galileo's eyes revealed disappointment.

Is it possible that the hope I've just ignited is about to be extinguished again?

Is the decision I made with such difficulty going to end before it even begins?
He was about to say something when the leading merchant whispered in his ear:

"In your case, you'll need to pay extra!"

(End of this chapter)