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MidReal Story
The Jesuit Priest's Imperial Adventure
Scenario:Father John is an English priest born to a Portuguese father and Chinese mother in Macao. He was trained as a Jesuit priest and he had an amazing adventure with the Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty
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Father John
adventurous, and intelligent. Raised in Macao, he studied in Goa and Rome before returning to China. He meets Emperor Kangxi and becomes his confidant, sharing knowledge of astronomy and mathematics. He navigates the complexities of court politics while maintaining his faith and friendship with the emperor.
Emperor Kangxi
curious, and powerful. Kangxi seeks knowledge from Father John about astronomy and mathematics, valuing his insight. Despite his position, he is humble and openminded, engaging in intellectual discussions with Father John. His relationship with Father John deepens over time as they share mutual respect and trust.
Liu Xiang
cunning, and manipulative. Liu Xiang sees Father John as a threat to his own influence over the emperor and plots against him. Despite his antagonism towards Father John, he remains loyal to Emperor Kangxi but seeks to undermine Father John's position.
My name is Father John, a Jesuit priest.
I was born in Macao, where my father, a Portuguese, met and married my mother, who was Chinese.
Her family was from the province of Canton, but they lived in Macao.
My father was a sailor and spent most of his time at sea.
He died when I was very young and my mother had to bring me and my younger sister up by herself.
She managed remarkably well, considering that she was not educated in the Western sense.
She had received a good Confucian education in her childhood and later learned to read and write in Portuguese from a priest who lived in our village.
Thanks to my mother's efforts, I learned to read and write Chinese and later studied Latin and Portuguese with a priest who lived in Macao.
When I was fourteen, I was sent to Goa, which was then a Portuguese colony on the west coast of India, to study in the Jesuit College there.
I spent six years in Goa studying philosophy and theology as well as mathematics and astronomy.
From Goa, I traveled to Lisbon and then on to Rome where I continued my studies for three more years at the Collegium Romanum.
I was ordained as a priest just before my twenty-fifth birthday.
After my ordination, I returned to Macao where I spent several happy years.
However, I felt restless and wanted an even greater adventure.
I sat at my wooden desk in my study at the Macao mission.
The desk was placed under a window that looked out over the bay.
I could see several ships in the harbor.
Some were anchored offshore and others were sailing in or out of the bay.
It was a sight that I had seen many times before, but it no longer brought me the joy that it once had.
I dipped my quill in ink and began to write my letter to Father Superior Martinez in Goa.
My hand trembled slightly as I wrote.
Father Superior Martinez,
I am writing to request that I be transferred from Macao to another mission where I can serve more effectively.
I have been serving in Macao for several years now and feel that it is time for me to move on.
I believe that I have skills which would be more useful in other territories.
I am fluent in Portuguese, Latin, Chinese, and Mandarin.
In addition, I have studied mathematics and astronomy and am knowledgeable about European medicine.
I also speak some Cantonese and Macao Creole, which is a mixture of Portuguese and Chinese spoken by many people here.
I hope that you will consider my request and find a mission where I can serve God better than I can here in Macao. Your obedient servant,
Father John
After finishing my letter, I folded it up and sealed it with wax.
I gathered my worn leather satchel and my wide-brimmed hat and stepped out of the mission compound.
I walked through the narrow streets of Macao, past the market stalls where people were selling fish, meat, vegetables, and other foods.
The morning sun was already high in the sky and cast long shadows across the street.
The merchants were calling out their wares: "Fresh fish! Fresh fish!" "Best silk in all of China!" "Finest spices from India!"
I walked past them toward the post office.
As I walked, I could smell the saltwater of the bay mixed with the smells of food cooking and incense being burned at the temples.
The post office was located near the waterfront.
It was a small building with a tile roof and whitewashed walls.
Inside, an old man named Mr. Chen sat at a table with a large basket full of letters in front of him.
He had worked at the post office for twenty years and had seen many letters come and go during that time.
I approached him and greeted him with a bow.
He bowed back to me.
"Good morning, Father," he said.
"I have a letter to be sent to Goa," I said as I handed him my letter. He squinted at the address on the envelope, then he placed it in his basket of outgoing mail to be sent to Goa.
I thanked him and bowed again before leaving.
I had considered returning to the mission immediately after sending my letter, but instead, I turned toward the harbor and walked down to the waterfront.
As I reached the docks, I saw a familiar face among the sailors—Captain Rodrigues, an old friend of my father's.
"Father John, it's been too long! What brings you to the harbor today?" he called out, his voice booming over the sound of the waves.
"I've requested a transfer from Macao," I replied, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. "I hope to find a new mission where I can be of greater service."