Chapter 648: Chapter 372, State Religion Also Needs Alliance Control_2
Medici was once a member of the Blood Rose Sorority, and a distinguished war hero as well. Later on, due to ideological differences, she no longer identified with the overly intense and cruel philosophy of the Blood Rose. She and some like-minded individuals established a suborder under the Blood Rose, then separated to become what is now known as the Merciful Lily.
Anyway, Gu Hang couldn’t tell at all that this kind-hearted old lady before him had any connection with the Blood Rose, the feared executioner of the Tribunal from the rumors.
“Sister Superior Medici, seeing that you are in good health makes me very happy,” he said.
“Thank you, Mr. Gu,” the old lady replied with a smile, “But let’s dispense with the pleasantries. Tell me, what brings you here? If it’s about the state religion, there’s no need. You should address matters concerning the state religion to Bishop Zhao. As for us, the Merciful Lily only does what we’re supposed to do; we don’t intervene in other matters.”
Hearing this, Gu Hang felt greatly relieved in his heart.
Although it seemed Medici had noticed that he, the governor, cared about the influence of the state religion, and thus had made it clear to state the unpleasant matters upfront, in reality, what Gu Hang wanted was this exact attitude.
…
“If that’s the case, then nothing could be better. I’ve always esteemed the philosophy of the Merciful Lily—to do what needs to be done, to do the right thing. The warriors of the Sisterhood, fearless in sacrifice, have helped me greatly on Rage Owl Star and have made outstanding contributions on the battlefields of Korolya. I also know that when there is no warfare, the non-combatant sisters of the Merciful Lily descend into the depths to preach. In the future, I still hope that the Merciful Lily can play a corresponding role, as it will be of great help to the recovery of Korolya.”
“We will,” Medici promised.
But in reality, she was somewhat uncertain about the governor’s intentions.
Had he paid a personal visit just to say this?
Without the governor mentioning it, they would have done the same.
They had already been doing so for thirty years.
And Gu Hang continued to speak.
“I will provide all the necessary assistance to the Sisterhood. Your development in Korolya, and indeed across the entire Alliance, will receive strong support from the Alliance Government. We will provide all the necessary conditions to aid the missionaries of the Sisterhood; the Sisterhood can further expand its scale, and you can recruit whomever you wish; you can start sister classes within our schools,” he said.
“If your Sisterhood needs custom powered armor, I can find a way to provide it for you. You’ve already seen my soldiers—the ‘Servant God’ series of powered armor performs better than the ‘Universal’ series typically used by Merciful Lily, more suitable for the sisters to operate. If the Sisterhood lacks funds, the corresponding support, the Alliance can even provide it by way of donation…”
“Wait… wait a moment, Mr. Gu,” Medici hastily interrupted.
Although Mr. Gu talked about a series of help, why did it all sound so alarming to her?
At her age, she had long stopped believing that there was such a thing as a free lunch in this world.
Accepting these things would surely come with a price to pay.
“I’m old, Mr. Gu,” Medici said, “I find it very hard to think through the intricacies that lie behind many issues now. Let’s be direct. Frankly speaking, everything you’re offering is exactly what the Sisterhood most needs and cares about. What exactly do you want the Merciful Lily to do?”
Gu Hang said with a smile, “It’s simple. Just continue doing what the Sisterhood has been doing. Aiding the sick and weak, punishing the wicked, spreading the gospel. Isn’t that the purpose of the Merciful Lily?”
“That’s all?”
“That’s all,” Gu Hang’s smile grew even brighter, “Just ‘do these’ and nothing more; there’s no need for the Sisterhood to involve itself in matters it shouldn’t, don’t you think?”
Medici understood.
She couldn’t help but ask, “Are you planning to move against Bishop Zhao?”
“Of course not,” Gu Hang replied, “I am a governor utterly loyal to the Empire, how could I be an enemy of the state religion? I’ve always respected the role of the state religion in planetary construction. However, the state religion should operate under the framework of the Alliance to better collaborate, don’t you agree?”
Medici sighed, “If it’s too much, it won’t do.”
Gu Hang knew the deal was done.
Her words ‘won’t do’ were clearly an acquiescent attitude.
It won’t do too much, wouldn’t that be fine?
Gu Hang stood up with a smile, “Rest assured. I sincerely wish the Sisterhood a prosperous future because this cruel universe greatly needs the light of the Merciful Lily.”
…
There’s a saying, “One who takes advantage is indebted,” and so was the Merciful Lily.
Having been promised various supports, and even future donations by Gu Hang, they were likely to tacitly approve whatever the Alliance planned to do next.
But there was more.
After accepting the various aids from the Alliance, how could the Merciful Lily stay out of many matters?
One hundred sets of the Alliance’s stock ‘Servant God’ powered armors were soon delivered, and they had been adorned with the Merciful Lily’s white and green colors well in advance before being shipped out.
Furthermore, the promised Sister classes and the promised missionary guardians have all been put in place.
“What could possibly prevent that from happening?”
Wearing my “Servant God”, would they not work for me?
The nuns sent down for missionary work were quickly pulled together by the Alliance officials and sent to various production teams, engineering groups, and factories to work. Preaching and spiritual consolation were obviously part of their duties, and incidentally, why not address work-related injuries and boost the morale of the workers? That’s only right, isn’t it?
With the nuns working, the Battle Nuns, as sisters wielding military power, couldn’t just stand by and watch, could they?
When several dozen Battle Nuns were stationed in one neighborhood, then couldn’t a significant part of the Alliance’s military administration troops be withdrawn?
As Gu Hang had said, he didn’t need the Holy Lily of Mercy to do anything extra. As long as they did their jobs well, that in itself was a great help.
And the Holy Lily of Mercy was the most important force controlled by Korolya’s state religion. It wasn’t just about military power—the Sisterhood had always had a significant role in consoling the hearts of the people in Korolya, especially in Mingyan City.
And once they were not causing problems, Gu Hang had less to worry about when taking action against the state religion.
A series of decrees were then promulgated.
Of course, Gu Hang wasn’t aiming to abolish the state religion, but under the Alliance system, the state religion should act under the management of the Alliance.
They no longer had economic privileges and were forbidden from intervening in production;
They could not force, semi-force, or induce donations;
Secret missionary work and private gatherings were prohibited;
Corrupt elements should be eradicated;
The funds and resources distributed by the superior state religion were not interfered with by the Alliance, but their use had to be reported to the Alliance…
This series of measures almost stepped on the tail of the state religion, and Zhao Qinghong was so anxious that he came looking for Gu Hang in a hurry.
He had no cards left to play.
Even if he wanted to resist, how could he? Without military or financial control, even if he wanted to stir the hearts of the people, the efforts of the Holy Lily of Mercy in maintaining peace for the Alliance greatly diminished his influence.
Gu Hang’s attitude towards Zhao Qinghong remained cordial, but the aforementioned regulations were set in stone, and Gu Hang had no intention of compromising.
However, he also relaxed some aspects, for instance, in the area of missionary work, Gu Hang was willing to provide strong support for the state religion. The belief in The Emperor could significantly suppress the corrosion of cults.
At the same time, the Alliance was also willing to provide a special fund for religious development.
Gu Hang essentially had one demand: Money could be given, support could be provided, but they had to do their jobs honestly and contribute to the development of Korolya. As for abnormal economic privilege and meddling in politics through sectarian gatherings, that was not allowed.
Zhao Qinghong compromised.
Even the last stipulation, that “the funding from the higher-ups of the state religion also needed to be under the supervision of the Alliance Government”, he accepted.
In many worlds where the state religion was weak, such demands from the local governments were common and not considered excessive.
If you don’t want to cause trouble, what kind of funding would be difficult to disclose to the government?
————
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