Chapter 632 Russian Old BJ

As a well-known founder of Russian Sinology in the academic circle of Petersburg, Bichulin's reputation is much more prominent than his shabby dress.

An old monk's robe that seems to have been washed countless times and has lost its black dignity. The hem of the robe has been soaked by snow, and the heavy snow has made his shoulders sink slightly.

His face is red from the cold, and there are fine frost on his eyebrows and beard, but his eyes are shining with eager light, as if he can light the cold bonfire around him at any time.

On this cold day, he still wears a pair of oriental-style silk cloth shoes. This uncoordinated dressing style makes Bichulin always exude a subtle sense of rebellion between his steps.

Poor, but not as poor as a beggar.

Decent, but not completely decent.

If he is placed on the bustling Nevsky Avenue, it is like a drop of water falling into the sea, and no one even notices the ripples.

After all, at least half of the small civil servants working in the government office in Petersburg feel this way.

The only thing that makes people feel strange about Mr. Bichulin is the Bible he holds in his hands and the small cross hanging on his chest.

Although he may not like to dress like this, there is nothing he can do about it.

Who made his father a priest, his grandfather a priest, and his great-grandfather a priest?

In the Bichulin family, even the Bible and the cross are inherited from their ancestors.

God knows when their family started to engage in this business, perhaps their family's history in this business is longer than that of the Romanov dynasty.

In Bichulin's view, the only difference between their family and the Romanov family is that the Romanov family is a hereditary tsar, while the Bichulin family is a hereditary priest.

The peasants can't imagine a day without the tsar, and they can't accept that a child who "beyond God's call" has appeared in the priest family that they regard as a religious model.

Since Yakinf Bichulin was born, the villagers said that he was born to serve God.

He grew up in a priest's family and was sent to the Kazan Theological Seminary for further studies when he was old enough. Then he became a parish priest like his father.

For this situation, Bichulin did not resist when he was young. He wanted to hold his fate tightly in his own hands!

But, then again, ideas are full and reality is very skinny.

The courses in the seminary are almost entirely designed to train clergy, and the knowledge and skills taught are not very useful in secular professions.

As for working, it is impossible to work, and it is impossible to work in this life. I can't farm, so I can only make a living by chanting scriptures. Going to the church feels like going home. Alas, what can I do?

However, since I can only chant scriptures, I have to read the Bible well and thoroughly.

With the idea that "there are 360 ​​professions and every profession has its own Tsar", Bichulin worked hard and insisted on studying the Bible while presiding over sacraments, weddings and funerals, and published several theological papers in succession.

Such a hard-working spirit soon attracted the attention of the Holy Synod, the highest institution of the Russian Orthodox Church.

At this time, the Russian government was setting up the BJ Orthodox Mission, so under the strong recommendation of the Attorney General, the young and knowledgeable Father Yakinf Bichulin was appointed as the leader and ordered to go to BJ to preach.

And his trip was really "this trip, like a fish into the sea, a bird in the blue sky, no longer bound".

However, Bichulin did not forget the Tsar's expectations of him. Even though he was thousands of miles away, he still recited the scriptures well.

The only drawback is that other missionaries read the Bible, but Bi Chulin read the Lingbao Sutra, Shangqing Sutra, Taiping Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Lotus Sutra and Agama Sutra.

Of course, in Old BJ, he also read a lot of the Four Books and Five Classics.

If the Qing Dynasty did not allow foreigners to take the imperial examination, Bi Chulin felt that he would be more than enough to get a Juren degree, if not a Jinshi degree.

"Are you Mr. Arthur Hastings?" Bi Chulin bowed slightly, his voice mixed with hoarseness and fatigue, obviously the weather in Petersburg made him very cold.

"So you are Father Yakinf Bichulin?" Arthur looked at the monk who claimed to have many years of experience abroad with curiosity: "I heard that you have been in BJ for fourteen years?"

"It seems that Mr. Pushkin has told you all my experiences."

"Can you speak Chinese?"

Bichulin replied modestly: "Of course I can, but it is inevitable that I have a Russian accent..."

"Wait a moment." Arthur raised his hand to interrupt Bichulin, and then took out a piece of paper from his pocket: "What is written on it, can you read it to me in Chinese?"

Bichulin stretched his head and stared at the paper, hesitating He asked in a hurry: "Although the Chinese characters on your paper are good, they look like random writing and have no specific meaning."

"Don't worry about it. I just want to know how to pronounce these words in Chinese."

Bi Chulin glanced at Arthur and blurted out: "Oh, Paris is so sweet!"

Arthur's face showed a satisfied smile. He thought about it for a long time before he gave a thumbs up and praised the man from Kazan: "You are so modest. I can't even hear the slightest Russian accent. You deserve to have lived in BJ for fourteen years. By the way, where do you live in BJ?"

Although Bichulin could understand Arthur's curiosity, he still couldn't help but feel that the British diplomat was somewhat crazy.

Regardless of the previous Chinese characters, even if he told Arthur the residence of the missionary group now, would this guy know where that place is?

However, out of politeness, Bichulin still answered honestly: "All of us live in Andingmen, the Orthodox church between Yonghe Temple and Dongzhimen. It is relatively quiet there, and Russian caravans usually leave from Dongzhimen. It’s easy to get in and out, so it’s easy to contact them when you live there.”

Having said this, Bi Chulin took a slight breath, as if he wanted to dispel all the coldness in his mouth.

He rubbed his frozen red hands, and all the lively scenes of the past came to mind, with a hint of nostalgia in his tone: "The caravans outside Andingmen have been coming all year round, and the furs, spices and tea leaves flowed in and out like they had legs... …”

Arthur muttered: "Do you live close to the Lama Temple? No wonder you understand Tibetan and Mongolian studies in addition to Chinese studies. I remember that there are many lamas living there, right?"

As soon as Arthur said these words, Bi Chulin was surprised.

"You...you also lived near there?"

"No, no... don't get me wrong." Arthur paused: "My tutor once visited BJ with Count Amherst's envoy."

In order to enhance the credibility, Arthur also added: "Twenty-one years of Jiaqing."

"Oh!" Bi Chulin patted his head: "I almost forgot, your tutor seems to have worked in the East India Company, right?"

He counted on his fingers: "In the 21st year of Jiaqing, I was still in China at that time. I went there in the 13th year of Jiaqing. I was recalled to Petersburg in the year when Emperor Jiaqing died."

Arthur carefully inquired: "I heard from Mr. Pushkin that you were recalled because of religious issues?"

Unexpectedly, Bichulin had no intention of concealing this: "Actually, religious issues are secondary. I know that Mr. Pushkin will definitely tell you that because I am an atheist and not interested in missionary work, plus He said some extreme remarks, which made the emperor angry. But in fact..."

"Excessive remarks? What did you say?"

Bichulin stared at Arthur for a long time and did not answer directly. Instead, he asked: "Are your beliefs firm?"

"Of course." Arthur replied with a serious face: "I am a devout Christian, how can you insult me ​​like this? You know, due to the orders of His Majesty the King and the cabinet, I just converted from Catholicism last year. Anglicans of England."

Bi Chulin almost couldn't help laughing when he heard this: "Sorry, I have to inform you in advance. What I say next may offend your beliefs."

"I swear to God, you better not do this."

Bi Chulin lowered his voice and said in Arthur's ear: "I actually just said one thing - I think there is actually no difference between Jesus and Confucius."

After saying that, Bi Chulin secretly opened the Bible in his hand and showed it in front of Arthur.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Arthur didn't realize anything was wrong at first, but after taking a closer look, he immediately realized that Bi Chulin's "Bible" actually contained something.

Although Jazz usually doesn't pay much attention to religious affairs, he at least remembers that the first sentence of the Bible should be - in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.

Instead of - learning and practicing, isn't it true? Wouldn’t it be great to have friends from far away? Isn't it a gentleman who doesn't know something but doesn't get upset?

Bi Chulin coughed and immediately put the Bible back under his arm: "You know, the work in the ministry is very boring. I have to find something to do for myself."

"It's boring to go to work, but this is what you do when you're bored?"

Perhaps it was because Arthur was introduced by Pushkin, and he was a British guy with some mental problems, so Bichulin was obviously very relaxed in front of Arthur, even if he might be sentenced to a second exile Little secrets were shared without hesitation.

Bi Chulin nodded in agreement and said: "To be honest, I do this every day. I secretly read The Analects of Confucius while at work. There is nothing more exciting in the world."

Arthur was speechless for a moment when he heard this. Even when he broke into Hugo's interests, he never remained silent for so long.

The kind-hearted British agent thought for a long time and said a rare sincere statement: "The risk for you to do this is really too high. Otherwise, I still have a few Elder Carter novels in there, which are of interest to you. ”

‘The Incorruptible’ Bi Chulin shook his head slightly. His biggest hobby in his life was chanting scriptures, and he really had no interest in popular novels.

Born in Russia, he was a priest.

Born in India, he was a Guru.

Born in Ottoman, he was an Imam.

If he had been born in the Eastern Tang Dynasty, even if he was not a Jianzhen who traveled eastward, he would still have been a Tang monk who went to the West to learn Buddhist scriptures.

But it is a pity that Monkey Sun and the bald Sha Seng, who were supposed to be his disciples, are still floating around in South America.

Fortunately, he came across the pig from Yorkshire.

Bi Chulin said with a smile: "Don't worry, in fact, my bosses generally won't be serious with me. As long as we don't make trouble with His Majesty the Tsar, nothing big will happen. And I always feel that after my last time So I was punished mainly for financial reasons.”

Arthur asked in surprise: "Do you still have financial problems?"

No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't think of any place where an expatriate missionary could embezzle.

Bi Chulin said angrily: "It's not that I have financial problems, but that the mission's financial situation is problematic. According to the regulations of the Russian Orthodox Church, priests are not allowed to engage in commercial activities, especially trade activities that are not approved by the church. But our mission has been short of funds for a long time. If we are not allowed to do some small business of sewing and mending, dozens of people will not be able to preach, and even eating will become a problem. Originally, the Orthodox Church understood our difficulties, so it turned a blind eye to our business, but later because I had a conflict with the church over the management of the mission, they reported my business to the emperor, saying that what I did was insulting the image of religion, and they also instigated me to be exiled to Siberia. If the Decembrist uprising had not triggered the new emperor's comprehensive review and purge of the Orthodox Church , I might still be on that damned Wallaam Island acting as the Russian Robinson."

Arthur joked: "It sounds like drifting life is very unhappy?"

Bichlin pointed at the snowflakes all over the sky and said: "Do you see the heavy snow in the sky? The winter on Wallaam Island is ten times colder than this, and I spent five years and didn't find my Friday!"

Arthur comforted: "Think about it on the bright side, at least your fate is much better than Robinson. You only stayed on the deserted island for five years and returned to the civilized world."

Bichlin still felt indignant when he recalled the past: "But at least Robinson wandered on the deserted island due to natural disasters, and my exile was purely a man-made disaster."

Arthur looked at Bichlin's purple nose, and then he remembered that he should invite this gentleman in to sit down: "Sorry, chatting with you always makes me feel People forget the time. Why don't we go in and talk? There is a hot stove in my office. Let's make some tea and desserts and talk slowly? "

When Bichulin heard this, he suddenly remembered the purpose of his visit today: "No, this can't be entirely your fault. The chat is really interesting. I forgot that I came to invite you to our private party today."

"Private party?" Arthur couldn't help laughing and said, "Will Mr. Pushkin go too?"

"No, he's not here this time." Bichulin said, "Yesterday, the emperor just approved him to publish "The History of Pugachev". Of course, as usual, the emperor added a lot of instructions to Pushkin's manuscript, so Pushkin is busy revising his manuscript."

"It sounds so unfortunate..." Arthur said, "I hate it most when others circle and dot on the manuscript I wrote. . "

Bichulin nodded and said, "Me too, but this time is different. This time the emperor approved a loan of 20,000 rubles to Pushkin for the publication of "The History of Pugachev", so he was quite happy even to revise the manuscript. "

Arthur was quite disappointed and said, "In that case, it seems that I'd better not disturb him tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? You don't need to visit tomorrow."

Bichulin took out an invitation from his arms: "Although I don't know why, today the minister knew that I would come to visit you after get off work, so he asked me to bring this invitation to you. Tomorrow night, our Foreign Minister Count Nesselrode will hold a ball at his home, and Pushkin will also attend. You'd better practice Mazurka tonight. I assure you that Mazurka will be more useful than Waltz at the banquet in St. Petersburg."

"Count Nesselrode?" Arthur was stunned for a moment before taking the invitation: "Besides Mr. Pushkin and me, who else will go to that ball? "

"Well... I don't know about that. But..." Bichulin pondered for a moment: "Celebrities in Petersburg like Prince Suvorov and Prince Kochubey must be invited... If there are others, it will probably be some people in the cultural circle."