Portugal had a parliament in Macau. Unlike the colonial assemblies Britain established in America, this parliament gradually weakened after Queen Maria I of Portugal ascended the throne and the American War broke out. In contrast, the powers of the Governor of Macau steadily expanded. The parliament's authority was severely restricted, until its members, under the governor's jurisdiction, were responsible only for municipal affairs within Macau, while all defense and legal matters fell under the Governor of Macau.
Before the parliament stood a Portuguese stone pillar. Nick had seen such things while traveling through other countries; the one in Angola, for instance, bore the following inscription:
In the 6681st year since Genesis, and the 1482nd year since the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the most noble, excellent, and powerful sovereign, João II, King of Portugal, dispatched his court gentleman Diogo Cão, who discovered this land and erected this stone pillar.
The pillar standing in Angola had actually been erected in 1483. It had been carved in Portugal, loaded onto an expedition ship, and only erected after nearly a year of travel. Diogo Cão's mission was to lead a fleet south along the African coast in search of a sea route to India.
Portugal at the time was a poor little country, excluded from European affairs. The Portuguese royal family desperately needed gold and spices, so they proposed such a voyage to the Pope, describing it as a Crusade. As Catholic monarchs, the House of Avis hoped to seek legitimacy on the European stage, and the Pope could grant them both financial support and legitimacy.
In China, there was no papal coronation. The legitimacy of an emperor's power rested on other things. During the middle years of his reign, Qianlong deliberately manufactured many wrongful cases in order to preserve social stability.