1635 Han style rises again

On November 1672, 11, Chang'an.

Chang'an is a mountain city. The whole city is built on the mountain, and many roads in the city are rolling.However, the smart and industrious Hanzhou people have made full use of the geographical terrain to build this city into a magnificent and beautiful city, which makes every visitor marvel at it.

William Petty and two servants hired a carriage and drove slowly on the wide street, visiting and observing the capital of Qi.

William Petty was an accomplished English gentleman who was a colonial official, mathematician, surveyor, musician, and a leading exponent in the study of trade and national finance.

His family's fortunes began during the Republic, when his father surveyed the lands of Ireland for Oliver Cromwell in order to sell the best arable land to English settlers.At that time, his father took advantage of his position to accept "free gifts" from many people, and was able to accumulate a huge family business.

At the same time, his father also took the opportunity to purchase a large amount of "cheap" land, and then leased it to poor farmers for cultivation.The annual rent income can reach a handsome fifteen thousand pounds.This put their family at the top of the rich list at the time.

As the second son of the family, William Petty was doomed not to inherit the huge family property, so he had to find other ways to get rich.Due to his rigorous education and his father's recommendation, Petty easily obtained a lucrative position in the East India Company.Six years ago, Petty came to affluent India again and became a senior manager of a trading station.

After the restoration of the British royal family, the political and commercial status of the East India Company was significantly improved compared with before.In order to better compete with the two trading companies in Qi State, at the request of the East India Company, Charles II also issued five laws in 1670, granting the East India Company independent occupation of territory, minting coins, establishing fortresses and armies, forming alliances and The right to declare war, conclude peace treaties, and conduct civil and criminal proceedings in occupied territories.

The East India Company's enemies included commercial competitors, hostile states, and domestic hostile powers, so it needed more rights to protect.Having the right to engage in military operations is very important to the company, especially in the face of Qi's growing commercial monopoly.

Yes, in the Indian region, Qi State has become the biggest competitor of the British East India Company, and also the most threatening potential enemy.Even more than ten years ago, the two sides had a brief armed conflict. They sank and captured several British merchant ships, and took Fort St. George in Madras, which caused heavy losses to the company and was once on the verge of bankruptcy.

Later, although the company ended the conflict with conditions such as humiliating compensation, apology, and acceptance of the other party's market leadership, the other party did not return Fort St. George to the East India Company, but only paid five thousand pounds worth of currency. It bought it by force.

Today, after years of development, although the trade volume of the East India Company has made great progress, it can only be regarded as insignificant compared with the commercial power of Qi State, and it cannot shake the other party's market leadership at all.

As a colonial official in the East India Company, William Petty was full of curiosity and doubts about this southern New World country, why they were able to rise rapidly in just over 30 years and expand their commercial power to India , Persia, and the Red Sea region.

Last August, Petty arrived at Jianye Port by boat and started his tour of the country.He discovered that walking within the territory of Qi is not absolute freedom. All foreign businessmen and travelers who enter this country, no matter where they go, need to apply in advance at their government departments.Only with official approval can you visit those towns and villages in a horse-drawn carriage, or that magical steam railway locomotive.

It has to be admitted that the government of Qi State controls the entire country quite tightly. There are many uniformed policemen in the cities, spontaneously mobilized militias in the village markets, and many serious and responsible officials.They will examine any foreign face, especially Westerners with European features like them.

During his tour in northern Hanzhou, Petty was confronted many times by the police and militiamen, asking him where he was from, what the purpose of his visit was, and asking him to show his official travel permit.

Faced with this situation, while Petty slandered in his heart, he also secretly marveled at the country's highly centralized rule and strict grassroots management.The mobilization ability of such a country is quite terrifying. As long as their rulers are willing, they can even use all of their national power to rush at any of its enemies.

Jianye City is the city with the largest population, the strongest economy, and the most prosperous business in this country.The city did not grow to such a size by natural growth and the changes of time, as London and Paris did.

Qi State is a country of immigrants, and Jianye City is naturally a city of immigrants. Their government forced countless people into this city through continuous immigration in a short period of time, and became workers in many factories. , clerks in shops, apprentices in workshops, cooks and servers in restaurants and restaurants, and countless small craftsmen with specialized skills.

Some industrial cities in Qi, like London, are often shrouded in harmful smoke.The wind direction has a more important impact on its quality.Every day, all walks of life in the city, including blacksmiths, cutlery makers, leather makers, bakers, brewers, soapmakers, glassblowers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, and anyone who uses fire, their stoves A large amount of chemical pollutants are emitted.In the absence of wind, they just float in still air.

However, the cities of Qi are much cleaner and tidy than London.The ground Londoners walked on was as unhealthy as the air they breathed, and sanitation was crude and readily available.Behind each house is an aqua latrine, where feces build up until cleaners come and remove it, before it is loaded onto a cart and transported out of town.

However, in the cities of Qi, there are many open public toilets, and every day before dawn, someone cleans them up and transports them to the designated composting grounds outside the city in closed vehicles to make the farmer's favorite farm manure. .

There are also sewage sewers in the city of London, but what is criticized is that all the sewers are open to the air, and all kinds of dirty and smelly water flow along both sides of the street, and sometimes pass directly through the middle of the street, becoming a place for many citizens to pour chamber pots .The filth was often splattered over the cobblestones, with pig manure and horse manure mixed with rotten vegetables, animal offal and human excrement to form an unsightly layer of residue.Only rain can improve the situation.Perhaps this is also the reason for the frequent plagues in the city of London. The most recent serious plague broke out in 1665, and it was finally completely extinguished by a fire.

According to the officials and scholars of the Qi State, in the 30 years since the founding of the country, except for a small-scale outbreak of smallpox in Jianye City, almost no serious plague occurred.All of this is probably directly related to their emphasis on environmental sanitation.

William Petty, an Englishman, was once, like many gentlemen, obsessed with Amsterdam in the Federal Republic.Although, the city's population size is only more than 20, which is only half of the population of London.But by any measure other than size, Amsterdam is the most successful city in Europe.

Trade, finance, culture, painting, crafts, and medicine all flourished during this Dutch Golden Age.Due to the border with the German region, the Rhine estuary, and the proximity to the Baltic Sea, the Dutch established their own commercial advantages.They then branched out, taking part in the spice trade in the East, and getting rich as a result.Its social development far exceeds that of England, and its various systems are far more perfect than London.

At any time, Amsterdam's population of more than 20 includes a large number of Englishmen and businessmen from other European countries, making it an open and inclusive world city.All Englishmen are envious of the business, technology and wealth of the Netherlands.

However, now Petty is full of longing and admiration for the cities of Qiguo.Not to mention Jianye, Weihai, Daxing and other cities with developed industries, active markets, and prosperous commerce, even this newly built capital city of Qi State has amazed and praised all the visitors.

Two years ago, the Qi State moved their political center from Jianye City to this inland city more than 100 miles from the sea. It is said that the people of Qi State spent almost ten years building this capital city.It is really hard to imagine that ten years ago, this place was still a barren grass and forest. Except for many strange animals, it can be said to be very desolate.

However, the Chang'an City that Petty sees today is a modern capital city with reasonable design, neat planning and majestic grandeur.

The city's population is estimated to be between 3 and [-]. Compared with major European cities such as London, Paris, and Amsterdam, it can only be regarded as a "small city".However, the city covers a fifth of the area of ​​London, and there are large areas of greenery between the blocks. Acacia, eucalyptus, silver birch, golden apple, tea tree and other trees are lush and lush. Distributed throughout the city, with many exotic flowers and plants, the whole city is dressed up as a vibrant green garden.

The majestic imperial palace, solemn government agencies, residential houses full of oriental charm, towering and spectacular commercial buildings, spacious and flat urban roads...all of them show that this country has advanced urban construction concepts and construction technologies.

The positioning of this city may not have too many economic attributes. There are only a dozen factories, and all of them are light industries related to people's livelihood, such as cotton spinning, leather, clothing, food, furniture, hardware, and medicinal material processing.

In the southwest of the city, there is a large-scale cultural, educational and scientific research institution. There are Chang'an University, which was established less than three years ago, the Royal Academy of Sciences, which was relocated, and the newly established Hanzhou Industrial Research Institute, Chang'an Medical Research Institute, Royal Frontier Technical Experimental Research Institute, etc.

It is said that these educational institutions and scientific institutions are all funded by the government and the royal family, and large sums of money are allocated every year for the research and experiments of various technologies.

Compared with England, although there is also the Royal Society of London funded by the royal family, it does not receive much attention.For King Charles II had little interest in the arcane experiments that fascinate most empiricists.He only hoped that the Royal Society would apply natural philosophy to questions of commerce and navigation, which were essential to the expansion of trade and overseas dominions.

As patron of the Royal Society, Charles II's annual appropriation is not even more than the yearly allowance of his mistress, Lady Barbara Palmer.When the Great Fire of London broke out in 1666, in order to complete the large-scale urban reconstruction work, the sponsorship fee of the Royal Society was cut to a very low level.

Mr. Robert Hooke, a famous scholar, inventor and author of "Microcartography", can only receive a research grant of 30 pounds a year from the Royal Society, so he has to rent a simple dormitory in Gresham College middle.A scholar like Hook, who is smart and talented in experimental design, received this kind of treatment, although he was much better than ordinary London citizens, but to a certain extent, he felt a little wronged.

"So, in order to get good treatment and enjoy a rich life, you decided to permanently settle in Hanzhou and prepare to serve Qi?"

William Petty met Mr. Hooker who had met several times in London in an elegant tea house near the Royal Academy of Sciences.When he heard that this talented scholar planned to stay in Qi, he couldn't help being very surprised.

"Why not?" Hook said with a smile: "I can get everything I want here, abundant experimental funds, open research directions, and a strong research team. Oh, of course, I have also obtained a High social status and very favorable economic treatment. Mr. Petty, for scholars who are interested in doing natural science research, I think there is no better place than Hanzhou."

"Mr. Hook, if you do this, you will disappoint your teacher, Mr. Riley." Petty shook his head and said, "You are an Englishman, and you should contribute all your intelligence and talents to the Kingdom of England, instead of... You can't just...stay in Hanzhou."

"His Majesty once said to us foreign scholars that science has no borders, because it belongs to the wealth of all mankind and is a torch that illuminates the world. I fully agree with this." Hook said solemnly.

Petty knew that the majesty Hook was talking about was definitely not King Charles II of England, but the emperor of Qi.Although this sentence is very classic and full of philosophy, he still feels a trace of anger and...disappointment in his heart.Once upon a time, England, which attracted countless scholars from various European countries because of its relaxed religious atmosphere, will one day have its own scholars attracted by this remote southern New World country.

"Mr. Petty, you know how much I envied Mr. Boyle for having an independent laboratory and abundant research funding when I was in London." Hook gently leaned on the back of the soft chair , holding a cup of tea, took a sip gently, and then said with a smile: "At that time, as Boyle's assistant, I studied vacuum and atmospheric pressure together. I had longed for a day when I could also be like him Similarly, you can preside over the completion of a great experiment and invention alone."

"But in London, in the Royal Society, I am a very insignificant figure. Mr. Boyle, and my master, Mr. Riley, are both noblemen and distinguished gentlemen. They can rely on My own financial and material resources, to study the affairs I like. As a nobleman, Mr. Boyle is not even suitable to operate the machine himself. And I, as his assistant, is in charge of all the affairs arrangements, including the experimental The whole process. But I don't get any reputation from these processes."

"Now, I am in Hanzhou, and in the Qi Royal Academy of Sciences, I can get everything I want! High reputation, good research environment, generous treatment, comfortable life, and exchanges and collisions of various advanced scientific ideas . I think that's everything I've ever dreamed of."

Petty couldn't help being silent when he heard this.

King Charles II would rather spend millions of pounds on wars with the Netherlands than give thousands of pounds to the Royal Society, building it a research college of its own, so much so that the Royal Society began in 1666 , then enters a period of gradual decline from its former glory (1).

Now, the light of science has moved from London to Chang'an.

Note (1): It was not until 1703, when Newton became president of the Royal Society, that the Royal Society gradually regained its prestige and honor because of his huge international reputation.