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Chapter 1253 New World Order 2
"...You made this comparison because you lived in Ming for a long time, but the monarchs of Europe could not do this. It is a big problem to make them understand what you said.

It is unlikely that you will volunteer to be a lobbyist. Don't forget that you have signed more than one confidentiality agreement. Now you know the disadvantages of greed. It will be difficult for you to leave this land in your lifetime. The only exception is to be put in a coffin.

Unfortunately, I do not intend to send your body back to Europe. At most, they will find a church to bury it. I can let your grave be next to the imperial mausoleum. Someone will clean and take care of it every day, and there will be constant offerings during festivals. It may last for a thousand years."

Descartes's reasoning was very strong and logical, but Hong Tao did not think it could be done. Logic is based on human cognition, and two groups with completely different cognitions will not have the same logic. If you insist on using one logic to convince another, it would be better to fight a war.

"...Or we can try to convince Prince Hendrik. When I was serving in the army, he was my artillery instructor. Compared with Philip IV and Louis XIII, His Highness is more receptive to new ideas."

Although he knew the emperor was joking, Descartes was still a little embarrassed. When applying for funding, everyone was more active than the other, and he signed more than one confidentiality agreement. At the time, he thought the above terms were reasonable, but when it came time to strictly enforce them, he felt that they were a hindrance.

Fortunately, he had never thought of returning to Europe to lobby the monarchs of various countries. Even if he wanted to, it would be difficult for him to get close to the court. The original intention of coming to the emperor to give private advice was to ask His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange, who was about to visit. Although he could not be said to be an acquaintance, he had worked in the same army before, and meeting in a foreign country might give him some face.

"Well, I can consider this matter. But do you think His Highness Hendrick will agree with this argument? He is the king of a country just like me, and the first thing he should consider is not reason but interests.

If the Netherlands supports my plan to establish a world order, it will not see direct benefits, but may even be met with hostility from European countries. The loss will outweigh the gain!
From a long-term development perspective, restricting the Ming Empire is very beneficial to the Netherlands. Their merchants can take advantage of convenient conditions to occupy more shipping shares and further get rid of restrictions to earn more profits. "

Hong Tao affirmed Descartes' idea in principle, but he was skeptical about its effectiveness. The reason is simple. This is not an exchange between individuals, but a conflict of interests between countries. Without solid evidence, it is too pale to just talk about it.

"I can give Prince Hendrik a detailed introduction to the way His Majesty governs the Ming Empire. I believe His Royal Highness will be interested. Although the United Provinces Republic is different in system, there are many things worth learning from it.

Your Majesty may not know that Prince Hendrik is currently facing tremendous pressure from the anti-Orange faction within the Republic. Merchants and civilian representatives are very wary of the excessive power of the monarchy and have repeatedly demanded the disbanding of the standing army and the return of military power to the provincial parliaments.

In terms of how to handle the relationship between courtiers and generals, your Majesty not only has a unique solution, but also has made achievements that are worthy of serious study by all kings. It is the most successful model so far."

But Descartes didn't think so. Although he hadn't been back to Europe for several years in Ming Dynasty, he often met Dutch merchants coming by ship from Batavia. In addition to asking them to act as postmen to carry letters, they would also sit together and chat about the latest situation in their hometown and Europe. He was not ignorant.

Based on his understanding and judgment, he felt that as long as he could meet Prince Hendrik, there was a high probability that the other party would be interested, and there would be a chance to go a step further and explain in detail the benefits of establishing a world order.

"On the contrary, what I have done will not only not make European monarchs yearn for it, but will make them fear it. The reason is very simple, religion. I have carefully studied the political ecology of Europe and finally came to the conclusion that whether it is a Catholic country or a Protestant country, the underlying logic is religion. European laws are based on religion, as are ideologies and moral standards. Without the cornerstone of religion, everything from the power system to the state system will quickly collapse.

The Ming Empire is just the opposite. I advocate the promotion of Taoism, but Taoism is only one of the tools I use to consolidate my rule, and it is not the most important one. Buddhism, which originally dominated the Ming Empire, has been suppressed to death in recent years.

Another thing is privileges. Since I ascended the throne, I have been depriving the privileges of the ruling class all the time. The method is very simple, start with yourself. As long as I can do it, there is no reason why officials, gentry and common people cannot do it. Anyone who dares to deliberately violate it will be ruthlessly eliminated.

Is this possible in the courts of European countries? They are constantly fighting against all social classes, with the aim of protecting and strengthening the privileges of the aristocratic lord class.

It would have been more difficult to get Philip IV and Louis XIII to cut their annual court expenses by half and their queens to reduce the number of balls by half than to get Spain to give up the New World.

Professor René, you are a scholar and should not be involved in politics too much. This is the dirtiest and most shameless activity in the world, and it is highly contagious. Once you are involved, you will be doomed and there is no cure.

However, I am not opposed to appropriate participation. After all, philosophy is the study of human thoughts. The thoughts of politicians are very representative and worthy of further study.

How about this? I will arrange for you to meet with Prince Hendrik, and there will be no restrictions on the content of the conversation. Not only can you go, but any professor in the college can sign up to participate.

But I do not recommend that you use reason to convince His Royal Highness, that is futile. If you really want to contribute to the establishment of world order, you might as well show the guests several research results that are about to be put into trial production, such as steam engines, generators, and gliders.

If Prince Hendrik is not a lazy person, he should be able to taste the flavor of a new world order from these research results. Whether he should try it is up to him to decide, and there is no need to force him. "

He looked at his watch. It was almost time for the break, but Descartes was still chattering. Hong Tao didn't plan to persuade him patiently anymore. He stood up, brushed off the cigarette ash on his pants, and threw out the final solution while walking to the door. If you are willing to cooperate, do it. If you are not willing, there is nothing you can do.

"...But, but those things are top secret. No one is allowed to snoop without the authorization of Your Majesty and the General Staff!" The plan proposed by the emperor was far beyond Descartes' expectations. He hesitated for several seconds before quickly catching up and whispering a reminder.

(End of this chapter)