The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 23 The most terrible disaster
Adams knew that the Ming Emperor was probably intimidating and threatening him.

But I have to think about it seriously, because this threat is not impossible to become a reality.

If these threats become reality, the situation will be extremely dire.

Adams instinctively tried to persuade:

“Your Majesty, please do not do this, we will seriously consider your suggestion.

"As long as Daming is willing to help, we will definitely provide sufficient compensation."

Ming Emperor Zhu Zhonglin seemed unmoved and continued to add a few more detailed threats:

"In order to build a vassal state for my children, the Ming Dynasty is recruiting an additional 50,000 regular troops and 300,000 armed immigrants.

“Plus the ocean-going sailing vessels that can carry them, along with the weapons, equipment and supplies for their use.

"Whether they will become your allies or your enemies is for you, the so-called thirteen colonies, to decide.

"Okay, that's all I have to say. Go back and think about it carefully..."

Adams started to really panic when he heard these words.

With 50,000 regular troops from the Ming Dynasty, they can even fight on the British mainland, not to mention the 300,000 armed immigrants.

If this were true, it would be a huge trouble.

In addition to being rich, the Ming Dynasty also had a very large core population, which may have exceeded 200 million by now.

There are not so many white people in the whole of Europe now.

The total population of the thirteen states in North America was only about three million, of which 600,000 were black slaves.

Even if the Ming Dynasty did not fight the thirteen colonies directly, simply continuing to send armed immigrants to North America to occupy land and open up wasteland would make them very uncomfortable.

There are too many nominally unowned wastelands in North America.

Adams finally understood why the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty wanted to meet him in person.

This is not luck at all, but the most terrible disaster.

Because the Ming Emperor has set his sights on the land in North America.

Now, the places around Ming Dynasty that are relatively easy to conquer basically belong to Ming Dynasty.

The remaining places either have harsh environments or large populations.

For example, some islands in the eastern part of Southeast Asia, such as the Qing Dynasty, Japan, Korea, India, and Africa.

If the Ming Dynasty wanted to continue its expansion, it might indeed choose the New World.

Most of the land in the New World now nominally belongs to Britain, Spain and Portugal.

The Ming Dynasty now wants to obtain these lands, but does not want to declare war on them because these three countries are also Ming Dynasty's trading partners.

If the Thirteen Colonies became independent from Britain, the Ming Dynasty would not have to fight with Britain and Spain if it wanted to seize these lands.

The Ming Dynasty could simply declare war on the independent thirteen colonies, which would have much less impact than declaring war on Britain and Spain.

This is also the reason why many loyalists opposed independence. The Thirteen Colonies did need to pay taxes to Britain, but they also received protection from Britain.

After breaking away from Britain, they have to face all the dangers on their own.

The key point is that if the Ming Dynasty declares its support for Britain, it will be a question whether France and Spain dare to join the war.

The Ming Dynasty wanted land in North America, but it might not also want land in South America.

Looking at their South American plains, does Spain dare to test the Ming Emperor's greed for land?

Adams could not deal with this threat directly, so he could only continue to show sincerity to appease the Ming emperor:
“Please don’t be angry, Your Majesty. We will really consider your suggestion seriously.

“It should be an honor for our Thirteen Colonies to have the prince of the Ming Dynasty become our king.

"So, Your Majesty, we hope to learn more about the prince who may become our future king.

“So that after I return to North America, I can introduce and recommend His Royal Highness to the representatives of the Thirteen Colonies.

"Will I have a chance to meet His Highness in person?"

Zhu Zhonglin instinctively wanted to refuse.

But immediately considering the special nature of his son, he thought that if he could show his talents and achievements a little, it would be more persuasive.

So Zhu Zhonglin agreed to Adams' request. But he did not ask someone to call Zhu Jianxuan over. Instead, he took Adams to Zhu Jianxuan's laboratory and let him observe on the spot.

Zhu Zhonglin asked someone to notify Zhu Jianxuan first, and then he went there slowly in a carriage.

Adams certainly had no chance to ride with the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, but he had a simple carriage prepared by the Honglu Temple for guests, so he didn't have to walk.

John Adams never expected that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty would take him to see the prince he mentioned.

Adams even thought that the Ming Emperor's plan to establish a country for his son was just an excuse for him to seize land in America.

Now it seems that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was truly prepared and had a plan to arrange for a prince to go to America to be king.

This is indeed in line with the customs of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty now generally has a feudal system, which is very similar to the feudal aristocracy system in Europe.

On the way to the laboratory, Adams began to imagine what this prince would look like.

Is he a graceful young man, a strong and tall middle-aged man, or a lively and active teenager?

But generally speaking, the image of the Ming Dynasty prince in the minds of Europeans and Americans today tends to be mostly positive.

Even now, the overall image of ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty is positive in the minds of Europeans.

European countries of this era did not establish military and cultural advantages over the Eastern empires, so naturally there was no widespread discrimination.

European explorers who traveled to the Ming Dynasty described the nobles of the Ming Dynasty in their travel notes:
Their skin is as white as that of white Europeans, but more delicate and smooth than that of Europeans, and usually has a healthy light red color.

Because the people of the Ming Dynasty lived under warm sunshine, the environment was completely different from the cold and gloomy northern Europe.

Especially the cheeks of young children, which are white and tender with a pink color, just like the peach blossoms blooming in spring.

Most people in the Ming Dynasty did not have thick body hair, did not need to use perfume and had no obvious body odor.

They might sew small packages out of silk, fill them with scented hay and hang them around their waists to add some fresh scent.

In the aristocratic families of the Ming Dynasty, both men and women were literate, and their daily entertainment was usually related to words.

In general, the Ming nobles were more elegant than European nobles, more like artists than warriors...

During the European Enlightenment, some scholars borrowed certain cultural elements from the Ming Dynasty to express what they wanted to express.

This led many European scholars to have a certain cultural yearning for the Ming Dynasty.

Adams originally thought that he would meet the prince of the Ming Dynasty, and perhaps his mother, in some magnificent palace.

But the carriage brought him to the door of a warehouse.

There was also a rather harsh and strange sound coming from inside the door, as if some heavy metal was rubbing against each other.

There seemed to be the sound of steam boilers emitting steam.

On both sides of the gate, there are several tables arranged in a row, on which are placed some black things that look like natural rubber.

Finally, a child in casual clothes, accompanied by several craftsmen, walked out of the warehouse door.

They bowed together to the Ming Emperor Zhu Zhonglin who had just got off the car.

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty walked directly to the child and took his hand very intimately.

The eunuch beside the emperor introduced to Adams:

"This is the sixteenth prince of the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, the sixth legitimate prince, and the third child of the Empress of Ming Dynasty.

“Your Highness has now been officially conferred the title of Prince, and is given the title of King Wu.

“Although His Royal Highness King Wu is only six years old this year, he is already a great inventor.

"This courtyard is your highness's laboratory. Most of the things being examined and tested inside and outside the courtyard are your highness's inventions."

Adams was completely stunned.

The child was indeed wearing clothes unique to the Ming Dynasty royal family.

The image indeed matched his own imagination and the description of top nobles in those travel notes.

She has a delicate appearance like an angel in a painting, and her skin is fair and rosy, a healthy color.

But he is indeed just a six-year-old child. A six-year-old child is actually an inventor?

This made Adams think again that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was still making excuses.

(End of this chapter)