The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 431: A small meeting before the conference
In the side hall of the royal palace, the princes headed by Zhu Jingkun once again met with the American nobles headed by Adams.

After greeting each other, Zhu Jingkun spoke directly as a representative:

“Regarding the situation you mentioned, we were prepared to make the decision as cautiously as possible.

"We originally planned to at least conduct sufficient investigations among the people of New York, and then conduct inspections in free states such as Massachusetts in the north.

"After the investigation is completed, we will return to New York for formal discussions, make a formal decision and give you a formal response.

“However, we put what we learned and the plan we drew up in our daily report and sent it to Father’s office as usual.

“After reading it, the emperor issued an instruction, reminding us that as rulers we should be trustworthy and always abide by the agreements we made.

“So we are now assuring you in advance that although we will continue to conduct the investigation as planned, the status of the United States will not change.

“The joint affairs between the Empire and the Kingdom and the Free State are still agreed upon and implemented in the form of agreements.

“Although many people in the free states of the United States are calling for the free states to be changed into dominions, this should only be a proposal, a proposal of a program and strategy nature.

“And this is not their real appeal, nor is it the difficulty they are facing now.

“We should understand their demands and difficulties, and then address them in a reasonable way, rather than directly adopting their reform proposals.”

After Zhu Jingkun finished speaking, Adams and other American nobles were obviously stunned, and then they were all overjoyed.

Adams and other old men all felt deeply in their hearts that choosing to follow His Majesty the Great Emperor Tiangong was truly the best decision they had made in their lives.

Your Majesty always treats them as his own people and always adheres to the agreement he initially discussed with them.

Then Adams fell to the ground crying:
"Your Majesty is wise, Your Highness is wise, we will serve the Ming Dynasty with all our hearts and souls, until our death..."

A group of American aristocrats looked at Adams' reaction and immediately fell to the ground together.

He cried out in great emotion and thanked the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty for his kindness.

They were indeed very excited and thrilled, but under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be so exaggerated.

But now they feel it is necessary to exaggerate their normal emotions.

When these princes come to America, they can report to the emperor at any time, and the emperor will respond to their reports at any time.

They were the emperor's direct tentacles in the local area, and they had a high degree of mutual trust and did not have the barriers that ordinary imperial envoys had.

And among these princes, there may very well be the future new emperor.

Therefore, during their time in America, these princes must be well entertained and treated well so as to leave a good enough impression in their hearts.

The eldest prince, with a serious expression, told them not to get so excited and to just stand up and sit down.

The scene was noisy for a while before the group of nobles slowly recovered. They got up and sat down one after another, expressing their gratitude profusely, waiting for the princes' subsequent instructions.

Adams and others could imagine that the princes recruited them here for more than just telling them this basic attitude.

There should be more requirements and arrangements on this basis, especially the public discussion meetings for the public have been scheduled, and both sides must cooperate well at the meetings.

After this group of old nobles sat down, Zhu Jingkun looked at the ninth prince Zhu Jingtan.

The Ninth Prince, the opposition, cleared his throat and began to make some rather unpleasant analyses and demands:
"According to our current investigation, you have monopolized a large number of resources and industries within your respective free states, relying on your identities and powers.

“The business between the new immigrants and you is unfair, so these new immigrants are dissatisfied with the current situation that you are in control of.

“That’s why the public’s calls to change the status quo in the Free State are growing louder and louder.

“This situation must change, otherwise when enough resentment and conflict have accumulated, what they are voicing will no longer be just calls.

“There will most likely be rebellion and riots.

"By then, your own interests and safety will be threatened, and the dignity and reputation of the Ming court will also be affected."

When Adams and other nobles heard this, they frowned in their hearts: Why does this prince speak so harshly?

Although...it seems...possibly...perhaps...it is indeed the case.

But how can you speak from the perspective of those unruly people?

Adams' son Quincy couldn't help but carefully explain after the Ninth Prince paused:

"Your Highness, this situation cannot be said to be unfair.

“This is the business our ancestors have run here for generations. The key is that we followed the Ming Dynasty to defeat the British, and then accumulated our current status and industry.

“When new immigrants first arrived, they had nothing and had not participated in the American War.

“Why should they be compared with us?”

The even more irritable Seventh Prince immediately retorted:

“It’s useless for you to say these things. The current situation is unfair and the new immigrants will not give up the fight just because of your words.

"No matter how justifiable your reasons are, problems and conflicts will always exist.

"For the stability of America and for your own long-term interests, we must coordinate and resolve these conflicts."

Quincy and other American nobles have gradually realized that none of these princes are stupid.

The key is that they all have rich experience and can keenly discover the key points and directly use them in the discussion.

Quincy and other American aristocrats could not imagine why these princes had such abilities.

The old nobles looked at each other for a long time, and finally Quincy stood up on behalf of his father and the entire noble group and made a temporary statement:
"May I ask, Your Highnesses, do you have a plan on how to mediate this conflict?"

The nobles have made their own judgment and now they can and should accept some of the arrangements made by the princes, which is equivalent to the arrangements made by the emperor.

As long as the overall status of the Free State remains unchanged and the current public opinion causing unrest can be eliminated, it is worth paying a slight price.

The eldest prince Zhu Jingkun came out and responded to them:

“There is no clear plan yet. After all, the investigation has not been concluded and the formal discussion meeting has not been held yet. Now I ask you to be mentally prepared.

“You can make arrangements in advance for some typical and basic feasible plans.

“For example, you can encourage immigrants who are dissatisfied with you to migrate to the dominions or provinces of the kingdom, which will reduce the conflicts between you.

"At the same time, the court will focus on developing the land in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the American River Basin." "You can help with publicity and attract or even send those who are causing trouble in your respective free states to these places."

"As for other plans, they should be resolved by establishing new agreements after the formal meeting."

Sending troublemakers and unstable people to other places, to develop remote lands, is a very typical means of governance. Exile was a punishment that existed in both the East and the West in ancient times.

Adams and other American nobles did not think there was anything wrong with it. Instead, they were somewhat grateful that the prince and the royal court were willing to cooperate.

Because the free states are not very large, even if they are exiled, they cannot be sent too far away.

The key point is that they are still within their own free state, and these exiles may cause trouble after arriving there.

But exile to a province under the jurisdiction of the imperial court could solve these problems.

So Adams and others quickly expressed their gratitude and acceptance, and promised to cooperate with the prince to attend the meeting and seriously discuss solutions.

Then Adams also promised very bluntly that they were willing to pay a reasonable price to solve the current problem.

The princes were also quite satisfied, so they were allowed to go back and rest while waiting for the formal meeting to be held.

Adams and others quickly stood up and left.

In the next few days, orders from the American Reservoir and the Cabinet of the United States were sent to various free states, and representatives from various free states began to rush to New York.

According to the cabinet's requirements, there must be three types of people attending the meeting, namely local nobles, official personnel, and civilians.

Needless to say, the nobles are people who hold royal titles and have their registered residence in this free state.

Officials are civil servants and members of parliament who hold positions in the Free State's various official institutions but do not hold any title of nobility.

Nobles and official representatives are easy to deal with; their identities can be verified.

The composition of civilian representatives is more complicated. They have no official status and are not members of parliament, but they still have a certain influence among the local people.

Some are well-known businessmen, who may be small and medium-sized farmers, inventors, or philanthropists, because businessmen and farmers with larger assets usually become local legislators.

There are even more intellectuals from the grassroots, including reporters and editors of newspapers and magazines, folk critics and writers, musicians and painters, lawyers, and so on.

The specific profession they are engaged in makes them relatively well-known and gives them a certain influence among the people.

The Cabinet, after learning about the situation from the Royal Government, directly appointed a group of people who were relatively well-known throughout the country, while also leaving some margin for local institutions in the Free State.

This meeting of the Kingdom's Cabinet became a good opportunity for many private individuals to gather publicly.

Many people who already knew each other but had never met each other had the opportunity to meet and communicate before this meeting.

Including those civil activists who called for the abolition of the free states, who had been fighting independently in various free states, now came to New York at the same time, so naturally they wanted to get to know each other and discuss.

There are also many ordinary people who are keenly interested in related topics but who themselves are not well-known and may not be qualified to attend such meetings.

After hearing that the activists they were familiar with were going to New York to attend a meeting, many of them also rushed to New York.

These enthusiastic civilians wanted to take this opportunity to see the activists they admired.

I also hope to tell them my inner thoughts before the meeting.

There is then an opportunity for these ordinary people to have their ideas conveyed to the kingdom's cabinet through these well-known activists.

Most of these folk celebrities, especially activists, are happy to meet publicly with their admirers while holding gatherings with other similar people.

Give speeches to them and absorb their useful suggestions through open discussion activities.

New York City, which is already very busy and bustling, has become especially lively these days due to the popularity of the Ming Dynasty prince's inspection tour and the Free State Affairs Conference.

On the streets and squares inside and outside the city, beside construction sites, in teahouses, taverns and cafes, in theaters, temples and opera houses, there were crowds of all sizes gathered together, noisy and arguing about something.

There were also gatherings between great American nobles such as Quincy Adams and small and medium-sized nobles from all over the country who had recently arrived in New York.

Adams and other great nobles first informed the nobles in various places, hinting that the emperor and the princes had already made up their minds, and then discussed the current situation and future circumstances.

The key point is the gathering and discussion of civilians, most of these nobles feel very worried and disgusted.

Many nobles felt that these so-called civilians should not be allowed to come, and that such matters should only be discussed by nobles, and at most members of parliament should be allowed to participate.

These people are making a mess in New York right now, and the key is that they will definitely talk nonsense at the meeting.

Adams himself, although he was already eighty-seven years old and could no longer speak or act clearly, his mind was still clear most of the time.

Now, Adams, looking at the situation in New York City and listening to the messages conveyed by his children and grandchildren, feels an inexplicable sense of familiarity in his heart.

Adams seemed to have returned to his prime, planning with his cousin to promote the independence of the American colonies...

For a moment, Adams felt that what his nobles were doing now seemed to be no different from what Britain did in the past.

Even thinking back to the colonial tax rates back then, the tax rates when Britain ruled here seemed to be lower than they are now.

The real problem was that Britain did not recognize the status of its colonies and did not allow the residents of the colonies to elect members of parliament.

The colonies had a low political status and were suppressed by the British court.

Now, the new immigrants in the dominions are also suppressed by the old immigrants, and it is difficult for them to participate in actual governance.

But no one can help them now. The whole world is a vassal of the Ming Dynasty. The key is that the Ming Dynasty court stands on their side.

The current Ming army has extraordinary combat effectiveness and is capable of suppressing any form of rebellion.

So Adams felt a little emotional in his heart, but what he was ultimately prepared to do remained unchanged, and he always had to protect his vested interests as much as possible.

The discussion on the adjustment of the nature of the American Free Commonwealth and the consultation meeting on the current situation and problems of the American Free Commonwealth were officially held on June 15th.

The meeting was held in the main hall of the New York Palace, which is also the largest palace in the palace, the Chengyun Hall.

A total of six hundred participants were selected, with one third each from the nobility, officials, and civilians, totaling two hundred people.

There was a rostrum below the imperial desk in the main hall. Fifteen princes sat in the front center of the rostrum, surrounded by cabinet ministers and ministers of the kingdom.

On the left side of the rostrum, that is, on the east side of the hall, is the seat for the noble representatives, and opposite is the seat for the official representatives.

Opposite the rostrum, that is, with its back to the palace gate, are the civilian representatives.

(End of this chapter)