The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 9 This is already the most advanced in this era
Zhu Zhonglin asked Zhu Jianxuan to study hard, and then took the queen to another room to talk.

After watching his parents leave, Zhu Jianxuan sat back in his chair and closed his eyes again to recall the history of his previous life.

If there had been no major changes in American history, the Continental Congress would have been held by now.

Americans will petition the King of England for the last time, stating that the American people are loyal to the King of England, but demanding an improvement in their political status.

Specifically, they must have the power to elect members of Congress and allow them to elect members who represent the interests of the United States, otherwise they will refuse to pay taxes.

In the eyes of the British top leaders, it was truly treasonous for America, as a colony, to demand political power and refuse to pay taxes honestly.

Instead of accepting the Americans' demands, the British king, cabinet, and parliament intensified their suppression.

Then came the shooting of Lexington and the publication of the Declaration of Independence.

In fact, if Britain had made some concessions and given America the status of Ireland, there would have been a chance to avoid America's direct independence.

However, the British Parliament had no colonial representatives and naturally would not consider colonial interests.

Britain had no experience in dealing with such matters before, and the French were actually secretly instigating discord. The end result was that the conflict was completely intensified, leading to the American War of Independence.

The reality of history is so speechless.

However, America's independence from Britain is a good thing for other countries.

In the original history, America was indeed the future world hegemon, but the world hegemon before America was Britain.

If America had not become independent, Britain would have been much more powerful in the 19th century.

We should deal with Britain first and then strangle the United States.

So now the Ming Dynasty should indeed support American independence together with France.

Of course, the premise is that you don’t play yourself to death.

Three months later, at the end of the 28th year of Xianning, Zhu Jianxuan's laboratory was finally basically renovated.

However, the Chinese New Year is coming soon, so the laboratory will be officially put into use after the start of next year.

Half a month later, on the afternoon of the twelfth day of the first lunar month in the twenty-ninth year of Xianning.

Zhu Jianxuan, accompanied by his parents, rode in his father's carriage to take over his own laboratory.

Zhu Jianxuan was finally able to leave the Forbidden City, so he instinctively prepared to take a good look at the surrounding scenery and see the urban landscape of this era.

As a result, the carriage had just left the palace gate and crossed the Tongzi River outside the palace wall when it stopped in front of the courtyard gate on the other side of the river.

It turns out that this laboratory is just opposite the palace gate, which is really too close.

Now a group of people are standing outside the laboratory. After the emperor's carriage stops, they bow and greet him.

According to Chongzhen's rules, unless it was a solemn festival celebration, ordinary people only needed to bow and salute when meeting the emperor, and there was no need to kneel.

Zhu Zhonglin also waved his hand casually:
"No gift..."

After everyone stood up straight, a eunuch in the front row bowed a few steps forward and handed a booklet to Zhu Zhonglin:

"Your Majesty, all the necessary facilities and personnel for the laboratory have arrived. Here is the detailed list.

"There is a third-rank craftsman named Song Wendao from the Royal Academy of Engineering who serves as the laboratory's technical advisor and comes to the laboratory on the first day of every ten days.

“The Ministry of Industry has dispatched 15 craftsmen of the fifth rank and below to be stationed in the laboratory to carry out specific research tasks.

"There are also 30 unranked craftsmen who are responsible for miscellaneous tasks within the experiment."

"All personnel are present. Your Majesty, please give your instructions."

When the eunuch mentioned Song Wendao, a craftsman next to him who was about fifty years old also took two steps forward and bowed to Zhu Zhonglin again to introduce himself:
"Your humble servant Song Wendao pays respect to Your Majesty."

Zhu Zhonglin took the booklet, flipped it open and glanced at it, then glanced at Song Wendao in front of him, and then introduced it to Zhu Jianxuan who was following him:

"This engineer Song is the inventor of the most efficient steam engine today. You should ask him for advice when you have the chance." Song Wendao immediately bowed again when he heard this:
"I will definitely teach Your Highness the knowledge of steam engines."

Zhu Jianxuan also looked up and asked Song.

The rank and treatment of senior craftsmen in the official offices of the Ming Dynasty were comparable to those of ordinary officials, and they could wear official uniforms in formal occasions.

However, Song Wendao's temperament is very different from that of ordinary officials.

Although he said that he would teach seriously, he was obviously not very interested.

Not only is his expression dull, his tone is even duller, and it even gives people a feeling of being uncomfortable.

Zhu Jianxuan is actually very familiar with this feeling.

Many technicians who were forced to participate in social activities in their previous lives were in this mental state.

Maybe it’s because a craftsman is a craftsman, and promotion mainly depends on relatively objective assessment results.

Compared with officials, they only have ranks but no management-related positions, so most of them are not as good at dealing with people as officials.

The point is, most of them don't want to do this job, but they have to, like teaching a five-year-old prince to study steam engines.

After all, in the eyes of ordinary people, what does a five-year-old child understand? The key is what can he understand?
Although they are called consultants, the actual job they have to do may just be to entertain children. This should be the most desperate job for technicians.

Zhu Jianxuan himself definitely did not want to teach his boss’s kindergarten child the principles of mechanics.

Fortunately, I am not really a five-year-old child.

Zhu Jianxuan felt a little helpless and wanted to laugh. He tried to keep a straight face and bowed to Song Wendao:
"I hope Mr. Song will give me more guidance in the future."

Although Zhu Jianxuan was only being polite, in the eyes of others he was just a five-year-old child.

Song Wendao on this side was a little flustered. He obviously didn't expect the little prince to speak so politely and seriously. He quickly returned the greeting again:

"Your Highness is too polite. This is what I should do."

Zhu Zhonglin and his wife were watching this scene and couldn't help but smile.

He felt that his son was not only loyal and honest, but also naturally humble and polite, and knew how to respect the wise and the humble.

After all, he is only five years old and no one has taught him. He can only do this by nature.

Even if you learn it from a book, your willingness to do so is innate, and your nature is in line with the teachings of sages.

After the main personnel on the scene greeted each other, the eunuch led Zhu Jianxuan and his family of three into the yard and introduced the situation of this so-called laboratory.

By the standards of this era, this is a relatively fully functional laboratory.

There are offices and workbenches for drawing, meeting rooms for discussing matters, and a lounge prepared for Zhu Jianxuan and the craftsmen.

There is water from the moat that drives major hydraulic machinery, including a large boring machine that remains secret.

There are several small and medium-sized warehouses of different types, filled with various tools, containers, materials, and fuel.

There are workbenches for blacksmiths, carpenters, and leatherworkers, as well as various common repair equipment.

Finally, there is a complete set of new and existing Song steam engines.

But in Zhu Jianxuan's view, this so-called laboratory is just a messy yard.

It is a bit like the backyard of those handicraft enthusiasts in later generations. Although the area is larger, the equipment is two hundred years behind.

I can only say that this era is indeed like this...

Factories are all workshop-style, and laboratories are even more workshop-style. Anyway, from a modern perspective, they are all crude workshops.

But this is already the most advanced of this era.

(End of this chapter)