Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 286: Guard against barbarians?

"Oh, did your teacher really say that?"

Just as the Xinzhou Huaxia envoy Meng Shengxin went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City to meet the Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, in the Huitong Hall, the deputy director of the Imperial Observatory, Li Tianjing, was discussing issues related to "Zhizhi Suanfa Tongzong" written by Cheng Dawei with two young men from the Xinhua delegation.

When he talked about how to promote the abacus theory, which is the culmination of all the dynasties, to more countries and regions, especially to the Western Yi countries, he was subtly reminded by the other party.

The young man from the Xinhua delegation said that if many of the Ming Dynasty's advanced "science and technology" flowed into the Western countries, China would lose its technological and civilizational advantages to a certain extent.

The Western Yi people were good at imitating and learning. Once they mastered the scientific and technological knowledge passed down from the past, it would inevitably accelerate their scientific progress and social development.

As time goes by, in this situation of one rising and the other falling, the Western barbarians will surpass the Eastern Chinese world in many aspects, thus forming a comprehensive advantage over the Ming Dynasty in science and technology, culture, military, and even people's livelihood and economy.

After all, this world is still a competition between civilizations and a fight between nations. Once the Eastern Chinese world lags behind the Western barbarians in all aspects, it will inevitably be suppressed and invaded by the other side, and even become the target of plunder and colonization by the other side.

After hearing this, Li Tianjing was very surprised and showed an expression of disbelief.

Our great Ming Dynasty stands majestically at the center of the world, with its power spreading throughout the world. We have always welcomed all nations and accepted all rivers with a broad mind, a benevolent attitude, and an inclusive demeanor.

No matter whether it is a small vassal state in the surrounding area or the European and Brazilian barbarians, the Great Ming Dynasty treats them with sincerity and never deceives them.

When Westerners come to our Ming Dynasty to learn about Chinese culture and delve into the teachings of ancient sages, we impart it to them without reservation, and never harbor any thoughts of hoarding our knowledge.

However, according to this young man from the Xinhua delegation, it is best not to easily teach the many "scientific and technological cultures" of our Ming Dynasty to foreign countries in order to prevent "technological leaks", which would weaken our own technological advantages and strengthen the strength of our opponents.

To be honest, these Ming Dynasty technical officials have never thought about this.

Shouldn't "clever skills" be exchanged and learned from each other, so that they can develop and progress better through discussion and reference between both sides?

For example, the recently completed Chongzhen Calendar was successfully revised with the assistance of several Western Catholic Jesuit missionaries such as Johann Adam Schall von Bell.

Moreover, they also brought a lot of knowledge from the West that the Ming Dynasty had never had, such as plane trigonometry and spherical trigonometry, manual arithmetic methods, as well as some Western artillery manufacturing techniques, and wrote the book "Essentials of Fire Attack".

Do we need to be wary of these Jesuit missionaries?
"Our teacher said that the world today is an era full of competition and change. During this period, Western Europe is beginning to rise, colonial expansion is intensifying, and the power structure of the entire world is also being reshaped." Tian Xiaodong picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea for the adult from the Imperial Observatory, and then continued.

"The teacher also said that the dominant global theme during this period was competition between nation-states, the scramble for resources, technological advancement, and the contest of military might. It was a savage jungle world, where the law of the jungle prevailed. The strong plundered everything, while the weak waited for destruction."

"Your Excellency may not be aware of this, but the Western Barbarians have already begun to brutally conquer and plunder the indigenous civilizations of many continents with their advanced firearms technology, navigation capabilities, and organizational efficiency."

"The Native Americans perished in large numbers amidst the gunfire and disease of the Western colonists. The African Kunlun slaves were sold into miserable slavery, and some ancient empires in the East gradually became their targets of predation."

"This naked power politics reflects the brutal nature of current international relations: powerful countries exploit the weak through military force and technological superiority, while the weak are often powerless to resist."

Upon hearing this, Li Tianjing's teacup trembled slightly, nearly spilling the tea. He set the cup down, his tone filled with shock, "Are you saying that the Western Barbarians are already wreaking havoc overseas?" The young man nodded and continued, "A few years ago, the Dutch Barbarians invaded the southeastern coast several times, occupying Penghu, seizing Dongfan (Taiwan), and attacking Fujian. If the Ming Dynasty hadn't still had the strength to fight and prevent them from succeeding, I'm afraid the Dutch Barbarians would have invaded the coastal areas and plundered the Ming Dynasty's wealth, just like they did in Java and Sumatra in Southeast Asia."

"Your teacher means that if our Ming Dynasty becomes poor and weak and unable to resist the Western barbarians, it will also become the target of their invasion and plunder?" Li Tianjing was silent for a moment, a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.

"Yes, that will definitely happen." He Shouyou, who was sitting nearby, said confidently, "Your Excellency is certainly unaware that during the Wanli reign, the Spanish who occupied Luzon formulated a massive plan to invade and conquer the Ming Dynasty."

"They planned to mobilize an expeditionary force of 4000 to 6000 soldiers, first to occupy the coastal areas of Ming Dynasty, then gradually advance inland, and ultimately to engulf the entire Ming Dynasty and spread their Catholicism to the Chinese mainland."

"You think you can conquer the Ming Dynasty with only 4000-6000 soldiers?" Li Tianjing was shocked. His tone was filled with disdain and anger. "How dare the Westerners be so arrogant?"

"Actually, from a Western perspective, formulating this invasion plan isn't outrageous." He Shouyou shook his head and said, "Teacher once told us that during their conquest of the Americas, the Westerners successively destroyed several vast empires with long histories, but each time they deployed only a few hundred soldiers."

"They even defeated a native kingdom called the Inca, which had only a hundred soldiers. Armed with powerful firearms, sharp swords, sturdy armor, and war horses the natives had never seen before, they slaughtered countless city-states and kingdoms along the way, ultimately seizing several colonies within Ming territory."

"Hiss..." Li Tianjing gasped, "The Western Barbarians are so... brutal!"

"Well, it's not about the barbarians being brutal," Tian Xiaodong continued. "Our teacher said that in this world, if you fall behind, you'll be beaten, and if you're poor and weak, you'll be bullied."

"If you fall behind, you will be beaten?" Li Tianjing repeated this sentence in a low voice, as if he was chewing on the deep meaning of it.

"That's right. Falling behind will lead to being beaten. Only when you become strong and have sufficient strength can you avoid being bullied by others."

"Moreover, the teacher also said that the ancients said that those who are not of our race must have different hearts. There is still some truth to it."

"Heh..." Li Tianjing gave a wry laugh after hearing this, then looked at the two young men from the Xinhua delegation with amusement, "So, tell me, are the Xinhua considered non-Ming people?"

"..."

The two teenagers looked at each other, speechless for a moment, not knowing how to answer.

Li Tianjing laughed heartily upon seeing this, then waved his hand. "Never mind, never mind. Today's conversation with you has been quite beneficial for me. Perhaps, we old folks should also think carefully about the future of the Ming Dynasty."

The two young men smiled slightly and bowed respectfully: "Your Excellency is wise."

"Compared to you, I'm not smart at all," Li Tianjing said with a wry smile. "I can't believe you're so young, yet you've been taught so well by your teacher. ... Haha, the future is bright!"

"I don't dare to accept your praise."

Li Tianjing smiled, picked up the teacup and sipped it slowly, but his brows couldn't help but furrowed.

Do we really need to be on guard against foreigners when exchanging knowledge with Westerners overseas?
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(End of this chapter)