I was the Founding Father of the United States

Chapter 71 Starting with Planting Cotton

The fact that the king could not interfere with the work of scholars is probably a tradition that has been passed down in Europe since the Middle Ages.

If one insists on making a connection, one could say it's a continuation of the ancient Greek and Roman tradition of loving knowledge and truth... although the Germanic Gauls and Vikings of Western Europe were at least a thousand years apart from the ancient Greeks and Romans, and their ethnicities had changed.

Since Henry III granted Cambridge University a charter in 1231, granting Cambridge students the status of priests, England has been gradually promoting the tradition of academic freedom.

From this perspective, the so-called Dark Ages of Europe were not so dark after all; at least many autonomous universities in Europe were passing on the sparks of knowledge.

By the 18th century, the Enlightenment was spreading rapidly in France, England, the Netherlands, and the Nordic countries of Germany, and the spirit of academic freedom was also spreading quickly, leading to the emergence of some universities that broke away from church administration.

Institutions of higher learning such as the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, the University of Paris in France, and the University of Königsberg in Prussia powerfully promoted scientific progress and the spread of rationalism, and of course, also brought about restless ideas for social reform.

As for Cambridge and Oxford Universities in the UK and Leiden University in the Netherlands, they had already completed the initial reforms of academic freedom as early as the 17th century, indirectly helping these two countries become maritime superpowers for two generations.

This is a concrete manifestation of the idea that knowledge is power.

France, Prussia, and the other Nordic and Southern European countries probably saw the powerful national strength brought about by the Netherlands and Britain's veneration of knowledge and scholars, so they followed suit... After all, copying homework is not shameful, but failing the exam is!

France, Austria, and Spain were so badly defeated in the Seven Years' War that they turned to Enlightenment ideas as their best work.

Only Chen Wenbin knows what happened next. He didn't copy the French homework well, and his character imploded on the spot, which led to the Napoleonic Wars that swept across Europe...

As for the great scientist Chen himself, he certainly has to thank the high social status that European countries now bestow upon scholars; otherwise, he would not have been able to be friends with the King and Queen of England.

With his status as the founder of oxidation theory, a pioneer of electromagnetism, the discoverer of allicin, and the inventor of the Jenna spinning machine, as well as his identities as a miracle doctor, a colonial senator, and a wealthy man, just as Franklin had said, he already possessed a status similar to that of a high-ranking nobleman in Western European countries, and could become a guest of honor of the king at any time.

In the lakeside park north of St. James's Palace, King George III and Chen Wenbin, dressed in formal attire, rode side by side on horseback.

The young king pointed to three spring-loaded carriages not far away, and Queen Sophie and Diana, along with a group of court attendants, waiting for them to return beside the carriages. He then looked at Chen Wenbin, who was skillfully riding his horse, and smiled:

"...Robin, to be honest, Sophie and I really like the carriage and sewing machine you brought. So, tell me! What do you want?"

How about I waive the tribute for your investiture?

Before Chen Wenbin could speak, he shook his head and said, "Well, you certainly don't lack that thousand pounds... I think what you need is the patent rights to that new type of spinning machine, and to avoid other troubles in Britain, right?"

Chen Wenbin looked at the "you'd better beg me" expression on his face and was speechless. Although this guy was young and had the brains he should have, he was just too frivolous.

"No! William, patents are not my problem!"

Chen Wenbin said calmly, "That's Sir George Colbrook's problem!"

Many gentlemen of the East India Company have decided to jointly invest in the Providence Company; if they want to avoid losses, they must get Parliament to approve the patent!

George was taken aback and exclaimed in surprise, "...You actually convinced Sir Colebrook? How did you do that?"

Sir Colebrook is the current chairman of the British East India Company. King George III knows very well that he is a profit-driven old stubborn man. He is really curious about what magic Chen Wenbin used to win over that old fellow!

"It's simple! I don't need to convince him; the pound will speak for me!"

Chen Wenbin made a show of bragging, then pulled on the reins to slow the horse down, and continued: "The Jenna Spinning Machine is an invention that has changed the entire textile industry. If operated properly, it can enable Britain to provide imitations to the whole world, which means an expected profit of millions or tens of millions of pounds. No one would be unmoved!"

William, if you'd like, I suggest you join in... Of course, to avoid trouble for me, you'd better tell everyone that you asked to become a shareholder!"

"...Millions of pounds! You mean it, Robin? Your company can really make millions of pounds?"

King George III's tone was somewhat agitated. He had, of course, had ordered an investigation into Chen Wenbin and Providence Company, and knew that the company had generated sales of nearly £100,000, but the figure of several million pounds still shook him... Britain's annual fiscal revenue was only nine to ten million pounds!

"This is just a simple math problem."

Chen Wenbin said calmly, "The real value of the new spinning machine lies in the improvement of production efficiency. Twenty times the speed means twenty times the cotton yarn output, which can fully meet the speed improvement brought by the flying shuttle loom."

What is the annual demand for cotton imitations across Europe?

Nowadays, European nobles and the wealthy generally wear clothing made of silk, wool, and cotton, while commoners mostly wear linen and woolen clothing. Only their undergarments are made of more expensive cotton. I believe this situation will definitely change!

Because cotton is more comfortable and breathable to wear, and easier to dye, it will eventually replace linen as the mainstream fabric for everyday clothing.

Ten million pounds is just the most conservative estimate for the spinning machine market, while the entire cotton textile market is likely to exceed hundreds of millions of pounds!

Because everyone needs to wear clothes, comfortable clothes, and nice-looking clothes!

This is the real money-making market!

"...hundreds of millions of pounds!"

George III repeated the number, feeling that he had used up all the surprises of the year in one day, but a strong sense of excitement welled up inside him.

The UK currently owes £130 million in national debt, with annual interest payments of £5 million. If the cotton textile industry truly has the prospects that Chen Wenbin claims, then the UK's fiscal pressure could be alleviated!

He reined in his horse, thought for a moment, and looked at Chen Wenbin seriously, asking, "What about the cotton? Where are you planning to get so much cotton? Without cotton, no matter how fast the spinning machine spins yarn, it's meaningless!"

"You've got it right, Your Majesty!"

Chen Wenbin smiled and said, "God bless us! We won the Seven Years' War, and we also won North America and India. The climate and soil in these two places are suitable for growing Sea Island cotton and long-staple cotton from the West Indies. I'm planning to open large cotton plantations in southern North America, and they're sure to be very profitable in the future!"