A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

"Hey, why are there women sneaking into the guild hall? Here are all scholars, don't disturb us to study."

Suddenly, there were some creaking sounds in the clubhouse.

"The exam is about to start. It's really unlucky to see a woman in the guild hall at this time."

After all, it was the end of the Qing Dynasty, and many people who came to Beijing to rush for the exam still had all kinds of strange bad habits and concepts.Even if you have read the books of sages and sages, you will inevitably be full of feudal superstitions.

Lu Bicheng said disdainfully: "If I were a boy, I'm afraid I would have been in high school by now, so I wouldn't be gossiping about you."

Others were even more dissatisfied when they heard this: "Stop talking nonsense! You are a girl, how many big characters do you know?"

Li Yu said loudly: "You have a clean mouth. This Bicheng girl has already published many poems in major newspapers. Apart from writing a few stereotyped essays, do you have such talent?"

"I don't know where I copied it from. Girls can't learn the three obediences and four virtues well. What kind of poems do they write?"

"That's right, haven't you ever heard that a woman's lack of talent is virtue? The more she is like this, the more she is without virtue!"

Li Yu sneered and said, "Go and find out what is the meaning of this sentence before you speak out."

Yan Fansun said to Li Yu and Lu Bicheng: "It's really bad luck, little brother Shucai, let's go."

Liang Shiyi said to them: "You bunch of rotten Confucians, don't you have the eyes to see Mount Tai, can't you see that the person in front of you is the emperor's teacher?"

I didn't expect that it would be fine if he didn't say anything, the big guy immediately ignited his fighting spirit when he heard it.

"When the imperial teacher? Judging by the age, could it be that Li Yu's child?"

"it's him!"

"I didn't expect that even the braids were cut off. Parents who suffer from body hair and skin can cut this. They are really disloyal and unfilial people!"

The spearhead suddenly turned to Li Yu again.

Li Yu was also amused: "How do you read your books? If you didn't cut your hair, how did you get your braided hairstyle? Why are you telling me about your parents here? Did you scold yourself first?"

"Stop messing around with us! No wonder everyone says Li Yu is a person who only understands sophistry. Mr. Gu came here to give a speech a few days ago, and he is really right."

Li Yu asked in surprise, "Mr. Gu?"

"In my opinion, Mr. Gu is a great talent who has learned both Chinese and Western cultures, and he can even translate our "Analects" abroad. Li Yu'er only understands the superficial knowledge of foreigners, what is it?"

"That's right, it's really embarrassing to our ancestors to belittle "Liezi" and elevate foreigners."

"Why don't you say he's disloyal and unfilial!"

These people really remember Li Yu's new explanation of unfounded worries.

Could it be that the writing is too advanced, these people are so bitter and bitter.

Li Yu said: "Why didn't you see that I still crazily exalt Zu Chongzhi and others in history, are they all selective visual impairment?"

"Elevate? What is Zu Chongzhi? I haven't even heard of it. No matter how high an unknown person is, can he be compared with the ancient great sages?"

Well, they seem to have never heard of Zu Chongzhi, so they really can't explain it.

Even if they knew it, it might not be considered anything in the eyes of these people.

The point is that I don’t know why the tradition of Confucian classics has always had the idea that only ancient books are the most classic, and the older the more powerful.

They can't just read fantasy novels!
Moreover, it is said that it is a special economics test. In fact, few people who take the test really understand economics.

From then on, it can be seen from the test questions that the test is still the situation in the past history of the country.

Except for a few people like Liang Shiyi who collect Western books everywhere for self-study, most people’s understanding of the West is no different from that of ordinary people.

Li Yu said: "Since you don't understand our ancient mathematicians, well, let me ask you again, how did foreigners make their artillery? Why can warships sail more than half of the world? And why can telegraph wires travel thousands of times faster than post stations?" information?"

Unexpectedly, as soon as Li Yu said it, many people actually laughed: "Why do I know this?"

Li Yu said: "You can actually laugh. If you don't even understand these things, you will be ridden on your neck by foreigners."

"They are all things that can be bought with money. Presumably, the foreign man-made cannons and warships are just some tiny craftsmen. Are you not ashamed to compare these things with our sage theory?"

Li Yu asked back: "Buy? To put it simply, how much money do you have to buy? You can't even pay the compensation. Tell me what to buy?"

"Money is managed by the household department. If I had entered the household department as an errand at that time, I would have understood."

Li Yu said: "You don't feel ashamed when you say this. You have been taking a special economics exam for a long time, and you don't even understand economics? You can't tell where the money comes from. You can buy it with money if you still talk about it? You Do you understand the cost, do you understand the patent barriers? Can foreigners sell us really good things?"

The examinee hesitated and said: "Why don't foreigners sell it to us? We all bought it with money."

Li Yu was really speechless: "If you don't understand, it will be sold to you. Can you see it? Besides, when there is a real war, will you have time to buy it? Will they give you this time? If you don't understand the practice, you still want to take the exam." Economic special department?"

The examinee didn't know what to say, but he felt that it was not good after being spat at by others, so he said bluntly, "These questions are not the content of the exam. I will know when I go to the Ministry of Household Affairs or the Prime Minister's Office as an errand."

Li Yu asked, "You mean, you can become an official if you don't know anything?"

Li Yu suddenly thought that there really seemed to be people who didn’t understand anything and only needed to understand relationships to become an official, so he added, “Are you trying to bring disaster to the country and the people?”

The examinee really couldn't answer, but he was still very stubborn: "Naturally, it is about managing the world and governing the country."

Li Yu laughed and said, "You don't even know how to earn money, and you still talk about managing the country?"

The examinee said: "It is not easy to make money. If the country has no money, it will increase the tax burden."

Li Yu scolded: "You should read the history books more. How did the dynasties die in the end? If finances are so simple, you are still used to take the special economics exam?"

The examinee said nonsensically: "That's because people in the past didn't know how to settle accounts. Economics is just a matter of calculating accounts!"

Li Yu almost burst out laughing: "What do you mean, the economy is just settling accounts?"

The examinee said: "Yes, I think your so-called scientific way is similar, it is just arithmetic, it is all unrefined knowledge, and it cannot be compared with the theory of sages and the great knowledge of governing the country."

Li Yu said: "Do you understand what simple interest and compound interest are, how to use compound interest to calculate interest, how to use mathematical models to conduct economic analysis? How to deal with financial leverage and the investment environment? Do you think the economy is just addition, subtraction, multiplication and division? If you understand, just talk about it here, so as not to be embarrassing."

The term Li Yu said obviously these candidates did not understand: "What are you talking about, you are scaring people!"

Li Yu sneered: "At this level, I still want to take the special economics exam."

Although Li Yu was angry, there was more sadness and helplessness in his heart. There are too few people who understand new learning, and many people are full of ignorance but still righteous.

It's really hard to explain why a scholar meets a soldier.

Li Yu turned to leave, but was stopped again. Several scholars said: "You can't leave, you have to explain to us why you insulted the sages? You must apologize for this matter!"

Li Yu said: "Am I insulting the sages? You are insulting the sages by not moving forward."

The scholars said: "The sages all had great wisdom, what are you?"

Li Yu said: "They are both sages of the Spring and Autumn Period, and the Mohists also wrote. They knew about the imaging of small holes more than 2000 years ago, and they also paid attention to science. I'm afraid you don't even understand this? Aren't you also abandoning the knowledge of the sages?"

Li Yu was a little annoyed, and wanted to go around him, but the other party blocked the door abruptly, and Li Yu pushed him away.

Li Yu has an absolute physical advantage in front of them. After all, he is a 1.8-meter tall man from the north who often plays football.Moreover, the growth environment of later generations, including food, is definitely much better than that of the late Qing Dynasty. Even for princes and nobles, although food materials and the like may be expensive, expensive does not necessarily mean good. Nutritionally, it is really no better than an ordinary family 100 years later.

So Li Yu pushed him away, and when the other party saw Li Yu's strength, he became angry: "This kid actually hit someone!"

Li Yu was speechless. Not only did he not read well, but he also had such poor physical fitness when he stayed in the house every day. It seemed that if he was to do education in the future, he would emphasize all-round development no matter what.

The other scholars quit and wanted to grab Li Yu, but Lu Bicheng grabbed a man's wrist and flipped it lightly, and the man was controlled by the anti-joint, and he swayed in pain. Then Lu Bicheng kicked him behind the knee, and the man rolled directly to the ground.

The movements were smooth and smooth, and Li Yu said in surprise: "You can still do some kung fu?"

Lu Bicheng said: "I'm a little girl, if I don't have the ability to protect myself, how dare I leave home alone."

Now Li Yu understands why she can ride a horse. Most of these martial arts skills have been practiced secretly. It is no wonder that He Neng and Qiu Jin are called "Double Heroes".

The scholar who fell to the ground was even more unconvinced when he saw being pinned down by a woman. He stood up and cursed: "You bitch, how dare you fight with me?"

He wanted to go forward again, but Lu Bicheng dodged it lightly and gave him a slap: "Clean your mouth from now on."

Seeing this, the person next to him burst out laughing: "You bastards are so ridiculous! Knowledge, knowledge is incomparable; skill is even worse than that of a woman, don't take the exam, you can go back to your mother's womb!"

The scholar scolded: "Who are you calling trash?"

"Whoever answers is trash," said the person.

"Stinky boy!" The scholar stepped forward to attack him again, but he didn't expect this guy to be even more stubborn, and directly splashed a cup of hot tea on his face.

The scholar groaned, covered his face and his eyes darkened, then his feet slipped and he tripped over him.

It was really embarrassing to fall down the second time, the scholar said angrily on the ground, "Are you also in Li Yu's group?"

Other examinees next to him recognized it: "You are Yang Du?"

Yang Du poured another cup of hot tea: "It's me."

The examinee quickly said to the others: "Stay away from him, I heard that he has relations with the Revolutionary Party, so it's not easy to get involved."

"The Revolutionary Party?"

"That's right, he just came back from Japan, which is the home of the Revolutionary Party."

"My God, if you get involved with him, your qualifications for the exam will be cut off."

The few people didn't care about the beating, they crawled out of the hall like hiding from the plague god.

Yang Du cupped his fists and said, "Mr. Li Yu."

Li Yu has naturally heard of Yang Du, this guy is considered a legend in modern history.The several stages of ideological transformation are very representative, from the initial constitutionalists to Yuan Shikai’s restorationists; feeling that there is no future, and then being invited by Mr. Zhongshan to join the national government; after Mr. Zhongshan’s death, he saw the white terror of the national government Finally, I chose to join our party.

Yang Du can definitely be regarded as a strange man in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.

Li Yu also clasped his fists and said, "Mr. Hu, look up to me for a long time."

Yang Du was surprised and said: "My account was only used in Japan, how do you know?" Then he remembered, "By the way, sir, I have been to Japan, and I have also been to Hongbun Academy in Tokyo. I used to study in Hongben Academy, but sir When I went, I had already returned home.”

So Yang Du and Lu Xun are actually alumni... Naturally, he also practiced judo with Kano Jigoro.

The world is so small.

Yang Du is quite a tempered person. At the time when the principal of Hongwen Academy, Kano Jigoro, published some words that slandered the Qing Dynasty, he started a heated argument with Kano on the spot, and wrote an article titled "China Education" and published it in Liang Qichao's " Xinmin Congbao, and then left Hongwen Academy, and received a lot of support and praise among the students studying in Japan.

When he returned to China last year, he was also highly praised by Zhang Zhidong.

At this moment, there are fewer candidates, and the hall is much quieter.

In fact, this is just one of the many guild halls outside Xuanwumen, and there are many similar ones.

Li Yu said, "Mr. Hu also wants to take the special economic examination?"

Now Yang Du's position belongs to the constitutionalists, and he still has some hope for the Qing court.

Yang Du said: "Exactly, I hope that I can use what I have learned over the years to change the government and the opposition."

Li Yu said, "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

Yang Du smiled and said, "Of course it's not simple. If everything is too simple, what's the point?"

"It's just that your current status is probably..." Li Yu said.

Yang Du understood that he wanted to talk about the Revolutionary Party. Yang Du said: "The imperial court has no evidence, and I am from Mr. Zhang. Mr. Zhang will be able to re-record the military aircraft in the near future, and there will be a lot to do by then."

He still believes in the Qing court a bit too much in his current thinking.

If Zhang Zhidong was the governor of Huguang, he might be able to continue to do a lot of things, but once he went to the military aircraft department, he would be hindered everywhere, and it would be inconvenient to do anything.

——That is, the so-called "Ming Sheng Shi Jiang", beware of local Han governors becoming bigger and stronger.

Yang Du's personality belongs to the thorough practical school, it doesn't matter what others say, he has to try it himself, and if it fails, he will turn his head and go in another direction.

So there was no need for Li Yu to persuade him. Mr. Zhongshan wanted to recruit him very much back then, and he couldn't persuade him after talking with him for several days and nights.

Of course, after the end of the Qing Dynasty and the fall of Yuan Shikai, he still defected to Mr. Zhongshan.

Let him give it a try, anyway, everyone is already very confused at this time.

So Li Yu said: "I wish Hugong High School."

Yang Du is quite capable, and was finally listed as No.2, only under Liang Shiyi, but in the end he was removed from the list because he was suspected of participating in the Revolutionary Party, and was even wanted.

Also speechless, Yang Du is actually currently against the revolution and is on the constitutional side.

Yang Du seemed quite confident: "If the candidates are all mediocre people who got out just now, I think we will know the result without taking the test."

Liang Shiyi smiled and said, "I didn't get out."

Yang Du said: "Of course I didn't mention Your Excellency," and then said to Lu Bicheng, "Look at the girl's skill, don't you know her name?"

Lu Bicheng said: "The little girl is called Bicheng."

"It turned out to be the talented Bicheng, lucky to meet you!" Yang Du said.

Lu Bicheng squatted slightly: "Don't dare."

Yang Du said: "After all, I saw a few talented people in the capital today. If we continue to stay in this place, it will inevitably look like a mess. Why don't we go to the nearby restaurant to have a few drinks together."

Li Yu happily said, "Please!"

Yang Du actually had a better understanding of Li Yu's situation. After drinking a few glasses of wine, he said, "Your Excellency has studied the way of science. I heard about it when I was studying in Japan. Even the best scholars in Japan are not like Mr. It is generally so famous in Europe and the United States."

Li Yu asked with a smile: "Is it strange? Don't Chinese people understand the way of science?"

This question confused Yang Du a bit, and he immediately figured it out, "It makes sense, so it seems that I have also planted in my heart that we are not as good as Westerners."

Li Yu said: "What I want to do is to get rid of this concept as soon as possible. The sooner self-confidence comes, the potential that we have hidden can be unleashed."

Liang Shiyi said: "Potential, what potential?"

Li Yu said: "Nature is the potential of the sleeping lion."

Yan Fansun said: "Brother Shucai also agrees with Zeng Jize's point of view?"

Li Yu said, "Yes, China is a sleeping lion."

There has always been a saying in history. When Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena after his defeat in the war, he made an evaluation of modern China:
"China is a sleeping lion. Flies dare to land on its face and cry a few times. But once it wakes up, it will surely shock the world."

But in fact Napoleon did not say anything like that.

But it has been handed down because people think that if Napoleon said it, it will undoubtedly be an inspiring booster for the poor and weak Chinese who have been repeatedly insulted by foreign countries, and it will have a strong impact on national self-confidence. Inspirational effect, which led to the widespread dissemination of the above famous saying.

It's a white lie.

But the source of this sentence is actually Zeng Jize, the son of Zeng Guofan.

He wrote an article "The Theory of China Sleeping First and Wake Up Later", which became the origin of the concept of Chinese sleeping lion.

Yang Du smiled bitterly and said, "If it's really a sleeping lion, I've slept too deeply this time. There are firecrackers next to me, and I didn't even feel it when it fell down."

Li Yu said: "That's true, but you will wake up anyway. Even if you take all kinds of opium anesthetics, the medicine will pass one day."

Liang Shiyi sighed: "The poison of opium is indeed too deep."

Yang Du said: "If I wake up, I really want to see us hit the gates of Britain and France with strong ships and cannons."

Li Yu said: "On the contrary, China has been a self-defense country for a long time, and has not intended to conquer the outside world for many years. Only when we show this attitude can the big powers give us a chance to wake up."

Yan Fansun said: "Shucai means to bear the humiliation, which makes sense."

Li Yu said: "We can pretend to be a water lily and say that it looks pretty when it blooms. It will be appreciated by everyone and let others relax their vigilance. But at that time, whether to be a lion or how to be a lion is up to others. It’s out of control.”

Yang Du smiled and said, "Water Lily, Mr.'s analogy is really interesting."

Li Yu said: "Even if you pretend to be harmless to humans and animals, just hide the wound for now."

Yang Du picked up his wine glass and said happily: "After listening to Mr.'s words today, I feel as if I have been enlightened. It's so thorough and so satisfying!"