The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

“So when will Xi Jinping reform?”

Zhang Yinghao listened and smiled faintly, saying, "Xinzhou doesn't need to be afraid of democratic reform. The purpose of democratic reform is to improve the lives of all the people in Xz. At the same time, the living standards of the upper classes in Xz will not decline. Xz is implementing democratic reform. You, the upper class, the nobles, and the lamas from the various temples, can consult with the masses, unite the upper and lower levels, and jointly implement reform."

After Zhang Yinghao finished speaking, he emphasized again: "Reform requires your determination. It is the people of XZ who need reform. If you don't do it, we can't make the decision for you. The decision on when reform will take place is up to the entire XZ people."

“If we don’t demand reform, will there never be reform?”

Zhang Yinghao knew that these bird people believed that they represented the XZ people. As for the slaves, perhaps they could consciously suppress them. If that was the case, there would naturally be no need for democratic reform.

Zhang Yinghao listened and smiled faintly. "We, the Progressive Party and the People's Liberation Army, remain true to our words. The question of democratic reform, and when to proceed, is up to you all to decide. We can set up a Democratic Reform Committee to study this issue. The decision must come from the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, and from the Tibetan Buddhist and secular officials, as well as the lamas and abbots in the monasteries. There should be a period of gestation—one, two, three years—to discuss and unify our thinking. There's no rush."

Thubten Gyatso saw through Zhang Yinghao's attitude and said directly, "The news of your land reform in Sichuan and Shaanxi has reached the Communist Party of China, causing doubts and fear among some people. They are concerned about this."

Zhang Yinghao looked directly at Thubten Gyatso and said, "Only when the leaders and people of the XZ ethnic group have a unified demand and resolve can XZ reforms proceed. It's understandable that some people are afraid of democratic reform. I'll make this point clear here, and you should understand it clearly. You don't need to believe others' nonsense or rumors. The claim that we're forcing land reform in XZ is false. Our Forward Party's attitude has always been consistent: if it's feasible, then we'll do it. If you all disagree, there's nothing I can do. I can't force you to do anything. We can't force you to do anything. We're only offering suggestions. Whether you adopt them or not is up to you. Don't misunderstand. And no matter how the reforms are implemented, your political status and living standards will be maintained, not lowered."

Qu Jinima could sense the sincerity of Zhang Yinghao's attitude and the warmth and genuine friendship flowing between them, so he said directly: "Our conditions in XZ are very backward in all aspects. We have also visited your schools and factories. Will XZ also establish these things?"

Zhang Yinghao nodded and said, "If you want to get rich, you must first build roads. The highway from Lhasa to Shigatse is under construction. Once our Chengdu highway reaches Lhasa, the situation in XZ will naturally improve. Because of the Qing Dynasty's policy of isolation, our country is still a backward one, with underdeveloped industry. We can't manufacture many machines ourselves, and we don't have a lot of steel. But that doesn't matter. We can build it. In a few decades, we can build a decent country. If you two agree, we can establish an education system in XZ, with elementary, middle, high, and college schools, as well as medical and nursing schools. We can develop education and cultivate a large number of talents for the XZ people. We can also encourage the development of local industry, such as wool textile mills and canneries in Lhasa and other places, turning waste into treasure."

After hearing this, Qu Jinima was very happy and said, "That's great! This way, we won't have to do business with Britain. If that's the case, we can assure you, Chairman, that under your leadership and that of the Progressive Party, we will do a good job in all aspects of Xz and continue to improve."

"I have confidence. Under the leadership of the two of you, XZ will definitely be done well. But don't rush, take your time. It doesn't matter if it lags behind. It's not just XZ that's lagging behind. There are many backward areas in Han areas as well, just like XZ. We will all improve in the future."

"After I return, I will definitely put the Chairman's instructions into action, open up new opportunities, sincerely help each other, and work hard together."

At the end of the talks, Zhang Yinghao said: "On the road to building the motherland and seeking the welfare of the Chinese nation, we will encounter some difficulties; imperialism and reactionary saboteurs will also do everything in their power to obstruct us and become obstacles to our progress. Therefore, we must be vigilant, strengthen national defense, consolidate the unity among the Han, Tibetan and other ethnic groups and within China, strictly guard against the conspiracy activities of imperialist spies and other reactionary saboteurs, and overcome the obstacles on our path to building the motherland and seeking the welfare of the Chinese nation. Only in this way can we ensure a happy future for the monks and lay people of China and serve the fundamental interests of the Chinese people and the people of the whole country."

Zhang Yinghao changed the subject, looked at Quji Nyima and Thubten Gyatso, and emphasized again: "Religions in Tibet, like those in other parts of the country, are respected and protected, and will continue to be respected and protected. As long as people still believe in religion, it should not and cannot be artificially abolished or destroyed..."

Zhang Yinghao had an in-depth conversation with Thubten Gyatso, the Dalai Lama and others for more than two hours. Both sides fully expressed their thoughts, opinions and suggestions, and fully understood what the other side wanted to express.

In the eyes of later scholars, this was the most intimate "honeymoon period" between the old Communist Party leadership and the liberated area governments. Even in the thousands of years of Sino-Tibetan relations, such frankness and shared interests are rare. Of course, if only personal interests were betrayed, not class interests, the relationship between the two sides would inevitably be fundamentally contradictory.

Thubten Gyatso and Qukyi Nyima truly felt the support and sincerity of Zhang Yinghao and the Progressive Party for the Communist Party. They were also captivated by Zhang Yinghao's personal charm. Qukyi Nyima was especially impressed. Zhang Yinghao was only one year older than him, but he was so moved that he wrote a poem after returning home to express his heartfelt admiration for Zhang Yinghao.

Chairman Zhang! You are the eagle soaring high in the sky.

Chairman Zhang! Your brilliance is like the red sun that illuminates everything. Chairman Zhang! Your ideal is the five-pointed star in the sky that guides us. Chairman Zhang! Every word in your writings is a gem, more precious than pearls.

Chairman Zhang! It takes countless blessings to produce a leader like you.

Chairman Zhang! Thousands of words can be summed up in one sentence: I wish you a long life.

After the talks, Thubten Gyatso, Qukyi Nyima and others were directly elected as representatives of the XZ National People's Congress. Together with other representatives of the National People's Congress, they attended the next National People's Congress meeting and discussed and studied the first "Constitution" organized and compiled by Zhang Yinghao.

After studying the Constitution, Thubten Gyatso spoke at the meeting, saying, "Adhering to policies such as ethnic equality, ethnic unity, and freedom of religious belief is absolutely correct. All of us in Tibet warmly support them. Some have spread rumors that the Progressive Party and the People's Government are destroying religion. Now, I have completely dispelled these rumors. The people of Tibet have personally experienced freedom of religious belief..."

At this conference, Thubten Gyatso was elected as Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and Qukyi Nyima was elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Chapter 364:

Zhang Yinghao also had his own thoughts at this time. There is a passage in "The Communist Manifesto": The goal of the Communists can only be achieved by overthrowing all existing social systems through "violence." "Violence" is the "midwife" of every old society that gives birth to a new society.

The Communist Manifesto also states: Communists everywhere strive for unity and collaboration among democratic parties throughout the world.

In Marxist theory, the realization of communism is first carried out in highly developed capitalist countries. One of its prerequisites is that the proletariat forms the proletariat, and then the proletariat controls all the machines in the country. Because capital is only a tool, the proletariat can still produce and develop without capitalists.

What were the living conditions of the proletariat when Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto? Back then, productivity and science and technology had reached unprecedented levels. Yet, the living standards of modern workers, rather than rising with industrial progress, have fallen further and further below the means of survival for their class. Workers have become destitute, and poverty has grown faster than population and wealth.

From this it is evident that the bourgeoisie can no longer be the ruling class of society, can no longer impose its conditions of existence on society as the governing law of everything. It can no longer rule because it cannot even guarantee an existence for its slaves, because it is compelled to reduce them to the point where they cannot feed themselves, but are instead fed by it. Society can no longer survive under its rule, that is, its existence is no longer compatible with society.

This is why Marxism teaches that the proletariat can only achieve social productive forces by abolishing their own existing mode of appropriation, and thereby abolishing all existing modes of appropriation. The proletariat has nothing of its own to protect; it must destroy everything that has hitherto protected and safeguarded private property. All previous movements have been movements of minorities, or movements that served the interests of minorities. The proletarian movement is an independent movement of the vast majority, acting in the interests of the vast majority. The proletariat, the lowest stratum of present-day society, cannot raise its head or hold its chest high without destroying the entire upper stratum that constitutes official society.

Modern industrial labor and modern capitalist oppression, whether in Britain or France, America or Germany, are the same; they strip the proletarians of any nationality. Law, morality, and religion, to them, are all bourgeois prejudices, and hidden behind these prejudices are all bourgeois interests. All classes, having conquered power, have always sought to consolidate their already acquired position by subjecting the whole of society to the conditions of their own enrichment. However, in order to be able to oppress a class, it is necessary to ensure that class has at least the conditions necessary to maintain its slavish existence.

Serfs struggled under serfdom to become members of the commune, and the petty bourgeoisie struggled under the yoke of feudal autocracy to become capitalists. The fundamental condition for the survival and rule of the bourgeoisie is the accumulation of wealth in private hands, the formation and growth of capital; the condition of capital is wage labor. Wage labor is entirely based on the competition among workers. Industrial progress, unintentionally brought about by the bourgeoisie and powerless to resist, replaced the workers' dispersion caused by competition with revolutionary unity achieved through association. Thus, with the development of large-scale industry, the very foundation on which the bourgeoisie produced and appropriated products was undermined. It first produced its own gravediggers. The downfall of the bourgeoisie and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable.

The dictatorship of the proletariat must be constantly consolidated and strengthened throughout the entire historical period of transition from the more or less hidden civil war within existing society to the point where it breaks out into open revolution, the violent overthrow of the bourgeoisie by the proletariat, the establishment of its own rule, and the transition to communist society. All previous societies are based on the antagonism between oppressing and oppressed classes. In terms of form, if not content, the proletariat's struggle against the bourgeoisie is primarily a national struggle. The proletariat of every country must, of course, first and foremost overthrow its own bourgeoisie.

The ideal of Marx and Engels was this: revolutions would take place in developed capitalist countries one after another, and they would then export revolutions abroad, supporting all revolutionary movements against the existing social and political systems. Then, after being ruled by the proletariat, all countries would achieve the ideal of eliminating the state, eliminating the violent machine, and realizing a communist society through mutual solidarity and cooperation.

Does Marxism advocate the elimination of personal wealth? Actually, not really. Communism does not deprive anyone of the right to appropriate social products; it only deprives them of the right to use that appropriation to enslave the labor of others. If capital ceases to be a tool for enslaving others, it loses its class nature and becomes a tool for the people, a general equivalent.

Marxism states that the proletariat possesses no personal property and possesses nothing that must be protected. They must destroy everything that has protected and safeguarded private property, destroying all existing forms of appropriation, in order to achieve social productivity. Why was this statement made? It was because the working class, after toiling so hard, had reached a point where they could no longer survive.

To give a simple example, during the early days of the Industrial Revolution, both Sweden and Britain were involved in the textile industry. Swedish textile mills had a child labor mortality rate exceeding 30%. Meanwhile, British textile mills guaranteed that workers, regardless of their profession, would be exhausted to death within three years of employment. This was because the Swedish textile industry could not compete with the British on costs, and was ultimately squeezed out by the British.

The might of British industry was maintained solely by brutalizing the workers, destroying their health, and neglecting the social, physical, and spiritual development of entire generations. According to Engels, the average life expectancy of the upper classes in Liverpool (nobility, professional workers, etc.) was 35 years, while that of merchants and relatively well-off artisans was 22 years, and that of workers, day laborers, and ordinary wage laborers was only 15!

In Manchester, at the time, over 57 percent of working-class children in Western countries died before their fifth birthday, while only 20 percent of upper-class children died before their fifth birthday. And in agricultural areas, the average death rate for all children of all classes was less than 32 percent...

From a later perspective, many modern Chinese envy Britain's prosperity during the Industrial Revolution and despise late Qing China's closed-mindedness and decay. However, if one were to truly travel back to the mid-19th century, at the height of the Victorian era, to the British Empire, it would be difficult to say whether the late Qing peasants or the British workers suffered more. Working 17 or 18 hours a day, barely enough to eat, unable to raise children, children deprived of education and suffering from malnutrition, forced into factories at the age of five or six, and then dying within three years...

Did the Industrial Revolution actually result in a worse life? Indeed, the average life expectancy for Chinese people is even lower than during the Three Kingdoms era and the late Ming Dynasty. The hegemony of the British Empire during the Victorian era was truly achieved at the cost of the lives and blood of millions of British workers, relying on the constant devouring and annihilation of its own citizens to maintain itself!

China accounts for half of the world's recorded popular uprisings, while Europe, by all accounts, is a history of lords exploiting the lives of their subjects to achieve their ends, or of meaningless religious wars. Perhaps the first true commoner head of state in Europe was Ferdinand von der Leyen. In a Europe where aristocratic lineage is prized, the idea of ​​a commoner becoming a general or prime minister is a joke. The Three Hundred Spartans, celebrated as a myth in Western countries, were, in reality, considered nothing in China. Why, in modern times, have uprisings surged, even giving rise to something as bizarre as the Soviet Union? Because before, the idea of ​​living a miserable life was better than death, but now it's simply a matter of "revolution is death, and revolution is death itself," haha!

Marxism emphasizes that in all revolutionary movements, the issue of ownership is particularly emphasized. One of the essential differences between capitalism and communism lies in the nature of capital. Capital is a collective product, capable of movement only through the joint efforts of all members of society. Therefore, capital is not a form of individual power, but a social force. This is not about transforming personal property into social property, but rather about transforming capital into public property, belonging to all members of society and working for the benefit of the vast majority of the people. In this way, personal property loses its class nature and becomes merely one of the criteria for measuring a person's labor capacity. Therefore, in a socialist state, no one enjoys the slightest privilege based on the amount of personal property; everyone is equal before the law, guaranteeing social fairness and justice.

If someone is able to act outside the rules, it means the struggle isn't strong enough, and it's not something to be encouraged. Victims must learn to take up the weapon of law and mobilize the people to resolve these issues. Why can't a country have too many petty bourgeoisie? Because petty bourgeoisie generally only consider their own gains and losses. When someone's rights are infringed, when their first thought is their own gains and losses, when they choose to keep quiet, then they are encouraging others to infringe on their rights. Just like some people who try to scam people dozens of times in a very short period of time without anyone calling the police, and they succeed every time, and everyone chooses to keep quiet—it's not that bad people have grown old! Rather, it's that they are able to profit from it, and some people choose to tolerate and indulge them.

In a slave society like Tibet, could social reform be achieved by killing slave owners? Zhang Yinghao believed this was absolutely impossible. This was a systemic error. Without mobilizing the masses, or without the masses themselves refusing to execute the monks, the Progressive Party and the People's Liberation Army couldn't even execute the monks directly. Criticism through armed means is easy, but gaining the support of the Tibetan people is much harder. Zhang Yinghao wanted a stable Tibet, not a place where extreme religious extremism flourished and a bleeding wound remained.

The theoretical principles of the Communists are in no way based on ideas or principles invented or discovered by one or another world reformer. They are simply a general expression of the real relations of the present class struggle, of the present historical movement. The Communists can sum up their theory in one sentence: the abolition of private property.

The Communist Manifesto states: "Some accuse us Communists of wanting to abolish individually earned property, self-earned labor, the very property which forms the basis of all individual freedom, activity, and independence. What a thing! "Earned, self-earned, self-earned property!" Are you referring to the petty-bourgeois and small peasant property that existed before bourgeois ownership? We do not need to abolish that kind of property; the development of industry has already done so and is daily doing so.

The rapid improvement of all instruments of production, the immense convenience of communication, has drawn all nations, even the most barbarous, into civilization. The low prices of its goods are the heavy artillery with which it destroys all the great walls and conquers the most stubborn xenophobia of the barbarians.... Regions once independent, almost only in alliance, with different interests, laws, governments, and tariffs, have now been united into a single nation with a single government, single laws, single national class interests, and single tariffs.

Zhang Yinghao knew that the slave system of the Communist Party was bound to perish, but revolution was born among the people. The Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army could not create a revolution out of thin air. Marx said: "The immediate aim of the Communists is the same as that of all other proletarian parties: to organize the proletarians into a class, to overthrow the rule of the bourgeoisie, and to win the battle for political power for the proletariat."

Regarding Xz, Zhang Yinghao's policy was to awaken the serfs of Xz from within through comparison. The serfs and herdsmen formed a class from the proletariat, took the initiative to stand up and overthrow the rule of the slave owners, and seized the slave owners' power. The Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army were their solid backing.

That's why Zhang Yinghao said at the Party Committee meeting: "...Now we need to stabilize the leadership of the Communist Party and the situation in Xinjiang. A gentleman should use words, not fists."

Zhang Yinghao also instructed at the Military Commission meeting: "...As long as the Xz reactionaries do not launch an armed rebellion, we will temporarily coexist peacefully with them and will absolutely not fire the first shot. However, as long as they dare to launch a rebellion, the working people there will be liberated sooner rather than later. This is beyond doubt. The Military Commission must be prepared to suppress the rebellion with armed force at all times. Any idea of ​​resolving the problem in a short period of time is wrong and reckless. We must consolidate our positions and maintain transportation. If there is a threat to transportation or to our comrades, we should attack if we are sure of victory, and not attack if we are not sure. The People's Liberation Army should not rush into battle or send troops there rashly. We must ensure precise strikes..."

Zhang Yinghao met with Xi Jinping and his delegation, but neither party specified a specific timeline for the reforms to begin, leaving the matter hanging. However, shortly thereafter, the Religious Affairs Bureau, after consultations with Thubten Gyatso, Qukyi Nyima, and others, approved the interim "Regulations on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism," another important measure to legally protect citizens' freedom of religious belief.

Chapter 365: Keep farming!

After meeting with Xz and his men, Zhang Yinghao welcomed Yan Fu, the president of Xinjian University. Bai Tianlong and his team had searched extensively throughout China, spending considerable time before finally deciding on the candidate for president: Yan Fu, the man who translated "The Theory of Evolution" into "Evolution and Ethics."

Zhang Yinghao no longer recalls Yan Fu's specific circumstances, but he has a saying that almost all Chinese people know: "Survival of the fittest." In today's society, this saying can be described as a wake-up call, a revelation, and a revelation. "Survival of the fittest" speaks to the survival of a race. Anyone who has seen the current situation knows that China is in danger of being divided and facing the threat of national extinction. Otherwise, why would so many young people risk their lives to overthrow the Qing Dynasty simply because they have nothing better to do?

After Bai Tianlong and his colleagues confirmed Yan Fu as president, they sent him an "invitation letter" through relevant personnel. If Yan Fu refused to accept the invitation, relevant comrades would naturally bring him to the liberated areas. Chen Yiwei, Zhan Tianyou, Yu Qingao, and others came to the liberated areas to contribute their efforts. As long as they contributed to the country, most knowledgeable people would not refuse, nor would they be blindly loyal to the Qing Dynasty.

Bai Tianlong introduced to Zhang Yinghao: "Chairman, Mr. Yan Fu was an absolutely highly educated and highly qualified person of his time. According to the information we currently have, in 1866, he was admitted to the Mawei Naval Academy and studied for five years. He studied a wide range of subjects, including English, mathematics, acoustics, optics, and chemistry, with a focus on ship navigation. He graduated with the highest honors and began his shipboard internship. During his five years of internship, Yan Fu traveled to the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, the South China Sea, Japan, Southeast Asia, and other places on board, which broadened his horizons."

From 1877 to 1879, Yan Fu and his colleagues were sent to study in Britain. This wasn't one of those fake schools Japan used to trick Chinese students into attending, but rather a world-class naval academy. He first attended the University of Portsmouth and later the Greenwich Naval College. Upon returning to China, he was employed at the Fuzhou Naval Academy and then the Tianjin Beiyang Naval Academy as a "foreign language instructor," training a large number of naval personnel. Over the course of ten years, he rose through the ranks to become the academy's general manager, effectively serving as the president of the Beiyang Fleet.

After listening to this, Zhang Yinghao nodded. He also knew that among Yan Fu’s students was Li Yuanhong, who later became famous for the Xinhai Revolution.

Chen Tianhua also said: "Mr. Yan Fu founded the Guowen Bao, which systematically introduced Western scholars and science, promoted the ideas of reform, and introduced Western sociology, political science, political economics, philosophy and natural science to China. He served as the general manager of the Translation Bureau of the Imperial University of Peking, the general manager of the Kaiping Mining Bureau, the general manager of the Translation Bureau attached to the Imperial University of Peking, and the editor-in-chief of the Dictionary of the Qing Dynasty Ministry of Education, among many other positions.

During the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Yan Fu advocated for reform and armed resistance against foreign aggression. He published five powerful essays, including "On the Urgency of the Incident," "On the Origin of Strength," "Refuting the Han Dynasty," "On the Origin of Strength," and "On the Decision to Save the Nation," to expound his ideas for reform and national salvation. Later, during the Boxer Rebellion, he fled Tianjin and took refuge in Shanghai, where he witnessed the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China. During this period, he translated numerous works. In addition to "Evolution and Ethics," which brought him fame, Yan Fu also translated essential Western texts such as "The Wealth of Nations," "On the Study of Sociology," "On the Boundary of the Rights of the Individual and the Public," "A General Interpretation of Society," "A Brief Exposition of Logic," and "The Spirit of Laws."

Zhang Yinghao listened, and slowly began to recall what kind of person Yan Fu was. Overall, Yan Fu was a highly influential bourgeois Enlightenment thinker of modern times, a renowned translator, educator, and a representative figure of the New Legalist School. His translations, profound and elegant, were widely circulated among intellectual circles, exerting a profound influence, and he served as a pioneer in the Chinese people's acceptance of Western learning. His translation standards of "faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance" had a profound impact on subsequent translation work, making him one of the "advanced Chinese" in modern Chinese history who sought truth from the West.

This year, Yan Fu resigned from his position as General Manager of the Translation Bureau of the Imperial University of Peking. Had it not been for the Progressive Party, Yan Fu would have revisited England in December. But now, he received an invitation from the Progressive Party. Disillusioned with the Qing Dynasty and curious about the party, he resolutely accepted the invitation, despite his children's objections, and traveled alone to Sichuan to see the revolutionary holy land now so intrigued by the people.

Zhang Yinghao glanced at the document and said with a smile, "Mr. Yan Fu also donated money to become an official. Although he was well-versed in Western learning, the Qing Dynasty still relied heavily on the traditional imperial examination system for officialdom. Therefore, between 1885 and 1893, Mr. Yan Fu took the imperial examination four times, but failed each time. Even with such a high level of education, he couldn't pass the civil service exam. To this day, he remains a non-staff member of the Qing Dynasty, or a temporary worker..."

Everyone laughed when they heard this. Zhang Yinghao continued, "The Qing Dynasty didn't recognize the academic qualifications of people like Mr. Yan Fu, but we still have to. The Qing Dynasty didn't value these highly educated people, but we must. Comrade Tianlong, your Ministry of Education should take the initiative to investigate the universities in the powerful countries and find out which ones are excellent regular universities and which ones are fake universities. Although we believe that anyone who can read and write is a talent, we must also distinguish between those with real academic qualifications and those who are just fake universities."

Zhang Yinghao was well aware that after Japan's victory over the Qing Dynasty in the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, a large number of Chinese people would go to Japan to study, countless in number, but the vast majority of them would attend Japan's fake universities. Japan had no intention of teaching Chinese students any truly useful knowledge. After all, in China, those who could afford to study abroad at their own expense were generally considered wealthy. The Japanese mainly used these fake universities to attract Chinese students and make money from them.

"Okay, we will take this issue seriously."

"After you have thoroughly investigated, please publish a list of accredited universities in each country. We will not recognize degrees from those shoddy schools. In the future, our students studying abroad will be sent to these accredited universities."

“Does the president mean that we should negotiate with these universities to send our students to study there?”

"We have to. As long as these universities are willing to cooperate with us or accept our students, we can send our students to Western countries for further studies."

"Chairman, I have a question. What if the students we send out don't come back?"

"No big deal. If they don't come back, how can we bring them back? So the people we send out have to be screened. Of course, people are just like that! We can only look at their faces but not their hearts. None of us can be sure that this person will definitely come back. You guys should study and decide on this. Side, your Ministry of Finance has to set aside some budget every year for students to study in foreign powers. This money can't be saved."

The overall return rate for Chinese students studying abroad in later generations is less than 30%, and this includes students who went to less developed countries. Therefore, the proportion of students remaining in Europe and the United States is even higher. However, in later generations, in order to curb China's development, European and American countries naturally tried desperately to retain and absorb Chinese students. However, in this era of rampant nationalism and racism, the people of the major powers were struggling, and life for international students abroad was not easy. Zhang Yinghao believed that in this era, more than 70% of those sent abroad would return. Even if only half did, Zhang Yinghao would not consider it a loss.

"Ok."

Um~ Also, if we send students abroad, we shouldn't send them to Japan, but to Europe or the US. Or don't send them at all, or if they do study, they should study at the best..."

Zhang Yinghao knew that the quality of international students in Europe and the United States was generally higher, while the quality of those in Japan was significantly lower. Zhang Yinghao didn't deny that Japan did have good universities, but given the stingy nature of the Japanese, it was difficult for Chinese people to learn useful knowledge.

After Yan Fu decided to become the president of Sichuan University, relevant personnel had already made preparations. They quietly sent Yan Fu to Chongqing by land, and then took a boat from Chongqing to Chengdu. What he saw and heard along the way made Yan Fu feel as if he was born in another country, and the spiritual outlook of the people was completely different from that of the Qing Dynasty.

"Mr. Yan Fu, I'm Zhang Yinghao, welcome."

Zhang Yinghao saw Yan Fu and took two quick steps forward, extending his right hand. Yan Fu looked at him, then extended his right hand, shook Zhang Yinghao's, and said, "Nice to meet you, nice to meet you."

"Mr. Yan Fu, you are the great talent we have longed for. Your saying, 'Survival of the fittest,' has truly cleared the clouds for us, the progressive Party. Come, come, let me introduce you. This is our Minister of Education, Bai Tianlong."

"Nice to meet you."

"Hello, Mr. Yan."

"This is Fan Side, the Minister of Finance of our liberated area. If the school needs money in the future, we should go to him."

"Hello."

"Nice to meet you."

Zhang Yinghao introduced his staff to Yan Fu. After they were seated in the reception room, Zhang Yinghao said, "Mr. Yan Fu, our university has been planned for a long time. The school buildings have been built, and we have selected some outstanding students from all over the country for training and further studies. We have also admitted some students through examinations. We are just waiting for you, the president, to take charge of the work. It is an honor for Sichuan University of Technology to have Mr. Yan Fu here."

That's right, the first batch of students were mainly selected from outstanding comrades in factories across the country, especially those "geniuses" found from various places. Zhang Yinghao believed that as long as these people undergo relatively systematic learning, they will be able to burst out with tremendous energy.

"Mr. Zhang Yinghao, if I were to be the principal of this liberated area, I would like to make a few statements in advance."

Zhang Yinghao looked at the people present and said, "Please speak."

"My school doesn't teach the eight-legged essay. It restricts thought, corrupts people's minds, and breeds idleness. Therefore, this school cannot teach the eight-legged essay. Secondly, the school can enroll female students, and they should also enjoy the same education as men. Thirdly, they should learn Western learning. Chinese and Western learning are originally the same. Only the true learning should be done."

After saying that, he stared at Zhang Yinghao. Zhang Yinghao smiled, looked at the others and said: "Mr. Yan, it is good to say something in advance. We all agree with the three points you mentioned. Mr. Yan, you have the idea of ​​saving the country through education. I remember that you proposed in "The Origin of Strength" that the strength and survival of a country are determined by three conditions: one is the strength of blood and physical strength, the second is the strength of wisdom and intelligence, and the third is the strength of virtue, righteousness and benevolence. In addition, it is good to encourage the people's strength, open the people's wisdom, and renew the people's morality. However

Mr. Yan, in our liberated areas, we emphasize science, democracy and labor. In our liberated areas, we must learn science, talk about science, and use science. We emphasize that all working people should be equal.

etc., the policy of "those who do not work shall not eat."

After hearing this, Yan Fu was stunned and said: "Is this your revolution?" "Mr. Yan, what do you think revolution is? Killing and arson? Our ancestor Xunzi said: The way of heaven is constant, it does not exist for Yao and does not die for Jie. In your words, Mr. Yan, it is the survival of the fittest. So, Mr. Yan, you are also an out-and-out revolutionary party, but Mr. Yan has not learned from Marx.

Marxism is not clear about how to make revolution. Our ultimate mission is to do it. If we only talk about the theory, it will not work in our liberated areas. It is like what you said about Chinese and Western learning being one. I don't know how Mr. Yan plans to do it.

Woolen cloth?"

"I believe that the goal of education in primary school is to enable children to "write coherent and appropriate texts" and "have a rough understanding of the classics and historical events." Therefore, "the traditional school homework should be 10% of the time."

Nine", and translated the "most basic and practical general knowledge" of Western learning into easy-to-understand text as supplementary reading materials. In terms of teaching methods, explanation is mainly used to reduce the effort of memorization.

The emphasis in middle school should be on "Western studies," with "foreign language courses accounting for 70% of the curriculum and Chinese courses accounting for 30%," and it was stipulated that "all courses should be taught in foreign languages."

"At the higher education level, the focus is on Western learning. As for Chinese, there are exams but no homework; there are books but no lectures, and students are left to their own devices." I believe that young people should be encouraged to analyze and acquire specialized and in-depth knowledge. This way, they can benefit from it, apply it to other areas, and gain broad application.

Zhang Yinghao didn't know how to comment on Yan Fu's remarks, so he simply said that teaching in a foreign language wouldn't work. Most future students wouldn't understand English, and even if they did learn it, it would be dumb English, meaning it would be useless. He said, "Mr. Yan's remarks were excellent. Comrade Bai Tianlong, please send copies of our elementary and middle school textbooks, as well as the high school and university textbooks we're currently developing, to Mr. Yan Fu. Let him take a look and comment on them to help us identify any gaps."

"it is good."

"Comrade Bai Tianlong, now that Mr. Yan Fu has arrived in the liberated areas, you members of the committee must thoroughly finalize the university affairs as soon as possible. We will open school after the New Year. The sooner we open, the sooner our students can learn."

Seeing Bai Tianlong nod, Zhang Yinghao turned to Yan Fu and said: "Mr. Yan, I believe you already know that our university is a comprehensive university of science and engineering. The main courses are all science and engineering content, but we also have to undertake other heavy teaching tasks, and we will also send some students to the school for training. Mr. Yan has been abroad and knows that the giant warships and cannons of the great powers are very powerful. But their giant warships and cannons are not blown by the wind, nor do they fall from the sky, but they are made by themselves. The people who make these things are now the science and engineering talents that our country lacks. Without enough science and engineering talents, our country will not be able to manufacture giant warships and cannons, and then we will always be bullied. I wonder if Mr. Yan can agree with this?"

Seeing Yan Fu nod, Zhang Yinghao continued, "Empty talk ruins the country, but hard work makes it prosperous. China no longer needs those old-fashioned literati who talk big; what China needs now are people who can get things done. That's why in our liberated areas, science is the most important thing. If you can train one more student who can design and manufacture guns and cannons, we will be one step further away from being oppressed. So, Mr. Yan, our school carries the hope of our country's prosperity."

"Have all the teachers for the school been found yet?"

Bai Tianlong heard this and took over the conversation, saying, "Teacher, we have indeed found some, but there are very few such talents in our country right now. If Mr. Yan has any connections, he can hire some teachers to teach at the school."

"Oh, I'll give it a try."

Seeing that the conversation was almost over, Zhang Yinghao said, "Let's stop here for today. You guys can worry about the school. Come on, I've asked my family to buy some food. Let's all go to my house to welcome Mr. Yan Fu."

"it is good."

"Mr. Yan, thanks to you, let's go to the chairman's house and drink his treasured Moutai."

"Haha, you're all just thinking about my Maotai, right? Fine, I'll satisfy your cravings today."

Chapter 366:

Yan Fu looked at this familiar yet unfamiliar scene and smiled knowingly. Then everyone called their friends over, and Zhang Yinghao's house suddenly became lively. Everyone set out the tables and chairs, preparing for the feast. Zhang Yinghao also took out his treasured Maotai liquor to share with everyone.