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

Chapter 165 Really Come On

In order to dispel Zhang Zhidong's doubts, Li Yu said: "The villagers can buy chemical fertilizers, which can support the chemical fertilizer industry. When the villagers see that it is effective, they will buy it again, thus forming a virtuous circle in business."

Other officials dismissed this kind of business logic at all, because they still look down on business in their minds.However, Zhang Zhidong has worked in railways, ironworks, and manufacturing bureaus for so long, and he has a little understanding of Western learning, so he does not reject this view.

Moreover, it will not be easy to promote chemical fertilizers in the early stage. The people are too poor, and they need to spend some money to hit the market like later generations of enterprises.It is best for the local government to cooperate and support, but the local officials in the late Qing Dynasty were really unreliable and troublesome.The only one I can think of is Zhang Zhidong.

Zhang Zhidong thought for a while and said, "If this is really the case, it will benefit the common people. As for the guts you mentioned, I want to investigate a little bit."

Li Yu corrected it: "It's nitrogen fertilizer, a chemical element."

"It turned out to be chemistry too," Zhang Zhidong is now very interested in chemistry, "so I really need to learn more about it."

Li Yu said: "Your Excellency is wise."

Zhang Zhidong sighed: "After seeing you today, I realized that there are still so many things that are lacking. I thought that everything would be ready with steel, but now it seems that it is just a beginning."

Li Yu said: "Everything is difficult at the beginning, but it is good to have a good beginning."

Zhang Zhidong said: "It makes sense. The Hanyang Armory Factory and the Steel Pharmaceutical Factory have laboratories. Sir, you can guide one or two with Master Hua."

Li Yu laughed and said, "Unfortunately, I really don't know anything about gunpowder."

Zhang Zhidong said: "It doesn't matter. Now our Hanyang manufacturing is not bad. Let's let go of the gunpowder first. Zhonghu (Xu Jianyin's word) set up a laboratory in the steel and pharmaceutical factory. The equipment is complete, sir. If you can use them, you can make them work."

Li Yu's understanding of chemistry is not as deep as that of mathematics, but now the main focus is on application, and he will not use too advanced chemical theory.

And after several decades, the development of chemistry is actually getting closer and closer to physics.

After all, after the vigorous development of quantum mechanics, everyone finally understood that chemical reactions are originally the interaction of the outermost electrons of elements.

As the governor, Zhang Zhidong still has a lot of things to do. After seeing the Hanyang Iron Works together, he will go back to work, and finally ordered: "Ruoxi, accompany Mr. Li Yu to visit our school, and then find someone to help Mr. .”

Hua Shifang also hoped to ask Li Yu for more advice, and readily agreed: "Don't worry, my lord."

At present, the schools in Wuhan are basically concentrated in Wuchang. After the three of them took the ferry back to Wuchang, they bid farewell temporarily, and Zhang Zhidong went back to handle official business.

Hua Shifang finally had time to ask Li Yu for advice on mathematics and science.

Hua Shifang said: "To be honest, apart from our early "Zhou Bi Suan Jing" and "Nine Chapters of Suan Shu", I mainly read books translated by my brother Ruoting (Hua Hengfang), such as "The Elements of Geometry". ", and books such as "Theory of Parabola" and "Cyclic Decimals Test" written by my brother. They seem to be out of touch with the latest developments in mathematics in the West, so I read a math book written by our countrymen in the newspaper, and then I tried my best. I bought the method. I really admire the master's mathematics level!"

Li Yu said frankly: "Actually, my mathematics level is not that strong. We are far behind in this respect. There are many mathematicians in the West who are much better than me."

Hua Shifang said: "But I see that "Fractal and Chaos" written by you is profound in reasoning, rigorous in interpretation, and uses such profound mathematical knowledge, and it won the Swedish King's Award, which is completely top-notch."

Li Yu laughed and said, "It's really ridiculous."

When it comes to Li Yu's old profession of physics, he does have some confidence to stand at the top echelon in the world, but he really dare not brag about mathematics.

He is good at mathematics because he is completely forced by physics.

Li Yu also participated in physics competitions when he was in high school. If you have experience in this field, you must be impressed: the ceiling of physics difficulty is mathematics!

If you want to study physics, you must first be good at mathematics.

For a person who likes and wants to study physics in depth, it is not physics that beats him, but mathematics.

Of course, this refers to theoretical physics research, but later generations of experimental physics also play mathematics, and the accuracy requirements are simply abnormal.

At least the earliest group of pure theoretical physicists, such as Einstein's younger brother, have already felt the "maliciousness" from mathematics.

In Hua Shifang's heart, however, she believed that Li Yu was a super big guy, and said: "To be able to write such an excellent mathematics book, the attainments are definitely top-notch, sir, I am really humble."

Li Yu said with a smile: "There is a sky beyond the sky, and there are people beyond people. And I alone is not enough. If more people can learn Western learning from an early age, that is the most important thing."

Hua Shifang said: "Mr. is right! I have been teaching mathematics in the Ziqiang Academy in my early years."

Although Hua Shifang's mathematics level is nothing in the world, at least he understands advanced mathematics. In these domestic mathematics teaching, he is definitely several ranks higher.

"With Mister here, the academic level of the students in Ziqiang Academy must not be low." Li Yu said.

Hua Shifang smiled wryly: "It's a pity that the students' level of Western learning is still a bit low, and not many can learn equations in algebra. My brother and I have been trying to find a few outstanding students as direct disciples for many years, but we have been unable to do so."

Li Yu said: "The current trend can only be cultivated slowly, and the foundation is indeed weak."

Hua Shifang said: "It is a pity that there is no mathematics in Ziqiang Academy at present."

"Students only learn foreign languages?" Li Yu asked.

Hua Shifang said: "Ziqiang Academy enrolls more than 120 students every year, basically learning foreign languages. Only some students study chemistry for the Hanyang factory."

In terms of the number of people alone, this scale is not bad. The first enrollment of the Jingshi University Hall is only more than 100 people.

Li Yu could only say, "The situation will improve sooner or later."

Li Yu knew in his heart that the training of politics, law, and science and engineering should indeed be strengthened, but he could not say that there was something wrong with the Self-improvement School, after all, foreign languages ​​were indeed of more practical significance to officials.

Li Yu asked: "In Ziqiang Academy, do students who study foreign languages ​​also study Western subjects?"

Hua Shifang said: "Of course you have to learn. The main subject is a foreign language, and other subjects such as arithmetic, physics, chemistry, geography, history, natural history, financial management, public law, negotiation, drawing, gymnastics, and military exercises must be studied."

"Then I understand."

If you look at it this way, it is really like the stage of compulsory education for later generations. The content of learning is comprehensive, but it is relatively basic, and it is difficult to involve advanced knowledge.

Just like the Beijing Normal University, the students are all trying to catch up on the content of primary and secondary schools, and it will take at least ten years to grow up.

Hua Shifang said: "Fortunately, Xiangshuai has always attached great importance to education. In addition to a few higher schools, there are also many primary and secondary schools in various places."

Zhang Zhidong's emphasis on education is also inherited from his father.

Zhang Zhidong's father, Zhang Ying, was a juren. According to the system of the Qing Dynasty, most of the juren could only be academicians or county magistrates.

Zhang Ying was a little bit lucky. After working as a county magistrate for many years, he became a magistrate.For someone of his ordinary background, it was almost the limit of a person.

After all, it is not easy to be able to win the lift.

The dividing line for entering the ruling class is juren, and scholars are still far from this line.

Simple calculations:

In the Ming Dynasty, only 1100-1200 candidates were admitted in each township examination nationwide, and a total of 11 candidates were admitted in the entire Ming Dynasty.

In the Qing Dynasty, there were 1500 candidates nationwide for each township examination, and the entire Qing Dynasty admitted a total of 15 candidates.

In the Qing Dynasty, there were more than 1500 prefectures and counties, and there were about 1 living Juren each year, which spread to an average of about seven people in each county. These seven people plus the county magistrate were the highest ruling class in the county.

Juren already has a lot of rights. Anyway, as long as you win the exam, many local people will come to associate with you and identify relatives and friends, begging to put their property, land, and household registration in the name of Juren to avoid paying taxes and corvee.

Otherwise, Fan Jinzhong would be insane.

If it is a Jinshi, the upper limit is even higher.

It's just that this is old learning, and in two years, the imperial examination system will bid farewell to the stage of history.

Speaking of Zhang Ying, when he was the magistrate in Guizhou, he often sent two servants to patrol the whole city at night.One of them was carrying a lantern and the other was carrying a tung oil basket, wandering through the streets and alleys.When encountering a scholar who burns a lamp to read at night, he fills up the lamp with oil.

That's where the word "come on" comes from, which is pretty funny, and it's the real thing.

Li Yudao: "Education really needs to start with babies. The younger the children, the sooner they are exposed to Western education, the better."

Hua Shifang agreed: "Sir, what you said is really reasonable, and it sums up the key points."

Li Yu said: "Why don't we look at these higher schools first, and let's take a look at the elementary schools first?"

Hua Shifang felt that there was nothing wrong with it, since they are all new-style schools anyway, so she said, "No problem, there just happens to be one nearby, let's go and have a look."

(End of this chapter)