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

In the late Qing Dynasty, there were many organizations similar to the Huaxing Society. Although the Huaxing Society took some secrecy measures, it was obvious that Huang Xing and the others were starting an association for the first time and lacked experience. They were eventually discovered by the Qing court.

And the informer happened to be Wang Xianqian, the head of Yuelu Academy.

——This old man really got in touch with the revolutionary party.

Li Yu said to Huang Xing: "Oka... Brother Okamoto must act cautiously in the future. Although the current situation is already precarious, it is best not to act rashly if the gun is the first bird."

Huang Xing immediately agreed: "Brother Yu Li's words, I will remember, we will not take action unless it is absolutely necessary."

Only then did Li Yu feel relieved: "Hope is as airtight as Brother Okamoto's name."

Huang Xing was slightly taken aback: "What does it have to do with my name?"

"Uh, it's nothing... I just thought that the word '冈' means a hill, and the so-called green hills are left, so I don't worry about running out of firewood." Li Yu came back unexpectedly.

Huang Xing was very moved. No matter what, revolution is a dangerous thing to tie your head to your belt. He clasped his fists and said, "Brother Yu Li, don't worry, we will continue to cooperate in the future. At that time, I will repay you with a bright future."

Chen Tianhua jumped out suddenly and said, "I'm afraid that the green hills will be burned to ashes."

Huang Xing said: "Xiansu, there are [-] million people in China, they can afford it."

Xiansu is Chen Tianhua's anonymity.

Chen Tianhua has always been impatient: "If you don't push forward major events, it will be too late. Although there are [-] million people in the country, everyone seems to be in a dream."

Huang Xing taught him a lesson: "You read the history books more. How can a major event be achieved overnight? If you don't have any patience, how do you do things?"

Li Yu thought for a while and said to Chen Tianhua: "If things don't go well in the future, you can come to my company and research laboratory. There are many ways to serve the country, and this is also a way to do practical things in a down-to-earth manner."

Chen Tianhua said: "Brother Yu Li, you are a rare person who can be respected by foreigners. If that day comes, I will do so."

Li Yu said with a smile: "I said before that sometimes respect is very important, and sometimes it is not important at all. Especially if foreigners respect me, I don't care at all."

Chen Tianhua said in surprise, "This is what many people dream of. After all, foreigners have always looked down on us."

Li Yu knew that Chen Tianhua committed suicide two years later, and it was because Japan promulgated the "Regulations for Banning Overseas Students in the Qing Dynasty", saying that Chinese overseas students were a group of "indulgent and despicable", so they fought to the death in order to wake up the world.

But there is always a better way, such as Lu Xun's approach.

——If you use your own blood to dip the steamed bread with human blood, it will not be enough, and it will not wake up many people.

Li Yu said: "Respect is earned slowly. We can't live in the eyes of others. Especially foreigners, they want us to sink forever and be harvested like leeks, so even if they respect us, so what?"

Song Jiaoren said from the side: "Brother Yu Li is worthy of being the emperor's teacher. I really admire you for his high level! You are right, not only the British and French, but now the Japanese have just defeated us, and they are also high-minded. , but if we are taller than them in the future, it doesn't matter whether we respect them or not."

"That's what it means." Li Yu agreed.

Chen Tianhua's life can be saved, after all, the method of suicide is really worthless.

And although he is a little radical in his actions, his brain is actually quite flexible and his memory is very good.

Chen Tianhua nodded: "I remember."

Li Yu said with a smile: "Not only what you want to do is a big thing, but I will also do a big thing in the future. If you encounter difficulties in the future, you may have unexpected joy if you come to join me."

Huang Xing said happily at the side: "I know that what we do is very difficult to succeed, but brother Yu Li is here to poach people, isn't it too early?"

Li Yu laughed loudly: "Get a vaccination."

Huang Xing and his group's Huaxing Club has only just been established, and there is no specific action plan yet, which shows the immaturity of the organization.

How can only slogans be enough?

However, Huang Xing and the others can be considered to have learned a lot of lessons from this incident, which will be helpful for working with Mr. Zhongshan in the future.

After staying for a long time, Li Yu bid farewell and left.

He couldn't stay in the two lakes for too long, so he booked a boat ticket and prepared to return to Shanghai.

-

A little bored on the boat, when Li Yu was looking at the Yangtze River on the deck, someone suddenly came over: "The rivers are criss-crossing, and the mountains are rich."

"What?" Li Yu was confused, "Are you talking to me?"

When he looked back, he was a middle-aged man.

The other party was also taken aback, and then said: "It's nothing, I just think the beautiful scenery of the Yangtze River is refreshing."

Li Yu saw that he was well-dressed, flexible and muscular, and he was not an ordinary person, so he asked, "Your Excellency?"

"It's going down to Pinglong."

"It's such a rare surname," Li Yu said, "it seems to come from ancient times."

"That's right, it should be Goujian from the troubled times of the Warring States Period." Yue Pinglong said.

Li Yu had a warning in his heart: "Warring States?"

Yue Pinglong said: "Heroes emerge in troubled times, and the Warring States Period and the Three Kingdoms are fascinating eras."

Li Yu shrugged his eyebrows, how could the Chinese make such a mistake.

Coupled with his rhetoric, it is likely to be a Japanese, because the Japanese admire the Warring States and the Three Kingdoms extremely.

Li Yu went straight to the point: "Your Excellency shouldn't be called Yue Pinglong, right? What kind of gentleman should you be called?"

Yue Pinglong opened his mouth, and immediately realized that he was telling the truth: "Who is Mr.? When I first saw that you had short hair, I thought you were also Japanese."

"Really?" Li Yu said, "Are you really Japanese?"

Koshihira Takashi said: "That's right, I am Koshihira Takashi Koshihira, a Japanese scholar."

"Scholar?" Li Yu was suspicious.

Xiaoyue Pinglong took out a book: "This book was written by me, and it was translated into Chinese by people from your country."

Li Yu looked at the title of the book, "Travel to Manchuria".

Immediately guessed that he was an intelligence officer sent by Japan to investigate China, but if he insisted on being a scholar, it seemed passable.

Xiaoyue Pinglong said: "I have traveled the land of China for many years, and there are really not many people who can recognize my identity. Who are you?"

Li Yu felt that there was no need to hide it: "I am Li Yu."

Xiaoyue Pinglong was surprised: "So it's the national teacher!"

Li Yu said: "I'm afraid the term national teacher is not used correctly."

Xiaoyue Pinglong is not a professional spy, and there are many flaws in many places, but he immediately smiled and said: "Fortunately, Your Majesty is not a national teacher."

Li Yu roughly flipped through the book in his hand, and sighed: "Mr. is really well-intentioned."

Xiaoyue Pinglong said: "Mr.'s tone is a bit strange. The translation of this book must be helpful to your country. Now I want to know more about Northeast China, but there is no information better than this book."

Li Yu asked, "Can you lend me this book?"

Xiaoyue Pinglong didn't stop him: "Master Emperor, please go ahead, it's my honor to meet you."

Anyway, I have heard "honour" many times, but it is really emotional to say it from the mouth of a Japanese.

This book is also called "White Mountains and Black Water Records", as soon as you hear the name, it means the land of Manchuria.

Kokoshi Hirataka was one of many Japanese sent to China to spy on intelligence. Although his book later claimed to be to help China resist Tsarist Russia, Li Yu, as a time traveler, could see his ambition at a glance.

It is a pity that although this book was translated into Chinese in Shanghai a year ago, it did not attract much attention. Many people naively thought that Japan was really helping China resist Tsarist Russia.

Especially after Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War a year later, this sentiment became even more pervasive.

Li Yu opened the preface and found that this Chinese translator named Zhao Bizhen also vaguely saw Japan's intentions, and wrote in the preface: "The Manchurians are the land of our country. I will not manage it myself to prevent Russia. Others will represent Japan. What I have learned is how to prevent it. Hey! What a difference!"

Kokoshi Hirataka has worked very hard, but compared to the later specialized Japanese spies, he is still a bit behind.

When Li Yu was studying on the boat, several students from East Asia Tongwen Academy in Shanghai were gathering.

A Japanese student, Kenjiro Hayashide, said: "Sister Zhaoyuki has a heavy task to go, and Brother Hatano and I will see you farewell."

Hayashide Kenjiro is a student of Toa Tongbun Academy, but he is a student of Konoe Shoyuki, and he is a student of the second class.

Although Konoe Zhaoxue is a distant branch of the Konoe family, she is the first to get the moon. The head of the family, Konoe Toshimaro, saw her potential when he saw her by coincidence, and he specially trained as a senior agent.

The Konoe family has always admired extremism, and Konoe Zhaoxue was affected, and he also hoped to do something to make his family's distant branch not so far away.

So he resolutely entered the East Asia Tongbun Academy founded by Konoe Totsumaro.

Konoe Zhaoxue said to the two: "The two juniors will soon be assigned tasks, and we will be separated from each other from now on."

Kenjiro Hayashide later worked as an interpreter for Puyi, and he and another Yosaku Hatano were excellent students in the second term.

Hayashide Kenjiro said: "I want to sing a song "Atsushi" for Sister Zhaoyuki as a farewell farewell."

Jinwei Zhaoxue said: "Xie Lin is the king."

Kenjiro Hayashide took out a folding fan, danced beside him and sang:

"50 years of life are like a dream and an illusion. Whoever lives once, is there any immortal!"

This is a famous dance by Oda Nobunaga in Japan.

Yosaku Hatano applauded: "Hayashizu-kun really has the demeanor of a general."

Kenjiro Hayashide sat back in his seat: "From now on, I don't know if I will see Sister Zhaoyuki again, and the longing is tormenting."

Yosaku Hatano stopped applauding, but Kenjiro Hayashide expressed his thoughts directly.

Konoe Akiyuki had already seen that Kenjiro Hayashide was interested in him, and his eyes rolled, but he immediately said: "Hayashide-san should miss the cherry blossoms in his hometown."

At first it was "Kun", but now it has become "San". Kenjiro Hayashide could hear that Konoe Shoyuki was keeping distance.

But Konoe Zhaoyuki's eyes moved him, and he took out a bottle of wine and said, "This is sake from my hometown, Wakayama. I brewed it myself. I have been reluctant to drink it since I brought it. I'm afraid there will be no chance for Senior Sister Zhaoxue to drink together."

Konoe Zhaoyuki looked at the sake in front of him and smiled slightly: "A younger brother is a younger brother."

Kenjiro Hayashide took the second best option and immediately said, "I would like to be my senior's younger brother forever."

Konoe Zhaoxue picked up the wine glass, raised his head and drank it down: "You'd better do the mission assigned by the imperial kingdom first, otherwise you won't have the face to see me."

Kenjiro Hayashide was almost stunned when Konoe Akiyuki looked up at the snow-white neck that was exposed when he was drinking. After hearing her words, he immediately drank the wine in his glass: "I will definitely not fail the great cause of the empire!"

Although later generations know that the East Asia Tongwen Academy run by the Japanese is a super spy organization, but in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, not many Chinese people really knew about it.

Even the opening ceremony was held in 1901 when the college was relocated. Not only Viscount Nagaoka Moromi, the vice president of the Japanese East Asia Dobunkai, and Manjusuke Odagiri, the Japanese Consul General in Shanghai, attended the opening ceremony, but many domestic officials also sent people to participate.

For example, Liu Kunyi, then governor of Liangjiang and Minister of Nanyang, sent Yuan Xunshu, governor of Shanghai Daotai, Zhang Zhidong, governor of Huguang, as Liu Yi, magistrate of Shanghai, and Minister of Railways Sheng Xuanhuai went to the scene in person.

There were hundreds of people from China and Japan that day.

Later, Zhang Zhidong also presented the stone carving with the "Book of Songs" to the academy as a souvenir.

I have to say that the Japanese are really good at espionage.

Afterwards, a British military officer heard a Chinese official lament after visiting the academy: "In 1870, during the German-French War, the Germans knew more about France than the French; while the Japanese knew China better than the French." Through the Chinese people's understanding of their own country."

From the first batch of students of Dongya Tongbun Academy to the defeat of Japan, the academy has conducted surveys through travel and other methods for 45 years, with more than 5000 participants and more than 700 travel routes. 5 pieces, covering all provinces in China except Tibet.

Individual investigation teams have even reached as far as Southeast Asia, Siberia in Russia and the Far East.

Arguably the world's largest travel survey.

The content of the travel survey is all-encompassing. They left 32 travel journals with billions of words in the survey report. Its depth and breadth exceed any survey of China by previous governments before the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The trip with the longest travel time was Kenjiro Hayashide's investigation trip to Xinjiang, a total of 274 days. He trekked the Tianshan North Road to Ili on the Sino-Russian border.

In fact, after the establishment of the Anglo-Japanese alliance, for the sake of common interests, the two parties agreed to cooperate in investigating Russia's influence in the Far East.

The British side is in charge of the survey from India to the southwest of Xinjiang, and the Japanese side is responsible for the survey of the area from Ili in Xinjiang to Kulun in Mongolia.

Hatano Yosaku also participated in this investigation, but the route was different from that of Hayashide Kenjiro.

One takes the northern line and the other takes the southern line of Tianshan Mountain.

It was because his understanding of the country even surpassed that of the Chinese that he was able to become Puyi's entourage interpreter, and by the way, a spy agent placed beside Puyi.

Kenjiro Hayashide is also a ruthless person. After entering Dongya Tongbun Academy, he didn't return to China for more than three years, and he kept a big braid in the Qing Dynasty. He looked no different from a Chinese.

Kenjiro Hayashide took out a Western sword: "This is the saber used by Sister Zhaoyuki in the fencing department."

Konoe Zhaoxue said: "It's no longer needed, you can put it back in the fencing department."

Kenjiro Hayashide said: "I will take good care of it and look forward to practicing fencing with Sister Zhaoyuki again."

Jinwei Zhaoxue said: "It doesn't have to be like this, it's just an external possession."

Then he got up and said, "I'm leaving."

With tears in his eyes, Hayashide Kenjiro said, "Take care!"

After Konoe Zhaoyuki left, Hayashide Kenjiro picked up the bottle and drank it all in one gulp, while Hatano Yoshizuki was shocked: "It's such a good wine, save some for me!"

-

When Li Yu arrived in Shanghai, Bu Fangji, president of St. John’s University, and Shi Liangcai of Shenbao found him.

Bu Fangji said: "There are already students who can't wait to go north to the capital. I didn't expect you to come back so late."

Li Yu hurriedly said: "Sorry, I went to Changsha temporarily."

Shi Liangcai said: "I have good news for you. After the notice was released, we recruited a very good person."

Li Yu asked, "How good can it be?"

Shi Liangcai said: "This man is proficient in English, Japanese, Russian and French, and understands international trade and laws of various countries. He is simply a genius!"

Li Yu asked in surprise, "Is there really such a person?"

Shi Liangcai said: "Of course! I think she should be the best secretary-level key figure in the board of directors, and she is also a beautiful young woman."

"Huh?" Li Yu was even more surprised.

Shi Liangcai smiled and said, "It's said in the notice that there will be no gender discrimination, so you won't refuse to recruit, right?"

Li Yu said: "If this is the case, I'm afraid it will be a waste of talent."

Shi Liangcai said: "If you don't go to your place, it's a waste of talent! I'll take you to see her, talent can't be found all the time, and now the whole country is most in need of such people! Don't let people Go ahead and snatch outstanding talents!"