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

Li Yu took the train north to Austria.

This is already his second visit to Austria. At the same time, he is telexing to Yang Xiaolou in the UK. He can come to Vienna to perform, which is at the level of a European art center.

On the way, Li Yu wrote an article for the Holy See, hoping to use the influence of the Holy See to bring back some lost works of art.

In any case, from a moral point of view, the current Holy See yearns for peace, at least it is much kinder than some politicians.

After landing in Vienna, before Li Yu could look for someone, someone had already come looking for him.

A man in his 50s in a suit and leather shoes immediately recognized Li Yu: "Academician Li Yu, we have been waiting at the station for a long time. Allow me to introduce myself, Karl."

There are too many people named Karl in the German-speaking area, Li Yu said politely: "Hello, Mr. Karl."

Carl said: "On behalf of the Austrian Steel Group, I hope to obtain the right to use the stainless steel patent in your hand."

Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany have always been places with strong industrial output capabilities in Europe. Li Yu didn't think too much: "Yes."

Karl continued to invite: "Academician, please follow me to my castle to discuss the contract."

Li Yu was taken aback, this guy still has a castle?
Vienna is a bit like Berlin, with a relatively large number of cars. Li Yu and the others came to a small castle in the car he provided.

A butler at the door saw Carl and immediately said respectfully: "Sir, welcome back."

Karl said to him: "There is an important guest today, and you send someone to invite Mr. Gustav along with you."

"Yes, sir," replied the butler.

It seems Karl is still the master of the castle.

However, after a close look, Li Yu felt that it was not a castle, but more like a larger villa. After all, as a castle, how could it not even have defensive means such as a moat.

It's just that the area is a few circles larger than ordinary villas, and the decoration on the facade is indeed very similar to a retro castle.

Perhaps this is Mr. Carl's personal idiosyncrasy.

Li Yu stood outside and looked up, and there was no traditional toilet compartment outside the protruding wall of the castle.

In the old castles, the lords always sat in special rooms in the air when they wanted to have a poop, and when the nobles went to the toilet, they were climbed up from below and assassinated...

This picture is so sour.

The interior decoration of the room was very new. Karl led Li Yu and the others to the main hall, where his wife and children were welcoming them, and the servants seemed to be busy preparing sumptuous dishes.

Li Yu didn't expect this Mr. Carl to be so attentive, so he was a little embarrassed, but thinking about it, even before rebirth, signing a business contract seemed to require hospitality.

Carl said: "Mr. Academician, it is our honor to invite you. My youngest son admires you very much and often says that he wants to follow your example to learn mathematical science."

Li Yu said politely: "Love of learning is an excellent habit."

Several of Carl's children have been sitting upright in their seats, and Carl said to the youngest son at the end: "Ludwig, have you seen that Academician Li Yu has such achievements at such a young age, if you can do the same in ten years To his level, no, if he can achieve one-tenth of it, he will look good!"

Karl spoke harshly to the child, and the younger son Ludwig replied: "Yes, father, I will study hard."

Carr said: "But you are so bad at school that you don't deserve to be called a descendant of the Wittgenstein family."

Li Yu's mind flashed, and it turned out that the family's surname was Wittgenstein.Then the 15-year-old boy in front of him is the famous philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein in later generations.

Li Yu said: "Mr. Carl, in fact, children of this age are somewhat rebellious, so you don't need to be too harsh."

"Treason? This is just an excuse. When I was young, I never received less punishment for rebellion," Carl said.

Li Yu was not very good at managing other people's housework, so he said to Wittgenstein Jr., "Which subject do you like most at school?"

"I like algebra, geometry and physics," said Wittgenstein Jr. "I admire Mr. Boltzmann the most, and the person he admires most is you, so I admire you too."

"Thank you for your liking," Li Yu said with a smile, "No matter what, you should study hard in school, because this will give you the opportunity to enter university to study more in-depth physics and mathematics."

Wittgenstein Jr. said: "I know, but there are people in the class who are always making noise and disturbing others in class."

Carl dissatisfied: "What does other people's noise have to do with you! Oh, it seems that you should be transferred to a middle school with stricter management."

Little Wittgenstein stuck out his tongue, not daring to continue speaking.

Karl is an Austrian steel giant, but now he is basically hiding behind the scenes.

He had previously rejected the nobility granted by Austria, but he was very persistent in the status of the German nobility, and he always claimed that he was the illegitimate son of the German nobility.

However, his education of his children was very problematic, which led to varying degrees of psychological problems in the children. Later, two of his sons committed suicide one after another, which may be related to childhood.

A good childhood can heal a lifetime, but a bad childhood needs a lifetime of healing.

After chatting for a while, Carl took out a pen and paper, and signed a contract with Li Yu to produce daily necessities using the stainless steel patent.

This is a big order. Austria's production capacity is very strong, which can almost radiate the entire Eastern and Southern Europe, and the patent royalty can exceed [-] US dollars a year.

After signing the contract, Gustav Mahler also came to Karl's house. He is a famous Austrian musician.It's just that there are too many famous musicians in Austria, and ordinary people may not have heard his name, but he is known as the last great romantic symphony composer.

Rich people, nobles, and even the royal family in Austria like to sponsor musicians. As one of the richest families in Austria, Karl is very generous in sponsoring the arts, so many musicians of the same period are frequent visitors to his family.

Influenced by some primary school texts or extracurricular readings in the early years, many people have the impression that musicians and composers seem to be poor people, such as Beethoven and Mozart.

Beethoven was described as a "poor and miserable" image, and Mozart was even buried in a beggar's grave in the end, with no bones left...

Little wounds left in the mind.

Li Yu was quite sad after reading it when he was a teenager. He liked playing the harmonica very much and wanted to learn some extra-curricular music classes, but he was resolutely stopped because he felt that music was too poor. 0.0
Actually it's all fake.

Well, it’s very interesting to say that during that ten-year special period, the professors of the Conservatory of Music burned the precious symphony music scores in order to prevent the red teenagers who got carried away, and also to let the Western-colored Beethoven and Mozart The works can be played normally, and many stories are deliberately fabricated.

The professors are very flexible, and specially wrote a booklet "The Story of Music", which was distributed everywhere as a popular reading material.

In the pamphlet, the musicians were portrayed as poor and lower-middle peasants who were born poor and destitute; as for some whose families were indeed good and could not be said to be too poor, with the addition of various sad characters with disabilities, the music they created was also It's all about glorifying the oppressed civilians.

Even Mozart, who became famous at a young age and spent his days and nights, was described as "having no money for medical treatment and dying young"...

Anyway, the kind that makes you feel sympathetic when you look at it.

As a result, the class of musicians was successfully classified as "poor and lower-middle peasants", and his works spread widely, and Beethoven directly became a literary and artistic model serving the working people.

Then, I don’t know why these stories were mixed into the elementary school textbooks, causing many people to mistakenly think that those great musicians are really poor.

After growing up, Li Yu was shocked when he saw for the first time that the great pianist Lang Lang lived so well and had a beautiful wife: Aren’t all piano players poor?
Only later did I realize that families who can afford to learn the piano are the ones who are really rich, okay?It is not a concept at all to play the harmonica.

Beethoven and Mozart in real history are of course very rich.

Beethoven may have been a little poor when he was young, but he was very capable of absorbing money when he became an adult.He had a pupil who was the Duke of Austria, the Emperor's cousin!Teaching such a person, how can the income be low.

As for Mozart, Austria later published his bills and receipts for ten years, revealing the truth about his "poor" life: his income was at least 400 times that of ordinary people!
Mozart's seven-room apartment in the core area of ​​the capital Vienna, as well as a private pool table, hairdresser, and a dedicated carriage space.

It's so poor that people can't help but cry!
In addition, Haydn, Schubert, Liszt and other famous musicians are not far behind.

Liszt is directly a "traffic superstar". When he performed, crazy female fans threw jewelry and banknotes on the stage directly, like opening a concert and opening a cash machine.

I don't know if this is considered comfort to the young heart that was injured back then.

And Gustav Mahler, who came to the appointment in front of him, made a feat of earning [-] U.S. dollars in one and a half months of performance three years later.

He is currently Principal Conductor of the Vienna State Opera and holds the very prestigious position of Artistic Director.

Karl was very happy to see Gustav Mahler: "I heard that you will conduct a grand performance the day after tomorrow, and Crown Prince Ferdinand will come to the Opera House in person."

Mahler said: "Yes, this performance is by invitation only, and I have specially brought you a few invitation tickets."

Carl is very grateful: "I really don't know how to thank you."

Mahler smiled and said, "Your usual gift is already enough."

Karl introduced Li Yu and Mahler again, and Mahler was quite surprised: "The mysterious giant of science in the East! I think I must bring you a few more tickets tomorrow. If Archduke Ferdinand knows that you will also participate, he must be very happy." Happy!"

Since Emperor Joseph I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (the husband of Princess Sissi) also attached great importance to the scientific community, Austria as a whole still respects scientists, but the scientific atmosphere in Vienna is indeed not as strong as that in Berlin and London.