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

After the Lantern Festival, Li Yu immediately contacted Yan Fu and set off for Tanggu.

Yan Fu originally wanted to wait until the first month came out, but seeing Li Yu's impatience, he couldn't help laughing and said, "Now you know you're in a hurry?"

Li Yu had already taken back the snuff bottle from Ma Shaoxuan: "Everything is ready, of course we have to go."

Yan Fu took a snuff bottle and admired it. One side of the inside of the pot was a Song poem, and the other side was a scene taken from the Qingming Riverside Scene, which was vividly painted.

Yan Fu praised: "Sure enough, it was Ma Shaoxuan's handwriting. I can guarantee you that the matter will definitely come true, and you will definitely embrace the beauty."

Li Yu said with a smile: "If you can't do it, you have to do it, or I will rob people."

Yan Fu said: "Don't worry, Shangdang Jianzhan, Shao's purple sand pot, and Ma Shaoxuan snuff bottle, these three things are placed in front of Brother Feng Sheng, it's no problem if you want to call him brother and brother, let alone Mr. Tang coming forward. "

Li Yu said: "With Master Yan's words, I feel relieved."

The two took the train to Tanggu and immediately found Tang Shaoyi.

Tang Shaoyi saw Li Yu and said, "Brother Shucai, congratulations in advance."

Li Yu cupped his hands and said, "We still have to rely on Mr. Tang."

Tang Shaoyi patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, the commander-in-chief said, if Yan Fengsheng disagrees, he won't have to hang out in Tianjin."

Li Yu said with a smile: "No, this is so bad! Be kinder."

Tang Shaoyi pointed behind her: "In order to help you build momentum, I pulled a group of student soldiers from the Beiyang Armed Forces Crash School, many of whom were your students before, and they were very enthusiastic after hearing what you said."

Li Yu looked over, okay!Although they are all students of the military academy, the lineup is luxurious: Wu Peifu, Sun Chuanfang, Li Jinglin, Cai Yubiao...

They all wore Beiyang military uniforms, and were equipped with ceremonial sabers and guns.

Li Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Master Tang, is this necessary?"

Tang Shaoyi smoked a cigar and said with a smile: "The commander-in-chief said, since Beiyang promised to help you, there is no reason why it cannot be done."

Li Yu said, "I'm worried..."

Yan Fu laughed and said, "Brother Shucai must be worried that you will scare your mother-in-law and Brother Fengsheng."

Yan Fu suddenly remembered something, and asked Li Yu: "By the way, I have never heard that you have a family?"

Li Yu said: "I am lonely, and I am the only one left in the world."

After hearing this, Yan Fu sighed and said: "It turns out that your life experience is so miserable. Bicheng is a good girl, I hope you will join hands in the future."

Tang Shaoyi took out the letter of appointment: "Brother Shucai, you still have to tell me your birth date."

Li Yu was taken aback for a moment, so he replied, "The 1879th day of the twelfth lunar month in the fifth year of Guangxu (24)."

Tang Shaoyi added to the letter of appointment: "Brother Shucai is really young. Also, don't say that you are lonely in the future. There are so many big brothers, isn't it enough?"

Li Yu smiled and said, "Thank you brothers."

Wu Peifu, Sun Chuanfang, and Cai Yubiao also cheered loudly from behind: "Teacher, there are us!"

Li Jinglin was half a beat behind them: "Me too!"

Li Yu also said to them: "Thank you everyone!"

Then he looked at Wu Peifu who was standing at the head of the team: "I heard that you made contributions on the front line of the Japanese-Russian war."

Wu Peifu pointed to a medal on his chest and said, "This is the Single Light Rising Sun Medal presented to me by General Nobusumi Aoki."

Tang Shaoyi said: "Pei Fu is indeed very brave. As an intelligence officer, he has detected many movements of the Russian army. Unfortunately, because he was betrayed the last time, he was captured by the Russian army and was escorted to Harbin to be shot for public display."

Li Yu asked, "Then how did you escape?"

Wu Peifu said: "I heard from the locals that the Russians love to drink, so they secretly exchanged a cotton coat for a bottle of liquor and a roast chicken from the conductor. The two Russians who guarded me did not drink as much as expected. A bottle I got so drunk I jumped off the train when they weren't looking."

Li Yu continued to ask, "Did they stop and search?"

Wu Peifu said triumphantly, "I did a search! But I'm dead. They used bayonets to slash through the weeds. The nearest knife was less than a foot away from me, and they couldn't find me after all."

It was freezing cold, and Wu Peifu was really brave enough to hide in single clothes for so long.

This was also a turning point in his life.

-

After arriving at Yan Fengsheng's house, Tang Shaoyi stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Yan Fengsheng opened it, and his eyes were straightened when he saw the formation outside, especially when there were two teams of soldiers from the Beiyang New Army lined up.

Tang Shaoyi said: "Lord Yan, as Li Yu's matchmaker, I have come here to offer a dowry gift to marry Miss Bicheng from my family."

Yan Fengsheng came back to his senses, and quickly said: "Master Tang, please come inside."

Tang Shaoyi in front, Li Yu and Yan Fu in the back, entered the courtyard, and the two groups of soldiers also lined up again in the courtyard.

Tang Shaoyi handed over the letter of appointment.

Yan Fengsheng took a look, and there was a letter written by Yuan Shikai at the back.

Tang Shaoyi said: "Lord Yan, my younger brother Li Yu was disrespectful before, but young people, it's normal to be a little bit rough, isn't it?"

Yan Fengsheng said quickly: "Yes, yes."

Tang Shaoyi continued: "But my little brother, Li Yu, who is cherished by Governor Yuan Dashuai, is still a very good person. What's more, his talent is overwhelming, and he is a rare pillar."

Tang Shaoyi deliberately moved Yuan Shikai out.

Yan Fengsheng said: "Of course he is a pillar, after all, he is the one who won the Nobel Prize."

Tang Shaoyi corrected and said: "It's the Nobel Prize. Years ago, even the imperial court issued rewards. The Queen Mother personally granted Li Yu the title of a member of the fifth rank of the Ministry of Rites, but he was given the seal of the second rank of the Ministry of Rites. .”

Tang Shaoyi took out the seal: "I won't lie to you about this kind of thing."

Yan Fengsheng said: "How could you lie to the officer?"

Tang Shaoyi said: "Returning to the topic, the male college should be married and the female college should be married. The younger brother Li Yu and the daughter of your family, Bicheng, have a secret alliance. As the saying goes, it is better to demolish ten temples than destroy one marriage. There should be a lot of elders." consider."

Yan Fengsheng said: "Your official..."

Tang Shaoyi raised her hand to interrupt him: "I'm sorry, I forgot that there is still a betrothal gift."

Tang Shaoyi clapped his hands, and Wu Peifu stepped up kicking his military boots and put a plate on the table.

Tang Shaoyi uncovered the red cloth on the plate: "One Shaw's purple sand pot, one high-quality Jianzhan, one Ma Shaoxuan snuff bottle, and another 2000 taels of silver."

After Yan Fengsheng saw these things, he could hardly move his eyes, and immediately said: "Master Tang has spoken, how can I not sell your face."

Tang Shaoyi smiled and said, "It's not to sell my face, it's all for the young people."

Yan Fengsheng said to his sister Yan Shi: "Call Bicheng out."

Yan Shi was startled by the scene in front of him, and hurried to the inner courtyard, calling out Lu Bicheng.

Yan Fengsheng said: "Today Master Tang personally came to give the dowry, I can no longer have any objections, Bicheng, what do you mean?"

Lu Bicheng immediately said: "I am willing to marry!"

Tang Shaoyi said: "Such a bold and unrestrained girl, interesting!"

After being told by Tang Shaoyi, Lu Bicheng blushed and quickly lowered his head.

Yan Fu said: "As for the date of the wedding, we will discuss it later, but the matter is settled like this."

Lu Bicheng asked quickly, "Can I follow Li Yu back to the capital now?"

When everyone was stunned, Tang Shaoyi laughed loudly: "Girls are extroverted! Master Yan, what I want is just a lack of ceremony, and you will definitely not be able to keep her."

Yan Fengsheng had no choice but to find a way out for himself: "After all, one of them is in the capital and the other is in Tanggu. It makes sense to do things cheaply."

Yan Fu pushed Li Yu: "What are you waiting for!"

Li Yu immediately went forward to pay respects: "Uncle is here, please accept Li Yu's bow."

Yan Fengsheng helped him up: "I only hope that you will treat Bicheng well in the future."

Li Yu said: "Uncle, don't worry, if Bicheng loses a hair, you can even ask me for it!"

Yan Fengsheng said, "That's good."

Li Yu added: "On the wedding day, I will definitely prepare better purple sand pots and snuff bottles for you."

This sentence hit Yan Fengsheng's weakness, his face twitched, he calmed down his excitement and said: "They are all small things, the two of you are the big things."

Tang Shaoyi stood up and said relaxedly: "Master Yan is really a cheerful person, since that's the case, let's have a few drinks!"

Yan Fengsheng also stood up: "I am the boss, how can I let Mr. Tang spend money?"

While they were eating and drinking, Lu Bicheng had already started packing at home.

Sitting next to her, Yan said, "Li Yu really has some skills to make Beiyang give such a big face."

Lu Bicheng said: "Even if there is no such a big battle, I will go with him!"

Yan said: "Bicheng, when you arrive in the capital, be careful. If you have anything to do, you can ask your teacher Yan Fu, and you often write letters to your family."

Lu Bicheng said, "Mother, I know."

Yan said again: "I read Li Yu's letter of appointment saying that he has no father, mother, brother, or brother. It must have been caused by years of war. Hey, he is a poor child. You will take good care of him in the future. If you quarrel, you will tolerate it. "

Lu Bicheng said: "Mother, Li Yu's temper is better than you think. The reason why I agree with him is because he has an indescribable and unique temperament. And he respects me from the heart, unlike those The high-ranking officials are either trying to figure out my talent or my appearance."

Yan said: "I can see that Li Yu is different from others."

Yan Shi suddenly started wiping tears while talking.

Lu Bicheng hurriedly asked: "Mother, what's wrong with you?"

Yan Shi said: "Daughter who is married, the water that is thrown out, will see you less in the future."

Lu Bicheng said: "Mother, now that there is a train, the capital is not far away at all, besides, I want to take you there in the future."

Yan wiped her tears and said, "That's right, when you have a doll, I have to help you."

Lu Bicheng shyly said: "Mom! Why did you mention dolls?"

Yan said: "It's perfectly normal to be married. And my mother gave birth to four of your sisters, and her experience is better than that of the best nanny."

In fact, Yan Shi wanted to take over this job so that she could be with her daughter in the future, so she mentioned it in advance.

Lu Bicheng understood in his heart, and agreed: "When the time comes, I will have to work hard again, mother."

Yan said happily: "No hard work! No hard work!"