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

Chapter 406
Why bamboo flute complain willow, spring is not degree Pass.

Looking up, you can already vaguely see this dangerous pass that is almost like a legend.

It really took nearly two months to arrive in Dunhuang County, and Li Yu felt that he would ride in a carriage together in his next life.

Lu Bicheng put down the anti-sand scarf around his neck and said, "We have traveled a short distance along the Silk Road, I hope this hard work is worth it."

Li Yu said: "Of course it is worth it. The so-called explorers of those foreigners are actually sharks in the sea. They will swarm towards them when they smell blood. We must take precautions in advance."

Lu Bicheng said: "It's a pity that the imperial court doesn't seem to understand this truth. It is better to defend against the Han than against the foreigners."

Li Yu said: "It is because this thought has been lingering, so it is like in the yellow sand desert, the sky is about to change."

Lu Bicheng has always been very dissatisfied with the Qing court, and even publicly scolded Cixi. Li Yu can rest assured to talk about these topics with her.

Lu Bicheng is really a woman with a very deep connotation. The more I discover Li Yu, the more I feel that I traveled back as if it was for her. In the future, this woman will shine in many fields.

Even though they had already reached the range of Dunhuang, it took another whole day for them to reach the Dunhuang county government.

After walking under the sun for so long, Liu E couldn't help but sigh: "The huge sun has turned this place into a barren land."

Li Yu said: "Not necessarily. In theory, it can be said that all the energy of the earth comes from the sun. In the future, the sun will be the treasure here."

Liu E shook his head: "I can't imagine that the sun can be of any use other than drying the quilt."

Li Yu said: "It can be used to generate electricity."

Liu E didn't know much about science, so he asked in confusion, "Generating electricity? Is that okay? Just kidding!"

Li Yu affirmed: "The principle of photovoltaics is not complicated, but it will take many years to realize photovoltaics, but Dunhuang must be a good place in the future."

"I feel like you are comforting me," Liu E said with a smile, "but I believe in the emperor, after all, I want to stay here for a long time, and hope to see that day."

After arriving at the county government office, Dunhuang county magistrate Wang Zonghan happily received Li Yu and his party in his humble county government office.

Wang Zonghan can be regarded as a good official, and he is a person who knows more about gold, stone, calligraphy and painting. He understands the value of cultural relics. Without him in later generations, I am afraid that the only [-] scriptures left in Dunhuang will also fall into the hands of foreigners.

Li Yu jumped off the carriage, shook the sand on his body, cupped his fists and said, "Master Wang."

Wang Zonghan enthusiastically said: "There is no good food in this small place, please don't be offended by the emperor."

Li Yu smiled and said, "As long as you don't eat sand anymore."

Wang Zonghan stretched out his hand into the room: "Master, please."

On the table are grapes, Dunhuang cantaloupe, wine dates, donkey meat yellow noodles, elm rice and so on.

Naturally, it is not comparable to the capital city, but considering the wind, food, and camping for more than two months, the food in front of me is definitely delicious.

Li Yu and his party were indeed hungry, and they gorged themselves before they started talking about business.

Wang Zonghan looked at the transfer order and seal that Li Yu took out, and said, "I never thought that the imperial court would attach so much importance to this small border town."

He definitely didn't know, in fact, Li Yu knew the future situation, so the person who paid attention was Li Yu.

But Li Yu still said: "We can't keep letting foreigners spy on our treasure. Loulan has already taught us a painful lesson."

Wang Zonghan said: "The emperor should spread this matter widely in domestic newspapers, otherwise the pressure on me, a small county magistrate, will be too great."

"Lord Wang's suggestion is very reasonable. I will advance it as soon as possible after returning to the capital," Li Yu said.

Wang Zonghan said: "Besides, the county's finances are too tight, and there are very limited things that can be done."

Li Yu sighed: "Master Wang's difficulties are understandable, but there are actually some convenient ways to protect cultural relics. And we will not let Dunhuang County bear too much financial pressure."

Wang Zonghan said: "Thank you, Master, for your understanding."

For ordinary people, in troubled times, human life is worthless, how can they have much energy to take care of others.

-

Everyone was too tired, so they rested in Dunhuang County for an extra day, and on the third day, they left for Mogao Grottoes.

The Mogao Grottoes are still 30 miles away from Dunhuang, and it took another half a day to get there.

When the nine-story pagoda appeared in front of my eyes, I was still very shocked, and everyone got out of the carriage.

Lu Bicheng took off the spinning scarf, "It's really unimaginable that there is such a spectacle in the vast desert."

Li Yu didn't care to appreciate the beautiful scenery, because he saw the short Taoist priest with a dull expression——Wang Yuanlu.

Dunhuang's first sinner.

In fact, he can't bear this title at all, because the loss of Dunhuang literature has a great background of the times, and there are several people who are equally hateful.

But this person still makes people itch.

Wang Yuanlu was very surprised to see a large group of people coming to Mogao Grottoes.

At this time, he was instructing several people to break through the walls of several Buddhist caves to form a lobby so that he could rest at night.

Several gray-clothed disciples holding crude gavels also saw Li Yu and his party, their eyes were full of doubts.

Wang Yuanlu asked loudly, "What are you doing?"

Li Yu held up the transfer order and the imperial seal: "He's from the capital."

Wang Yuanlu hurriedly put down the hammer in his hand, and ran over in three steps at a time: "Are you really from the capital?"

Li Yu said: "Naturally. And when we passed by the Shaanxi-Gansu Governor-General's Mansion, we also saw the Governor-General and Xuezheng."

Wang Yuanlu looked at Li Yu's seal, and said, "It's really an official, a second-rank official!"

Wang Yuanlu called a few of his disciples over, and then turned his head and bowed: "I have seen the official!"

"Get up quickly," Li Yu said.

Wang Yuanlu regarded Li Yucong's seal of the second rank as the official title and rank.

Wang Yuanlu got up and asked cautiously: "Master Guan, what are you doing all the way from the capital?"

Li Yu suddenly sternly said: "Gansu Xuezheng Ye Changchi's urgent report of [-] miles has been sent to the capital, and the Queen Mother and His Majesty are very dissatisfied with you!"

Wang Yuanlu was so frightened that he couldn't see his shit, his legs trembled, and he fell to his knees again: "My lord, I am wronged, the little one has been working hard all the time, and he has never done anything unreasonable!"

Let alone a Taoist priest, even some serious officials would not be able to sleep if they were scolded by Beijing officials.

Li Yu continued: "The Ministry of Rites attaches great importance to the Northwest Frontier. When Zuo Zongtang regained Xinjiang, the foreigners have been dissatisfied and used various methods to infiltrate, especially to loot the treasures of the Western Regions. In view of this, the capital transferred the big nephew The imperial guards and Jinshi scholars must take care of Dunhuang and other places."

"Imperial... bodyguard?" Wang Yuanlu looked up at the tall Huo Yuanjia and the others behind Li Yu, and immediately believed him, "The imperial court is wise."

Li Yu continued, "I'll give you three days to pack up your belongings and leave Mogao Grottoes."

"But..." Wang Yuanlu was reluctant, "I'm afraid three days is not enough, because I have to dispatch some carriages and horses to deliver scriptures."

"Bold!" Li Yu shouted angrily, "Could it be that you still want to take the things here?"

Wang Yuanlu said: "The lessons learned by the adults were discovered by the villains, so naturally they should also belong to the villains."

"You also know that you are a villain!" Li Yu continued to sternly said, "The things in Mogao Grottoes belong to Mogao Grottoes, not yours! Do you understand?"

Wang Yuanlu kowtowed like pounding garlic: "Yes, yes, the villain understands!"

Li Yu knew that he should not push too fast, otherwise it would be very troublesome for this kid to leak the matter in the future, so he took out the edict of Zhang Tianshi in Longhu Mountain and some silver ingots and said to him: "The imperial court thinks that you have worked hard, so I specially approved you to enter the palace." Longhushan seeks the Tao, and learns from the authentic Tianshi Mansion of Taoism. And the expenses and expenses on the way will be reimbursed."

Wang Yuanlu's eyes lit up: "Thank you, Mr. Guan, for pointing out the way."

Li Yu threw the silver in front of his eyes: "Nothing about this place should be circulated. I can tell you secretly that the imperial court also has a secret investigation agency that will keep monitoring your every move. If you dare to reveal half a word about Mogao Grottoes, you will be guaranteed." You are decapitated."

Wang Yuanlu trembled in fright: "There are still Jinyiwei in the imperial court? That's not from the previous dynasty..."

Li Yu interrupted him: "You know too little, don't ask what you shouldn't ask, or I won't dare to guarantee that the sun won't be seen someday."

Sure enough, the shadows of the former Dongchang and Jinyiwei on ordinary people still exist after hundreds of years.

Wang Yuanlu put away the documents and money: "The villain can't say a word."

Li Yu said: "I have already greeted Master Zhang of Longhu Mountain, and I will treat you well if I go."

Wang Yuanlu was even more grateful. As a Taoist priest who became a monk halfway, he was able to go to the holy place of Taoism, and immediately fell down and kowtowed to Li Yu: "Thank you, Lord Qingtian!"

Li Yu said, "Get up, show me here first."

Wang Yuanlu stood up and said to several disciples, "Don't be so busy, go find some tea."

Li Yu waved his hand: "No need."

Wang Yuanlu walked in front: "My lord, please follow me."

When Li Yu entered the Buddhist cave, his blood surged even more: this stinky Taoist priest had already smeared lime on many murals, then smashed some Buddha statues, and piled up very ugly images of Lingguan with mud.

Wang Yuanlu's art level is definitely not on the same level as the art masters of the year, and he is doing sabotage at all.

Especially the few Buddhist caves he broke through, the walls were smashed into pieces, almost irrecoverable.

Wang Yuanlu said: "The things here are nothing, the most powerful thing is the scripture cave, which is simply dazzling."

Li Yu reminded him: "This matter should not be spread to the outside world. The matter of Loulan has caused the court to behead several people."

"Loulan? What's wrong?" Wang Yuanlu didn't know.

Li Yu added eloquence and said: "Four or five years ago, the ancient city of Loulan in the Western Regions next to Lop Nur was extensively excavated and destroyed by Westerners, and a large amount of materials were stolen. The imperial court was furious and ordered those responsible to be killed without mercy."

Wang Yuanlu shrank her neck in fright, and knelt on the ground again: "My lord, I discovered this by accident, and I will never talk nonsense."

Li Yu said: "You also know about Gengzi's national calamity. Foreigners don't have good things, so be strict with your mouth in the future."

Li Yu's words made his liver tremble with fright, "Don't worry, my lord, if I miss a word, I will lose all my teeth."

"Okay, okay, get up quickly." Li Yu said impatiently.

-

Liu E was so startled by the scene in front of him that he couldn't speak, and he said after a while: "There is such a splendid Buddhist cave. If I had known earlier, I might have stayed here for the rest of my life."

Li Yu said: "Life here is relatively difficult, but the most important thing is to beware of foreigners."

Li Yu told Liu E a lot about the dealers in Western cultural relics along the way, and he didn’t have a good impression of foreigners at first, but now he can be said to hate foreigners, “I understand, Brother Shucai, I won’t let foreigners take this place away. something."

After Wang Yuanlu left, Li Yu and his team put all their things back into the scripture cave, and Li Yu began to build bricks to seal the hidden door of Mogao Grottoes, which was discovered by accident.

Liu E didn't understand: "Why is the emperor?"

Li Yu said: "When the world is peaceful, when will they see the light of day again. Moreover, the existing murals in front of us are enough to study for decades."

Liu E was grateful to Li Yu, so he agreed to this request: "Looking at these hundreds of caves, let alone decades, 100 years is not enough."

Li Yu immediately answered: "For another 100 years, let's keep this scripture cave incognito."

At this time, Liu E felt powerless about money, status, and fame. A beautiful and favorite place was his motivation to live.

Li Yu also said: "I will leave a radio station in Dunhuang. If you encounter any trouble, send me a telegram to the capital at any time."

Liu E said: "Emperor Shigui is a genius of Western learning, and he has such a persistent heart for Chinese studies. He would not hesitate to come thousands of miles away in person. I will never let down your heart."

Li Yu said: "It's easy for me to come here once, but it will be really hard for the old disabled brother to stay here for a long time."

Liu E said: "I will stick to this place until I die."

Li Yu remembered the oath of the night watchman, and said with some helplessness: "Who said that winter is not coming."

Li Yu stayed here for many days, because the Mogao Grottoes are indeed very beautiful, and Dunhuang is not only a cultural treasure house, but also a treasure house of art and aesthetics.

Lu Bicheng's art foundation is not bad, and he can't forget it when he lingers in various caves.

"This is really the best honeymoon place." Lu Bicheng said happily.

Li Yu said with a smile: "It's not just a honeymoon. In order to come here, it took almost a whole year to go back and forth."

Lu Bicheng said: "It's not too long for me to stay here for a month, but it's a pity that I didn't bring pen, ink, paper and inkstone."

-

After night fell, Li Yu looked at the sky full of stars, and told her a story with Lu Bicheng in his arms: "There are still many interesting things in the desert."

Lu Bicheng liked Li Yu's storytelling now, and asked, "What is it this time?"

Li Yu said eloquently: "It is said that in the last years of the Ming Dynasty, Dongchang framed the Minister of the Ministry of War... Ouch!"

Li Yu suddenly exclaimed.

Lu Bicheng said: "When you tell a story, just tell the story, don't be so dishonest, it's not time to sleep yet."

"Okay, okay," Li Yu could only continue to speak in a serious manner, "Fortunately, Zhou Huai'an, the minister of the Ministry of War, took his youngest son and fled to the desert, but entered a black shop called Longmen Inn. In the black shop, there was a charming, lively The proprietress, who is both good and evil, is golden and jade-encrusted. And the three major stalls of the East Factory have also sneaked into the Longmen Inn..."

(End of this chapter)