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

Chapter 439
Since the abolition of the imperial examination, enrollment in new schools such as the Capital University Hall has become increasingly fierce.Many people who had already achieved fame or held official positions also came to "further study".

The number of auditors in the Imperial College of the Imperial College is increasing, and many people even ask for certificates such as graduation certificates from the Imperial College after attending classes.

Zhang Baixi, the Minister of Management and Education, had a headache and could only organize an exam to let them know how much they weighed.

The observers also unanimously requested that Li Yu participate in the test setting and marking of physics, mathematics and English, because they felt that he was the only one who truly understood and were afraid that his true talents and knowledge would be buried.

Many children from wealthy families participated in the examination, such as Li Guojie, who inherited the title of Marquis Li Hongzhang.

Li Yu didn't know what their academic level was, so he asked Ding Yuliang, the head teacher of Western Studies, to get some of their daily homework. After reading it, he really couldn't laugh or cry.

In terms of physics and mathematics, except for a few, most of them cannot reach the level of the first grade of junior high school.

Li Yu could only ask a few questions at random, but was still quite speechless when grading the paper.

How to describe it, it's like asking the question to write "Wu Yong outsmarts the birthday card" silently, but when he closes the paper, he reads, "Wu Yong swears to marry Guo Degang"?What the hell!
The typical answerer knows he or she got the answer wrong, but can't remember the correct answer.

However, these people are all second-generation officials and cannot criticize too much, so they can only make do with it.

Li Guojie was very happy after seeing his results, because although he began to study English and law under Li Hongzhang's instruction at a very young age, real Western science was less involved, so he entered the Imperial Academy and became an auditor. .

For him, it feels very good to be able to learn the most basic linear equation of one variable.

Li Guojie found Li Yu and said happily: "Master Emperor, you have read my papers, so you are also a teacher here."

Li Yu smiled bitterly and said, "I don't dare to take it seriously."

"That's right!" Li Guojie said, "I'll invite the Imperial Master to a restaurant for a drink!"

When they arrived at the restaurant, Li Guojie said to the waiter: "Bring over your store's signature wine, which is the wine that Ronghe Winery just brought to the capital."

The waiter said: "Master Hou is really well-informed, I will serve it to you right now."

The aroma of wine is tangy.

Li Guojie said: "Master, please try it. This wine has a unique flavor. I often feel itchy after drinking it once."

Li Yu could tell from the smell: "Could it be from Guizhou?"

Li Guojie was shocked: "Is the Imperial Master also a friend of wine? This wine is only sold in small quantities in this restaurant, and very few people know about it."

In fact, it is the wine produced in Maotai Town. The aroma of soy sauce is so recognisable.It's just that although Moutai has gained a certain reputation now, it has not opened up the market due to traffic constraints.

The current domestic wine market is characterized by being very regional. Each province and city basically only drinks wine brewed in its own region.

The capital brings together specialties from all over the country, simply because the local area needs tribute, or local officials bring them here after they are transferred to the capital.

Li Yu asked: "Why doesn't Mr. Li attend the course for one or two more years?"

"Of course I know that I have limited talents and knowledge, but the imperial court gave me a letter of appointment and I can no longer stay in the capital." Li Guojie took out the transfer order. "The imperial court wants me to be the deputy capital of Mongolia's Xianghuang Banner."

This was specially arranged by Cixi in mind of Li Hongzhang's old relationship. Otherwise, Li Guojie would not have been able to climb to a high position so quickly because of his young age.

"Congratulations!" Li Yu said casually.

Li Guojie, however, didn't take it seriously: "Tch! It's not interesting. There is no place like the capital on the grassland. No matter what, let me continue to be the deputy governor of the Han army in Guangzhou! This year I will prepare to run some operations, become an ambassador, and go abroad for a leisurely two years. Years, otherwise I have been studying foreign languages ​​for so long in vain."

The officialdom of the late Qing Dynasty was still the same stinky state. Except for some key positions, everything else could be obtained with money.

Even an important diplomatic position, such as the ambassador of a country, which represents the face of the country, can still be operated.

Later, Li Guojie went to Belgium to serve as ambassador, but he didn't know much about diplomacy.He was deceived by a few foreign scoundrels into spending money every day. All public funds were spent, and he still owed more than 3 taels of silver.

It seems that it makes sense to be rich only for three generations.

Even if Li Guojie really regarded Li Yu as his teacher, at this age, even if Li Yu wanted him to change, he still wouldn't be able to change.

-

Fengling had a daughter and was in a very good mood. Lu Bicheng gave her another half-year leave, so she took a rickshaw on a day to visit her former sisters in Bada Hutong.

Things are wrong.

During the day, not many people visited the Bada Hutong. Fengling found a sister by the familiar road: "Huanxiang, Huanxiang!"

I called twice but no one answered.

"That's weird!" Fengling went to another room and shouted, "Wenqin, Wenqin!"

Still no one agreed.

Until they came to the third room, Feng Ling shouted: "Is Caiyun there?"

"Is it Sister Fengling?"

Finally got a response.

Fengling happily entered the room: "Finally found one, where have all the sisters gone?"

Caiyun was a little sad: "Where else can they go? They..."

Fengling saw her hesitating, so she asked again: "What's going on?"

Caiyun burst into tears instantly: "Huanxiang accidentally got pregnant. She was beaten alive by her mother and she shed the baby, but her body bones were destroyed. My mother sent her away last year. I don't know where she went, let alone Dare to ask.”

Fengling felt like she was struck by lightning and continued to ask: "Where is Wenqin?"

Caiyun wiped away her tears: "She, she had a big bayberry sore and was pushed to death in the coffin!"

Big sores on bayberry are syphilis.

"Ah!" Feng Ling felt her hands trembling, "How could this happen?"

Caiyun wiped her tears and said, "This kind of thing is unlucky for the stall. My mother asked her to continue to have customers. But when she was found out, the customers were very angry. They shouted that the girl was sick and still had customers. She must destroy the sign. Mom, okay? It calmed down easily.

"But since the bombing, Wen Qin was beaten again and never got up again.

"My mother thought she couldn't make money and wanted to burn the sores with a pair of pokers, but... Wenqin couldn't hold on and fainted.

"My mother threw her to Mr. Turtle and quietly nailed her to the coffin for burial.

"But we all heard it at that time. The coffin was still making noises, and Wenqin hadn't died yet!"

Caiyun cried even harder after saying that.Fengling felt as if she were in a cold cellar. Although she knew that most women who fell into the trap of romance would not end well, it happened too quickly. Only a few years had passed.

"Where is Ziyun?" Fengling asked again.

Caiyun cried and said, "She also has a big sore. Her mother said she would take her to a good place for treatment, but she left yesterday and hasn't come back today."

Fengling knew in her heart that it was definitely a bad thing, and everyone's expression changed when they heard about Hualiu Bing.

Compared with them, I don't know how lucky I am.

Caiyun saw that she was well dressed and in a good living situation, so she continued to ask: "Sister Fengling, your master understands foreign culture. Is there anything you can do?"

Fengling shook her head bitterly. Although she didn't know much about science, she knew that syphilis had no cure.

The reason why the master was able to move into the Rong Mansion was because the Rong family master contracted syphilis and hurriedly ran out of the customs. The house could not be rented out.

Fengling could only say: "I just hope that I will go to a good family in my next life and never have to suffer such a miserable life."

The two hugged each other and cried bitterly. After a while, the child also started crying.

The two of them quickly wiped away their tears and went to entertain the children.

Caiyun was extremely envious: "You can still marry into a good family, and your children can call you mom in the future."

According to the rules of the brothel, if a girl gives birth to a child, the child can only be called sister, not mother.

Fengling's tears didn't stop when she left Bada Hu.

Zhao Qian, who was pulling the cart, couldn't help but sigh, and couldn't help but quicken his pace, wanting to leave this place of right and wrong quickly.

After the Republic of China, most of the fireworks women in Bada Hutong were even more miserable than in the late Qing Dynasty.

Those stories of red orioles and green swallows only happen to a few high-end peasants.

Or maybe a woman has some scheming and ability, just like the ups and downs of Sai Jinhua, who can barely make it through.

-

After Li Yu and Li Guojie finished eating, they came to Qianmen Street, and suddenly an American came to greet them.

"Mr. Li Yu, what a coincidence. I see you here. I have a new patent idea. I hope you can help me take a look."

Li Yu did not refuse and unfolded his drawing. It was a design for a car's reverse gear. Li Yu directly pointed out the problem: "Although it seems feasible, it cannot be effectively combined with the forward gear. The car space is limited and it is impossible to set up a special one." A reverse gear system. Go back and improve it.”

The American turned out to be very obedient: "Thank you, Mr. Academician, for your advice. I will go back and make corrections right away."

The whole process lasted less than 10 minute.

Li Guojie was surprised: "As expected of an imperial master, he can criticize foreigners in such an understatement! I remember that this American is a famous lecturer in a missionary school."

"It only shows that missionary schools need to continue to improve the quality of teachers," Li Yu said casually. "It may also be that he has not seen how far automobiles have developed today, and he has built cars behind closed doors. In fact, he is already several generations behind the current design."

Li Guojie was confused and said: "Teacher is amazing!"

"No, I'm not your teacher." Li Yu said with a smile.

During the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, Chinese people were very eager to gain recognition from foreigners, especially famous foreigners.

Even Yan Xishan, the king of Shanxi, only met Rabindranath Tagore briefly once and boasted about it later.

And the people Li Yu came into contact with were already the top people in the scientific community. He didn't even need to publicize it himself, the newspapers would praise him to the sky.

Thanks to Li Yu's fame, the Nobel Prize has entered China earlier, allowing the Chinese people to have a deeper understanding.

Shenbao and Ta Kung Pao continued to invite Li Yu to write an article about last year's Nobel Prize winners.

"Shenbao" is very wealthy and offers a very high price, 50 silver yuan per article; "Ta Kung Pao" can only give 20 silver yuan.

However, Li Yu still had to give face to his wife, so he chose to contribute to Ta Kung Pao.

Last year's Nobel Prize was worthy of special mention, especially the Physics Prize winner was Thomson for the discovery of the electron.

This is the weather vane. The attitude of the Nobel Prize has been moving in the direction of atomism.

The discovery of the electron made microphysics even more popular.

The winner of the Chemistry Prize, Moissan, is more tragic.Those who engage in chemistry in this day and age will inevitably come into contact with toxic compounds. What’s even more troublesome is that many times they themselves don’t know whether they are toxic or not.

Moissan was unfortunately poisoned by arsenic in order to produce elemental fluorine from arsenic compounds.

He just won the Nobel Prize last year and passed away this year.

Camillo, the winner of the Physiology Prize, pioneered the neuron theory, which was of great help to the study of neurology.

It is necessary to mention this theory more, because human research on brain science is very slow and obviously lags behind other disciplines. Even before Li Yu traveled through time, there were still many difficulties that were difficult to solve.

And regarding science and technology, there is another disease that has always troubled the medical community - mental illness.

The study of mental illness has since become an indelible stain in the history of medicine, and the Nobel Prize has suffered greatly from it.

Not only Western countries but also China are at a loss as to what to do about mental illness at this time.

Anyway, there is a lot more to say about this from now on.

As for the Literature Prize and the Peace Prize, they were awarded to the Italian poet Carducci and Roosevelt, who mediated the Russo-Japanese War respectively.

Li Yu gave a general introduction to each person's life and contribution.

In particular, he gave a detailed description of the Physics Award, Chemistry Award, and Physiology Award. Considering that the scientific literacy of domestic readers is still relatively low, Li Yu gave a lot of explanations, resulting in a quite long article.

But the effect is still good.

At least it made many people interested in science.

The early [-]th century was an era of scientific explosion, and all fields were advancing by leaps and bounds. As long as they conducted careful research, there would definitely be some outstanding domestic scientists who could make greater achievements.

Later, during the Republic of China, university professors were highly valued. Although the scientific research conditions were not as good as those abroad, at least the scientific research environment was acceptable.

Hope big.

(End of this chapter)