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

Chapter 482 "National Flower"

After seeing the article written by Li Yu, the science and engineering students at Beiyang University in Tianjin wanted to ask their teachers for advice. However, the things that could win the Nobel Prize were cutting-edge, and the teachers at the university did not understand such advanced things.

Due to the limitations of the times, the teachers at Peiyang University at this time were more like the middle school teachers of later generations.Therefore, after students from Beiyang University go to the United States, they still have to go to American universities from scratch.

The current principal Cai Shaoji was one of the first batch of young children studying in the United States. He was also asked by students. Yan Fansun, who was in charge of education in Tianjin, happened to be in the university hall and gave him some advice: "While Li Yu is in Tianjin, quickly pull him over and let him talk. If he doesn’t understand, then no one in the world understands.”

Cai Shaoji also had this idea, and went to invite Li Yu with Yan Fansun.

After hearing their ideas, Li Yu did not refuse, but just said: "I just promised my wife to go to Beiyang Women's School, but I am a little overwhelmed."

Cai Shaoji said: "It's easy to handle. I'll let the students from Peiyang University come to the women's school!"

Yan Fansun said: "Aren't you afraid of the students on both sides looking at each other?"

Cai Shaoji was stunned and hesitated.

Li Yu smiled and said, "Is the principal really afraid of students' puppy love?"

Cai Shaoji said: "Those who can enter Beiyang Women's School are not ordinary women. I am worried that the students will not be able to control it. The love between children will delay important events."

Yan Fansun laughed out loud: "Shutang (Cai Shaoji), you are worrying too much! Besides, there is no way to stop this kind of thing."

Cai Shaoji said: "Since you two think so, I will go back and make arrangements."

Cai Shaoji is a very ambitious person. When he was studying in the United States as one of the first batch of young children studying in the United States 30 years ago, he gave a speech on the opium trade at school.

The young Cai Shaoji already knew that it was the Opium War that opened China's treaty ports. Although Qing officials needed to be condemned in many aspects, the British Empire's sins in opening China's door in this way were even more serious.

He said at the end of his speech: "China is not dead, she is just asleep. She will eventually wake up and is destined to stand proudly in the world!"

Fortunately, there are not many students in the university hall today, and including the women's school, there are less than 100 people present.

Lu Bicheng also arrived at Tianjin Girls' Public School at this time. Seeing so many male students present, he was a little surprised and asked Li Yu: "What are you doing?"

Li Yu said: "Let's have a social event."

Lu Bicheng said: "But this is a girls' school, and all the students here are male students."

Li Yu said with a smile: "If men and women are matched, the work will not be tiring."

Lu Bicheng slapped him: "Stop coming!"

Li Yu told her the truth: "We are just giving a speech together. Don't worry. It's not like you don't know that some universities in the United States are coeducational."

Lu Bicheng's thinking was relatively advanced, and because of Li Yu's influence, he agreed to listen to the lecture in the same classroom, and also asked other schools in the country to accept female students as soon as possible.

Li Yu casually told the students about Rutherford's life and research results, and mentioned the latest developments in physics today.

But judging from the performance of the students, they seem to be a bit confused. After all, there are very few people in European academic circles who understand quantum mechanics and relativity.

Li Yu thought for a while and then preached to them again in plain language:

“Let’s talk about the development of physics from the most typical example, which is something so common that you are almost unaware of it: light.

The study of light can almost be said to have lasted throughout modern times... oh, it has always been the beginning of modern physics. It is very important and fundamental.

In general, physics’ understanding of light can be divided into several levels.

The first level, I think you have seen it in the introductory physics lectures: light is light.Its reflection, refraction and other phenomena can be studied through geometry, which also involves trigonometry. "

Most of the students present had read Li Yu's introductory lectures on various science subjects and nodded.

Li Yu continued:
“Others may have read Newton’s work on optics.

His understanding of light is at the second level, that is, light is a particle.

At this time, physics began to truly explore the nature of light.

Through the particle theory, Newton explained why light occurs reflection, refraction and other phenomena.

But soon, people's understanding of light reached the third level, that is, light is actually a wave.

I think Beiyang University purchased the equipment related to the famous Yang's double-slit interference experiment a few years ago, so you will be familiar with it.

The first three levels are relatively classic theories and are not difficult to understand, but this is actually just the beginning. "

Everyone had never heard such an in-depth and simple explanation of what Li Yu said. They were more focused and didn't even dare to ask questions.

Li Yu said:
"The fourth level of understanding of light is that light is electromagnetic waves.

Starting from the fourth level, you can touch the most cutting-edge theories.

In fact, the light we can see only occupies a very small frequency band of electromagnetic waves.

In addition to visible light, there are also ultraviolet rays, X-rays, infrared rays, microwaves, etc.Radio waves are essentially the same thing as the light we see. "

This is common sense to future generations, but it is very shocking to the present.

Students have long known about Li Yu's great achievements in radio equipment, but it is difficult to believe that the candlelight and electric lights they see every day are connected with the high-end radios.

Li Yu waited for them to calm down and then said:

“When we reach the fifth level, we will find that the speed of light is constant.

I mentioned this in my introduction to the Nobel Prize last year. Professor Michelson from the United States won the Nobel Prize for his experiment on the constant speed of light.It is difficult to explain it, but if you can understand it, you will find that there is a higher level of understanding of light.

But I’ll leave it at that for now, and I’ll explain it later when you have some success in the future. "

Li Yu could only stop there because what came next was too advanced.

Despite this, the students still realized the wonder of physics in his lecture - from the most basic things they see in daily life, to the deepest theories.

Moreover, Li Yu's "stratified method" learned from "Eternal Heaven and Sword of the Dragon" also inspired the students' fighting spirit.

Whoever can reach a deeper level can achieve peerless martial arts.

After finishing his speech, Yan Fansun couldn't wait to ask: "This thing of light has not been thoroughly studied yet? How many layers are there? Just tell me first, I don't understand physics."

Li Yu said with a smile: "The sixth level says that light is a photon, which is Einstein's photoelectric effect paper that I wrote about before. As for the seventh level, it says that light is both a wave and a particle, with wave-particle characteristics. But these theories are already very difficult and difficult to explain clearly in just a few words."

Yan Fansun stroked his beard: "It's unimaginable."

-

After leaving Tianjin for a while, Li Yu and Yang Du returned to Beijing together, but since the Women's Public School had an exam the next day, Lu Bicheng stayed in the school.

Before that, Li Yu first saw off Tang Shaoyi. He was going to board a ship to go to the United States. However, as soon as the ship arrived in Japan, he was delayed for a long time by Japan for various reasons before setting off again.

After arriving in the capital, Li Yu found that after a long drive, his clothes had a big hole in the hustle and bustle, and he was just about to make a suit.

Li Yu asked Yang Du: "Hu Gong, where in the capital makes the best suits?"

Yang Du said: "I heard that the Xinji Suit Shop in Wangfujing is good. The tailor is from Ningbo. He studied in Japan for many years and can make the latest fashion suits. Many of our colleagues in the Council of Ministers go there."

According to what Yang Du said, Li Yu came to Xiagongfu Street next to Wangfujing and saw the "Xinji Suit" sign.

This shop became the best suit shop in Beijing during the Republic of China, and many celebrities made custom suits here.Entering the store, Li Yu looked around and suddenly saw a suit that had just been made in the corner, and wondered: "Is this a Chinese tunic suit?"

The shop owner Sun Yutang was surprised: "Does the guest recognize Mr. Sun?"

Li Yu nodded: "I've met him a few times."

"Ouch!" The shopkeeper quickly pulled Li Yu into the inner room, "Sir, don't mention his name casually in the capital!"

Li Yu said: "If I hadn't seen the Mao suit hanging in your store, I wouldn't have told you."

The shop owner said: "The guest officer is right. Mr. Sun suggested sewing this suit when I was in Japan a few years ago, but it is only the first version."

Strictly speaking, the Mao suit in front of me is not the look of later generations, but more like a traditional suit. Only the pocket design has the shadow of the Mao suit, but it also has the characteristics of Japanese official and military uniforms.A design idea that somewhat combines a sense of ritual and practicality.

Li Yu said: "Just follow this layout and make it for me."

The shop owner accepted the order, "It's 50 silver dollars in total. The customer can pick it up in a few days."

More than 50 yuan can only buy one set of clothes. This is the price of goods in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.Of course, this suit also includes a tie, bow tie, lined vest, belt, etc.

So whenever you see someone wearing a suit at this time, your status has been proven.

But Li Yu was actually just doing it for convenience.

After walking out of the suit shop, within a few steps, Li Yu suddenly saw the figure of Xiao Dezhang, who appeared in a pawn shop.

Xiao De Zhang is better than Li Lianying in making money.

Anyway, in the last few years of the Qing Dynasty, every official became more corrupt than the last.

There are not many businesses that palace eunuchs can do, and pawnshops are one of them that can make money quickly.

In the old society, pawnshops were inherently usury; on the other hand, eunuchs could also secretly resell things in the palace.

Xiao Dezhang had been a eunuch for several years, and he became much smarter. He glanced around and found Li Yu, and said hello: "It turns out to be the emperor's master, please come in quickly!"

Li Yu couldn't refuse, so after entering the room he said, "Mr. De."

Xiao Dezhang said: "When the regent came to see the Queen Mother a few days ago, he also said that when the emperor is three years older, he will let you continue to teach him Western learning courses and continue to be the emperor's teacher."

Three years later the Qing Dynasty was gone.

Li Yu casually agreed: "It's an honor."

Anyway, there will be no trace at that time.

Not long after, two more people came, both of whom Li Yu knew. Zhang Xun was the first to enter, followed by Duan Fang.

As soon as Zhang Xun entered the room, he enthusiastically held up a box: "A small gift is not a sign of respect. I hope Manager De will keep it private."

Xiaode Zhang accepted it calmly: "I'm sorry for you, Master Zhang."

Duan Fang just clasped his fists casually: "Eunuch De."

He didn't even call out "Maintendent."

Due to the sudden death of Yang Shixiang, the previous governor of Zhili, Duan Fang was transferred to the new governor of Zhili.

Zhili has always been the territory of Beiyang, and the Qing government's move somewhat wanted to gradually undermine Beiyang's control over Zhili.

But Duan Fang knew that it would be extremely difficult to penetrate Beiyang, so he didn't do it very smoothly.

Zhang Xun was a man who knew how to get things done, so Feng Guozhang sent Zhang Xun to get acquainted with him.

Zhang Xun brought Duan Fang to visit Xiao De Zhang, which was a very common interaction in the officialdom.

But when Duan Fang saw that Xiao De Zhang was eager to reject Li Lianying's behavior just after Ci Xi died, he became even more disgusted, so he acted very coldly in his words.

Eunuchs are the best at observing words and expressions, and there is no one among them. Xiao Dezhang immediately knew the other party's attitude from Duan Fang's expression and words.

But Xiao De Zhang did not show it, but just wrote down Duan Fang's "arrogance and rudeness".

But Duan Fang thought it didn't matter. Eunuchs couldn't interfere in politics anyway. The regent was in power now, so Duan Fang didn't look down on Xiao Dezhang, the eunuch beside Queen Mother Longyu.

Zhang Xun also saw the clues and secretly wrote down this key detail.

Originally, Xiaode Zhang wanted to have a meal with them, but now he was in no mood, so he chatted for a few words and prepared to leave.

Zhang Xun wanted to persuade him to stay: "Manager De, I have already booked a banquet."

Xiao Dezhang waved his hand: "No need, I still need to go to Xiao Dao Liu's to see the baby who was just cleansed today."

Li Yu was so happy that he returned home leisurely.

-

Thanks to Li Yu's initiative, the Jinpu Railway was completed earlier than in history and was successfully opened to traffic this year together with the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway.

Li Yu and his wife were invited to become the first batch of passengers and took the bus to Pukou, Nanjing.

Also in the car was Tang Guoan.

Li Yu asked: "I think the arrangements for the students studying in the United States have been made?"

Tang Guoan said: "They will set off soon."

Li Yu asked again: "Where will Principal Tang get off the bus?"

"The final stop is Pukou, and then go directly to Shanghai." Tang Guoan said.

"We are traveling together," Li Yu said. "Why is the principal going to Shanghai?"

"I want to participate in the World Anti-Smoking Conference as a representative," Tang Guoan said, "I have to thank you for this."

"Thank me?" Li Yu asked doubtfully.

Tang Guoan took out a few packs of cigarettes: "The advice you gave Mr. Tang is great. This little thing can really help resist opium."

The construction of the cigarette factory was much easier than that of Li Yu's factory. Tang Shaoyi worked quickly and had already started selling on a large scale.

Cigarettes are much cheaper than regular cigarettes, they are easy to smoke, and their taste is not as bad as regular cigarettes, so they are spreading faster than expected.

At the same time, the profit of this thing is huge, and Beiyang stepped up its promotion after tasting the benefits.

Businessmen have always had a keen sense of smell, and when they sensed business opportunities, they began to build cigarette factories in various places.

At this time, the Qing government seemed to suddenly have the confidence to ban smoking. After many trials, it decided to hold the first World Anti-Smoking Conference, held in Shanghai.

It is really sad that 70 years ago it happened that the opium eradication in Humen led to the Opium War.The first anti-smoking conference was held in China.

For the Qing court, opium was really a brand of great shame. Foreigners even ridiculed the poppies that filled the mountains and plains as the national flower of the Qing Dynasty.

Anyway, the Western powers have already made a lot of money by dumping opium and turned to other businesses. They just want to use the World Anti-Smoking Conference to whitewash themselves.

(End of this chapter)