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

Chapter 491 Looking for Light
Li Yu was recently preparing to go south to Shanghai again because he received a telegram from the Jingwu Martial Arts School and the Japanese were preparing to challenge them.

Originally, Huo Yuanjia and Nong Jinsun felt that the matter did not matter and did not want Li Yu to come all the way, but thinking of his serious expression when he gave the instructions, they still sent the telegram.

After Li Yu received the telegram, he took the railway southward, for no other reason than to be really upset with the little Japanese.

Although one should be objective in life, at this point, one can only be more subjective. If you hate it, you just hate it.

Huo Yuanjia's reputation is really great. Everyone in Shanghai knows it. Coupled with the master-disciple relationship with Chen Qimei, he is very comfortable in both black and white.

Chen Qimei also has her own revolutionary idea: Let Huo Yuanjia teach martial arts to Qing Gang disciples and improve their fighting skills. Whether it is assassination or revolution, it will be useful in the future.

After taking the railway to Pukou, Li Yu transferred to the ferry to Nanjing and continued to take the railway to Shanghai.

On the train from Nanjing to Shanghai, a young man suddenly came over and said, "It's really Academician Li Yu!"

Li Yuzheng closed his eyes to rest, opened his eyes and asked, "Who are you?"

The young man said: "My name is Mao Yisheng. I am studying in Nanjing. They all said that you have a good school in Shanghai where you can learn the best knowledge, so I signed up to give it a try."

"Mao Yisheng?" Li Yu became interested, sat up straight and said, "How old are you?"

Mao Yisheng said: "I am 15 years old this year."

Mao Yisheng is talking about virtual age.

Li Yu said: "I'm at a good age. I've been in middle school for a few years and I'm going to study in the United States."

Mao Yisheng said: "I decided to go to your school just because I wanted to study abroad."

Li Yu's education fund is quite famous.

"You are quite ambitious," Li Yu said. "The infrastructure in the United States is very prosperous right now. If you study subjects such as civil engineering, you will have many practical opportunities."

Mao Yisheng said: "How did you know that I wanted to study civil engineering?"

Li Yu said: "I guessed it."

Mao Yisheng said: "Does foreign psychology have the ability to read minds?"

Li Yu said with a smile: "Bridges are the most technical part of civil engineering. Many parts of our railways are not easy to repair now, especially places that cross large rivers. When it comes to civil engineering, the most difficult part must be bridges."

Mao Yisheng didn't think so much, so he said: "I just saw that there are no bridges on the Yangtze River and Yellow River, and I want to build the No. 1 bridge."

Li Yu said: "Then you should study physics, especially mechanics, in middle school."

Mao Yisheng said: "I will take note of your words."

In the major civil engineering industry, bridges are undoubtedly very high-end and highly professional. Even in the era before Li Yu crossed over, when railways and highways encountered difficult bridges, special bridge bureaus were required to undertake them. .

By the way, China dares to say that it has the best infrastructure in the world, largely because of its high level of bridge construction.

——It is not difficult to build railways and highways on the plains.

At present, the most important railways in China are the Jinpu Railway, Beijing-Hankou Railway, and Beijing-Fenghuang Railway, which have connected Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Wuhan, and Beijing-Shenyang. These railways have one obvious thing in common: they are basically built in on the plains.

And the difficulty of subsequent railways, even the relatively simple Wuhan-Guangzhou section, will be greatly increased, let alone other railways.

Therefore, there is really a huge gap in civil engineering talents.

However, the infrastructure industry is closely related to national power. Without money, there is no way to build roads.The speed of railway construction during the Republic of China was even much slower than that during the late Qing Dynasty.

After arriving in Shanghai, Li Yu first took Mao Yisheng to Shanghai Middle School. Since he had attended a new-style school in Nanjing for several years, he easily passed the admission review.

Li Yu's idea is to let them study abroad a few years in advance. It is of great significance to become talented early. Even if it is only one or two years early, there will be a significant difference.

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Shanghai is Li Yu's permanent residence. There is a small western-style building and Yuyuan Garden, both of which are in good locations.

After resting for a night, Li Yu came to Jingwu School.

People from the Japan Judo Association came to formally issue a "war declaration". Also present were reporters from "Shen Shen". This matter would make headlines the next day.

Li Yu said to Huo Yuanjia: "Does Master Huo know anything about Japanese judo?"

Huo Yuanjia said: "I don't know much about it. I only know that it is a Japanese martial art that was born not long ago. It seems to have some connection with Mongolian wrestling."

Li Yu said: “If we find some people who studied in Japan, they may be able to provide more information.”

Huo Yuanjia said indifferently: "Does it need to be so troublesome?"

"Know yourself and know the enemy." Li Yu said.

After the news was published the next day, it indeed caused a great sensation. Many people expressed support for the Jingwu Association. Some international students who had studied at Hongbun School in Tokyo even took the initiative to explain the judo moves.

People like Brother Xun who only practiced judo as part-timers at Hongwen School did not understand the essence. However, there are still people who are interested in this, such as Xiang Kairan.

His other name is better known: Pingjiang Buxiao Sheng.

The originator of martial arts novels.

Xiang Kairan is very keen on martial arts and has studied in Japan for many years. Many of them were at Hongwen Academy and he met many Japanese judo masters.

Xiang Kairan recently returned to China and came to Jingwu Club to demonstrate judo techniques to Huo Yuanjia one by one.

Huo Yuanjia sighed sincerely: "My little brother is good for martial arts training."

Xiang Kairan cupped his fists and said, "Thank you, Master Huo, for the compliment."

Li Yu smiled and said, "I think it's more like material for writing novels."

Xiang Kairan was also happy when he heard it: "The future is uncertain. I also like to watch the Star Wars series of Emperor Master now."

The competition is still held in Zhangyuan, Shanghai.

The first person to appear was Huo Yuanjia’s apprentice Liu Zhensheng.

Liu Zhensheng is a tough opponent. He has won against a Japanese samurai and a judo master.

The Japanese were a little embarrassed, so they sent in experts.

Real jousting was often very quick and did not last as long as later boxing matches did.

Huo Yuanjia practiced actual combat methods and was not very afraid of the opponent. Japanese judo masters tried to hug and throw Huo Yuanjia, but they were dodged.

And Huo Yuanjia would not only use judo techniques to counterattack, making the Japanese master unable to touch him and unable to use his strength.

The Japanese master was obviously a little anxious and went over to catch Huo Yuanjia. Huo Yuanjia did not dodge, and grabbed his wrist with an anti-joint move, twisted it around and kicked him away.

Logically speaking, the Japanese master would be defeated if he was kicked out at this time, but this guy was holding on with all his strength.

Huo Yuanjia struck and heard the sound of bones breaking.

The Japanese master yelled and huddled on the ground with his arms folded.

Both sides rushed to the ring.

Japanese doctor Akino checked the injury and said, "Master Huo has done a good job." His tone was strange.

Although it was not intentional, the Japanese hated Fearless very much for losing in the ring in public.

Huo Yuanjia apologized: "My fists and feet have no eyes, but I didn't intend to actually break his arm."

Nong Jinsun also came over and said, "We can bear the medical expenses."

"No need." After the Japanese said that, he stood up and left.

Nong Jinsun complained: "Yuan Jia, you are too harsh."

Huo Yuanjia said: "He wanted to hold on, so you can't blame me entirely."

Li Yu said: "The matter has come to this, Master Huo, you must beware of Japanese retaliation."

Huo Yuanjia said indifferently: "They are all warriors. I don't believe they don't have this kind of tolerance."

Li Yu said: "The Japanese are very arrogant now and will never be convinced. If a Japanese doctor comes to you to provide treatment or medicine in the future, do not accept it."

Huo Yuanjia said: "If the other party has good intentions, wouldn't it appear that I have no tolerance if I refuse deliberately?"

Li Yu thought for a while and said: "Japanese doctors are nothing more than Western medicine. Mr. Huo wants to treat diseases. I have a better place to go. Not long ago, Harvard University in the United States established a medical school in Shanghai and hired top-notch professors in the United States. Their The level is definitely better than that Japanese doctor."

Huo Yuanjia said gratefully: "I do have some chest pain recently."

Li Yu said: "Then you must remember not to believe the Japanese's messy pills. Listen to me and you are right."

Huo Yuanjia said: "That's fine, I will go and ask for a diagnosis."

Although Huo Yuanjia's death is a mystery, it is at least [-]% likely to be the work of the Japanese. It is recorded in the historical materials of the Shanghai Jingwu Association.

An autopsy after the coffin was opened also proved that he died of poisoning.

However, before Li Yu traveled through time, some people began to excuse the Japanese on the Internet, but they were refuted one by one by the descendants of the Huo family.

Li Yu repeatedly warned Huo Yuanjia and Nong Jinsun to stay away from the Japanese as much as possible. The two respected Li Yu's opinions and hoped that nothing would go wrong.

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After being busy with the Jingwu Association, Li Yu came to the Shanghai Red Cross Society. They were recently raising disaster relief funds to deal with the drought in the Central Plains.

At the Red Cross, Li Yu met an American, Fu Kaisen, who was a good man.

This gentleman has stayed in China for many years, served as an aide to Liu Kunyi and Zhang Zhidong, and even participated in the planning of Southeast Mutual Protection.

Fu Kaisen told Red Cross President Sheng Xuanhuai: "On behalf of the Huayang Relief Society, I will donate US$100 million to respond to the disaster."

Hearing such a huge number, Sheng Xuanhuai said: "The Huayang Relief Association is loyal and courageous, and the world can learn from it. On behalf of the victims of the Central Plains region, I would like to express my gratitude to you."

"The money has to be really used for disaster relief under the supervision of the Red Cross," Forkison said.

Fukaisen said it very euphemistically, but Sheng Xuanhuai understood the meaning and said: "Don't worry, there are foreigners in the Red Cross, and the latest statistical methods are used in the finance, so there will be no corruption."

"If this is true, our Huayang Relief Association will continue to provide help for future disasters," Fukaisen said.

Sheng Xuanhuai himself is not short of money, and he is an official and businessman. He has many ways to make money, and there is no need to rely on corruption.

Sheng Xuanhuai said: "I will petition the imperial court to give you a reward."

Li Yu wanted to cooperate with them for the Northeastern plague that would occur in a few months, but it had not happened yet and there was no way to start. He had to use the assistance of the Red Cross to contact textile factories and produce large quantities of masks.

Functionally, it cannot be compared with the masks of later generations, but at least it has the basic functions of masks in form.

When the textile factory received an order for millions of masks, it was very surprising, but the money had been paid and the work must be delivered on time.

Li Yu only paid the money in advance, and the court will soon pay for the purchase.

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Zhangyuan in Shanghai is a large area where various modern activities are held.

Many fund-raising activities of Huayang Relief Society and Shanghai Red Cross Society are held here.

Recently, Zhang Yuan held another fund-raising event for the typhoon disaster in Fujian. Li Yu was invited to participate and donated [-] silver yuan.

He was the person who raised the most donations and immediately aroused applause from the audience.

At the end of the fund-raising, several young people gathered around and praised: "The Imperial Master is indeed a man with a big mind and the people. He is many times better than the princes and nobles in the court who only care about their own country that is about to decay."

Hearing them talk like this, they sounded like revolutionaries. Li Yu said: "It is the admonition left by our ancestors to achieve great things and benefit the world."

One of them clapped again and said: "Well said! I, Liu Yazi, have long admired the name of the emperor and master. When I see you today, you really have both talent and appearance."

Li Yu's height is really lethal now. He said: "You are also participating in fund-raising in Zhangyuan?"

Liu Yazi said: "It's not just a fundraiser, today is also a gathering of our Nanshe."

Nanshe was an influential cultural group on poetry in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, and Lu Xun also participated.

Chen Qubing, another member of Nanshe, said: "We use words as weapons to fight against the decadent ruling class. Although the name does not sound so majestic, we will prove that literati are not useless in troubled times."

Li Yu said: "As you said, I also want to set up a science club."

It's a pity that Li Yu is not very good at organizing societies.

Liu Yazi said: "Master Di has written works such as the Star Wars series that shocked the entire European and American literary circles. He even won the medal of the French Academy of Letters. I guess he is a person with profound literary accomplishment."

Liu Yazi praised a little too much, Li Yu smiled and said, "It's just a popular novel."

Liu Yazi said: "We have studied that vernacular is the general trend. Culture cannot be limited to high-level people. We must let more people learn culture like Japan does, so that we can strengthen the country."

Nanshe is definitely not a simple cultural group, they think a lot.

Li Yu said: "Have you all watched Star Wars?"

Liu Yazi said: "Of course I have read it and I like it very much. It is fascinating and the imagination is magnificent. It is as enjoyable as reading a fantasy novel. I am thinking that if everyone in the world has the ability to understand popular novels, then we will not lose to Japan."

Li Yu said: "Science and culture should indeed be accessible to ordinary people."

Liu Yazi said: "It's a pity that the charm of vernacular writing is still lacking."

Li Yu said: "I don't think so."

Liu Yazi said: "But it is difficult to write a proud poem like 'Flying down three thousand feet, it is suspected that the Milky Way falls in the nine sky' in the vernacular."

Li Yu said: "If you talk about poetry, of course the vernacular is weaker, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you can't write good poems."

Liu Yazi said: "The emperor is a master of vernacular writing. Can you give me an example?"

He turned out to be a "master of vernacular writing". Li Yu thought for a while and said: "For example, the night gave me black eyes, but I use them to find light."

Liu Yazi recited it silently, and couldn't help but clap his hands again: "That's it! What a poem, what a poem! It speaks volumes about this era! Aren't we just trying to find a glimmer of light in this dark dynasty?"

(End of this chapter)