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

Historically, there were three batches of Boxer Refund overseas students, and then they were selected from graduates of Tsinghua University. In fact, it is no different. The system is more perfect, and it can also be used to expand Tsinghua University.

Because he was eligible to study in the United States, Tsinghua's status rose sharply in the Republic of China at an unimaginable speed. It could not be called a roller coaster at all.

However, Tsinghua’s selection standards and elimination system have always been strict. Entering Tsinghua does not necessarily mean you will be able to study in the United States. Didn't I mention before that Tsinghua University is divided into intermediate classes and advanced classes? Only those with qualified grades who are promoted to advanced classes are eligible to study in the United States. A considerable number of students drop out of school every year.

In addition to Tsinghua University, the Xie Yuxi Education Fund also has some quotas for studying in the United States, increasing the number of talents for further study.

The test questions were still set by Li Yu. Considering that students are now unevenly distributed and education is seriously unfair, the difficulty of the test papers is designed to span a wide range, from simple junior high school physics questions to high school national physics competition difficult questions.

The exams for this batch were arranged as usual, and 18 students were finally selected to study in the United States.

Fund candidates are basically science and engineering students.

One of them had very good grades, named Rao Yutai. Since then, the old man, together with Ye Qisun, Wu Youxun, and Yan Jici, have been known as the four great stars in physics.

Rao Yutai was a master of academics. While studying in the United States, he studied physics at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, Yale University, and Princeton University. His teacher was Compton, a leading American physicist at the time.

He has studied the Compton effect and Stark effect at the forefront of physics.

In the early years of the Republic of China, the domestic science level was definitely among the best in Asia.

Li Yu arranged the ferry tickets and gave them some precautions before leaving. He also said that if you have any questions in the future, you can contact the New York Fifth Avenue office at any time and you will receive various assistance including funds.

Rao Yutai had always been interested in studying physics and admired scholars like Li Yu who had made brilliant achievements in the field of mathematics and physics. He took the initiative to talk to Li Yu: "Mr. Academician, a month ago I was a teacher in a school, and now I have obtained The qualification to study in the United States is like a dream.”

Li Yu said: "You deserve it all."

Even if Li Yu doesn't show up, Rao Yutai will be admitted to Jiangxi Province to study abroad at public expense next year.

Rao Yutai said: "When I was in Shanghai, my senior Hu Shi gave me English lessons for a short period of time. He also mentioned you and said that you are the most powerful person in science in the country and even the world."

Li Yu said with a smile: "Rewards, awards, awards, I am so strong, it doesn't mean anything."

Rao Yutai was talking about what happened at Nanyang Public School in Shanghai two or three years ago. At that time, he and Hu Shi were alumni, and Hu Shi was also an English teacher, so in a sense, the two were both teachers and friends.

Hu Shi respected Rao Yutai very much. He later said: "In terms of knowledge, how could I teach English at that time? But the two classes I taught later produced several famous figures: Rao Yutai (Shuren), Yang Quan (Xingxing) Buddha), Yanzhuang (Jingzhai).”

After sending away Rao Yutai, Tsinghua University's enrollment this year has also begun.

This kind of enrollment does not need to be overly controlled by Tsinghua University. It is similar to the college entrance examination in later generations. Each province directly takes the exam, and then sends the top students to school according to the quota.

A few weeks later, students arrived in Beijing one after another.

The more famous ones in this session are Wen Yiduo and Tang Yongtong.

Wen Yiduo is famous and does not have many introductions.

Another Tang Yongtong is also a famous master of Chinese studies. Together with Chen Yinke and Wu Mi, he is known as the "Three Masters of Harvard".

A few days later, Liang Qichao returned from overseas, a little earlier than in history.

It was probably Yuan Shikai who urged him to come back quickly.

Yuan Shikai very much hoped to establish his own position in the cultural field and gain the commanding heights of public opinion. The benefits of doing so were huge. Not only could he gain support from elite groups and intellectuals, but he could also control the minds of the masses. - At least that's what he thought. of.

It's not enough to have Zhang Taiyan now. If Liang Qichao comes too, it will be really too strong.

However, both of them were arrogant, and they had had fierce quarrels over their different views on constitutionalism and revolution, so their tempers were not on the same page.

When Liang Qichao learned that Zhang Taiyan had recently been a guest at Yuan Shikai's house, he turned around and came to see Li Yu first.

Liang Qichao has not returned to China for more than ten years. The country has changed a lot in recent years, especially the big pigtails all over the streets can no longer be seen.

Li Yu held a banquet for Liang Qichao at his residence. He said with emotion: "It seems that the benefits of the Republic are really many, and there is no chaos as imagined. Now that the emperor is gone, if the cabinet's measures can be slowly implemented , there is great potential to rebuild the world.”

Liang Qichao was eager to do something. Although Li Yu knew the follow-up direction, he couldn't attack him, so he said: "Everything depends on whether the republic is implemented well. Mr. Ren still has no plans to become an official?"

Liang Qichao said: "Not yet."

Li Yu said: "In that case, since Mr. Ren doesn't have much to do anyway, why not take some time to give a speech at Tsinghua University?"

Liang Qichao was very interested in this school for studying in the United States: "I am invited by a few talented people. Even if I don't agree, I have to agree."

Li Yu said: "Thank you in advance."

At this time, Zhao Qian brought in several newspapers of the day. Liang Qichao wanted to know the current situation in the country as soon as possible, so he read them page by page.

He read and read newspapers very quickly, turning over each page shortly after staying there. After a while, his eyes suddenly froze: "If this can be done, the Republic of China will indeed have a sense of citizenship and equality."

Li Yu asked: "What's the matter?"

Liang Qichao unfolded the newspaper: "A divorce case filed by the woman."

The Republic of China has only been established for a few months. In addition to the long-standing discrimination and oppression in the feudal era, there are still very few divorce cases. Li Yu said: "If the man is at fault and can be punished according to law, it will play a good role in equality between men and women." Boosting effect.”

Liang Qichao said: "I think so too, but this case is really interesting. It's a prostitute who wants to divorce a eunuch."

Li Yu almost spit out his tea: "Prostitute? Eunuch?"

Li Yu picked up the newspaper and read the report.

The case is not complicated. It tells the story of a eunuch named Zhang from the former Qing Dynasty who fell in love with a woman from Bada Hutong, and then used 300 taels of silver to redeem her and marry her as his concubine.

This kind of thing is not uncommon in the palace. It has existed since the Ming Dynasty and is generally called "eating".

But I didn't expect that this prostitute named Cheng entered Eunuch Zhang's house and found out that he still had a wife. She was very dissatisfied: Marrying a eunuch was already despicable, but she was just a concubine?
  After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, a woman named Cheng learned that the courts of the Republic of China could handle divorce, so she decided to break up with Eunuch Zhang.

This has become a rare thing, with too many flashpoints, and it has become the hottest news in the capital these days.

Eunuch Zhang is rich and the soldiers are not afraid of her suing. There were very few lawyers in the capital, so Eunuch Zhang believed that she would never have the money to hire a foreign lawyer.

But things turned around quickly, and a lawyer actually expressed his intention to defend her.

The case will be heard in court tomorrow. Liang Qichao was very interested and asked Li Yu to attend the meeting the next day.

The court is also willing to allow celebrities like them to attend the scene. They don't need to speak, they just sit there, photos are taken, and newspaper reports are published. It is a legal education for ordinary people-if anything happens in the future, they can use the law as a weapon.

It has always been very difficult to popularize the law, and making good use of popular cases that attract high attention is a very effective means of publicity.

After Li Yu and Liang Qichao were sitting in the auditorium, they saw Eunuch Zhang coming out with a "lawyer". Strictly speaking, he was not a modern lawyer, but a litigant.

Immediately afterwards, the woman surnamed Cheng also appeared with a lawyer.

Li Yuman was surprised when he saw this lawyer - it turned out to be Cao Rulin.

Yes, he was one of the three major sinners who triggered the "May [-]th Movement".

Cao Rulin was previously a senior official in the cabinet, but this year he suddenly decided to resign and become a lawyer.

He was the earliest practicing lawyer in Beijing, and he put forward the view of his idol Wu Tingfang: "Lawyers can appear in court to defend themselves."

But many people are not very optimistic about Cao Rulin's approach.

Because since Yuan Shikai repeatedly skipped the cabinet to make decisions, everyone felt that justice was still unreasonable. This aspect was not much different from the former Qing Dynasty, so lawyers were still a "sunset industry."

Even Yuan Shikai said to Cao Rulin: "Since you have become famous, why do you need to be a lawyer?"

At this time, Cao Rulin was still a spirited young man, and he studied law when he was studying abroad. He knew the power of the rule of law, so he insisted on becoming a lawyer, a promising career.

In court, Eunuch Zhang's lawyers did not have much experience in defending the case and only submitted a eulogy, but they felt that they were already winning.

Because the three pieces of evidence that Cao Rulin could use as a defense for divorce no longer constitute a threat:

1 Father-in-law Zhang is a eunuch and cannot be humane;
  2 Father-in-law Zhang had a wife and committed bigamy;

3. The woman surnamed Cheng was abused by Eunuch Zhang.

Since Eunuch Zhang had married her as early as the Qing Dynasty, the one-year validity period for the lawsuit had already passed.

As for the third item, although Eunuch Zhang did beat her many times, the injuries have now healed and there is no physical evidence at all.

Eunuch Zhang looked at the woman surnamed Cheng with a fierce look in his eyes, "This little girl has made our family lose face, you will feel better later!"
  Cao Rulin, who was wearing an English-style wig and a lawyer's robe, was calm and said to Eunuch Zhang: "Now that Ms. Cheng is determined to get a divorce, you are no longer husband and wife. There is no point in staying together."

Eunuch Zhang knew that the woman surnamed Cheng had no money, so he jokingly said: "You can get a divorce. If you spit out all the 300 taels of silver that you got for selling yourself, I will divorce you."

Cao Rulin's eyes lit up, he was waiting for this flaw.

Cao Rulin suddenly said sternly: "Living people cannot be bought or sold. This was strictly prohibited in the former Qing Dynasty, let alone the Republic of China? I can give you the ransom money, and the charge of human trafficking will be implemented immediately!"

Eunuch Zhang immediately panicked, knowing that he had said the wrong thing, and quickly said: "That is not human trafficking. I lent her the money to redeem her body."

Cao Rulin said: "Marriage is a family. According to Chinese customs, this is the joint property of husband and wife. If you have evidence of the loan, submit it; if not, it is sophistry and contempt of court!"

Cao Rulin beat Eunuch Zhang to his true colors with just a few words.

Eunuch Zhang and the litigant were both speechless.

Then Cao Rulin said: "Your honor, I think the marriage between these two people was based on an illegal sale and should be dissolved. As for the 300 taels of ransom money, no one threatened Eunuch Zhang when he paid it. It was him who It’s voluntary, so there’s no need to return it.”

Needless to say, the result was that the court's decision was basically the same as what Cao Rulin said.

As one of the earliest divorce cases to be heard publicly after the implementation of the new law of the Republic of China, Cao Rulin quickly became famous in the lawyer circle through this case.

If he keeps doing this instead of returning to Yuan Shikai's staff and signing the Twenty-One and Treason Treaty, he might really be able to become a very positive barrister.

However, there are only a few people who can stay awake in the face of the temptation of power.

Liang Qichao has studied law intensively for many years. After watching the trial process of the case, he clapped his hands and said: "Wonderful, wonderful! The Chinese people are one step closer to the spirit of the rule of law."

At this time, Cao Rulin felt very accomplished. It turns out that being a lawyer is so exciting!
  He saw Liang Qichao and Li Yu sitting in the gallery, walked over and said, "Mr. Liang, Mr. Li, I didn't expect you two to be here too."

Liang Qichao said: "I am so impressed by Lawyer Cao's performance in being able to win a case with no advantage in such a simple and effective way!"

Cao Rulin said: "I am very frightened to be praised by Mr. Liang, and I will definitely make persistent efforts."

Cao Rulin has really continued to take on some cases since then, and they are all bizarre and difficult to judge.

For example, the case of "Two women assaulted a man resulting in his death" that became famous in Shanghai a few months later was even more bizarre than this eunuch divorce case.

That case was about two wolf-like women in their thirties who insisted on having sex with a passing man during the autumn harvest. When they were going to the corn field, they found that the man suddenly died.

I don’t know if he was too excited, had some illness, or died of exhaustion.

The county government quickly convicted the two women.

As a result, when lawyer Cao found out, he said: "The person who decided the case is really a fool. The two sisters are clearly innocent."

After the father of the two girls heard about it, he immediately called lawyer Cao to plead not guilty.

Cao Rulin's logic is very clear: when the two women had sex with the victim, there was no forced behavior. Both parties were consensual. They should not impose charges on the suspect because the victim had no criminal ability.

Finally, the two women were successfully released.

As a result, Cao Rulin not only became famous among lawyers in Beijing and Tianjin, but also made a name for himself in Shanghai.

Cao Rulin suddenly said to Li Yu again: "Master Li, I heard that Tsinghua University has begun to recruit students. I want my son to go to school."

Li Yu was just about to say that he needed to take an exam, but before he opened his mouth, Liang Qichao said: "Lawyer Cao is so motivated, which makes me even more gratified. I am also planning to let Quan Zi enter Tsinghua School, so that the children can be a classmate in the future."

Li Yu could only swallow the words that came to his lips.

Hey, big trees attract the wind, but if the water is clear, there will be no fish. Tsinghua University is now so famous that it is inevitable to encounter this kind of thing. Given the environment of the Republic of China, it is absolutely impossible to completely eliminate the back door.

If you want to enroll in school, just go through the back door. As for whether you can get into higher education and obtain the qualification to study in the United States, that's another matter.