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

Although George Eastman had decided on the idea of ​​opening a store in Shanghai, he certainly could not stay. He planned to send another manager to be stationed in Shanghai after returning to New York. The camera film and other things he had shipped before were temporarily stored in Li Yu's Yu Garden.

Someone already knew the news, and Zhang Yuanji brought someone to Li Yu to buy it first that day.

George Eastman set a very low price for the first batch of cameras, fifteen dollars apiece, which was basically the cost price. Of course, this is full of business strategies: after all, Kodak mainly sells film. As long as consumers fall in love with photography and go crazy taking pictures and buying film, they will definitely make a lot of money.

Li Yu thought that Zhang Yuanji and the others also wanted to buy cameras, but Zhang Yuanji pointed to one person and said: "This little brother is called Zheng Zhengqiu. He has just established Xinmin Film Company recently. He wants to shoot a movie, so he went to Brother Shucai to buy film. "

Currently, all film is imported, and supply is indeed relatively tight.

Zheng Zhengqiu is known as the "Father of Chinese Film". He wrote and co-directed China's first feature film.

Now the father of film is only 24 years old. He held up his hands and said respectfully: "I have long admired your name!"

"You're welcome," Li Yu said, "I don't understand film either. There are quite a few in the warehouse. You can see for yourself which ones you can use."

Zheng Zhengqiu said: "Thank you very much."

He just started to establish Xinmin Film Company this year to take over the screenwriting and filming business of Asia Film Company.

Asia Film Company is a company invested by foreigners. Its boss is Russian-American Brasky. He is the first foreigner allowed to enter the Forbidden City to shoot documentaries.

This foreigner is very good at business and pioneered the operating model of foreign investment and Chinese service in the domestic film industry, which was very advanced.

There are many benefits to doing this. Local film and television practitioners will definitely understand Chinese tastes better and can accumulate shooting experience; their investors will only make more money.

Similar patterns were more common in later generations.

Zheng Zhengqiu quickly found the film he needed. After looking at it, he said, "This is also our first time using American film. We can't wait to try out the effect."

Li Yu asked: "Which country made the film I used before?"

Zheng Zhengqiu replied: "It's usually made in Germany."

Li Yu thought to himself, no wonder their film company almost went out of business during World War I. It turned out to be because they could not buy film exported from Germany.

Li Yu was a good person and lent him the legendary photographer Muybridge's "Running Horse" that had been copied from the United States to watch, and also provided him with the movie projector he bought back at that time.

Zheng Zhengqiu must know Muybridge's name, just like everyone in later generations knows Ridley and Cameron.

Zheng Zhengqiu's eyes almost popped out: "Mr. Academician actually has such a precious thing!"

Li Yu said with a smile: "Good things should be put out so that people who know how to do it can bring out greater value."

"My gratitude is beyond words!" Zheng Zhengqiu said happily, "Fortunately, I have benefited a lot from my visit to your residence today!"

"I have benefited a lot from the films of my predecessors. I only give roses to others, and the fragrance lingers in my hands," Li Yu said easily, and then asked, "What type of film are you planning to shoot?"

Zheng Zhengqiu said: "I have always believed that movies should be used as a tool to reform society and educate the masses. Now that the Republic of China is newly established, I want to make a film that satirizes the arranged marriage system."

Li Yu said: "What a great idea. I hope everything goes well with the filming and the film will be released successfully."

Domestic film shooting began in the Fengtai Photo Studio in Beijing in the late Qing Dynasty, where Tan Xinpei starred in "Dingjun Mountain". However, four years ago, Fengtai Photo Studio suffered a sudden fire and it was completely destroyed. Shanghai took over the status of the film center.

In the first ten years of the Republic of China, most of the films produced in China were of average quality and could only be regarded as a learning and exploratory stage. Only when a group of outstanding filmmakers and actors emerge can the film industry of the Republic of China flourish.

Fortunately, even though the shooting level and film quality are relatively rudimentary now, movies are a new thing and basically everything is watched by people. If the film company can operate normally, it will not suffer losses and can grow bigger and bigger.

-

Zhang Taiyan, who went to Wuchang to meet Li Yuanhong and then met Yuan Shikai in the capital, made a big circle and returned to Shanghai, accompanied by one more person - Ma Xiangbo, the founder of Fudan University.

Both of them are now senior advisers to Yuan Shikai's presidential office.

Zhang Taiyan first had a chat with Sun and Huang. Needless to say, the conversation naturally broke down.

Now the southern revolutionaries are determined to achieve a second revolution, and even Huang Xing, who had reservations before, firmly sides with Mr. Sun.

What makes them so united is that the big loan for the aftermath has been completely finalized.

Congress was really furious. Not only did it not pass Congress's approval, but the loan treaty that Yuan Shikai advocated was simply like an unequal treaty! It's simply intolerable.

Sun Huang and others believed that Yuan Shikai wanted to expand his military power and take the opportunity to eliminate the new Kuomintang, so they had no choice but to rebel!

Zhang Taiyan kindly advised: "President Yuan is somewhat authoritarian, but the current situation requires a strong man. You can tolerate it as long as you can; and to say the least, what are you going to fight him with now?"

Sun is an optimist: "I want to personally call on the governors of all provinces. Those who have justice in their hearts will definitely stand on our side!"

Zhang Taiyan sighed: "That's it. It's your business to listen or not."

-

Zhang Taiyan bid farewell to Sun Huang, and together with Ma Xiangbo invited Li Yu to meet at Huizhong Hotel. They also had an additional small task.

"Look, brother Shucai," Zhang Taiyan took out a document and placed it on the table, "The president intends to follow the example of the French Academy of Sciences and establish the Chinese Academy of Sciences. I must ask you about this kind of thing, so let us listen to your opinion."

Although Li Yu knew that the Beiyang government could not build an academy of sciences at all, it was not convenient to point out at this time, so he could only take the document, but he was stunned just by looking at the title, and asked in surprise: "What is Hanxia Kaowenyuan?"

Zhang Taiyan said: "This is the name we gave the Chinese Academy of Sciences."

Li Yu wondered: "Wouldn't it be better to just call it the Chinese Academy of Sciences? Why should we give it such a name? Is there some origin?"

As a master of Chinese studies, Zhang Taiyan explained: "The word 'Han Xia' comes from the "Book of Han·Yang Xiong Zhuan Part 1", 'With Han Xia as a great Han, how can he compare with his merits?'" Yan Shi, an exegesis expert in the Tang Dynasty The ancient interpretation is, "Han Xia" means "Han Xia". Since then, "Han Xia" has been used to refer to the whole of China."

Li Yu had a taste of what textual research was, but he had never even read "Han Shu", so he listened in a daze and only got the general idea from the last sentence.

Li Yu then asked: "How do you explain Kao Wenyuan?"

Ma Xiangbo said: "This word has no allusion. It is my elegant translation based on the word academy, which refers to the highest level academic organization."

"So that's what happened!" Li Yu suddenly realized, "But I always feel like something is weird."

Zhang Taiyan asked: "What's strange?"

"I can't tell." Li Yu said. “It’s not surprising that it was implemented,” Zhang Taiyan said. “We chose the French model because the French Academy of Sciences includes the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has the intention of guiding everything scientifically. This can demonstrate our determination to reform.”

Li Yu was a little in awe. Zhang Taiyan, as the top master of Chinese studies in the early years of the Republic of China, was willing to put science in such a high position, and his style could not be more broad.

Li Yu said: "I thought about it carefully and the name of Hanxia Kao Wenyuan is quite good."

Zhang Taiyan said: "In addition to deciding on the name, when my brother-in-law and I were in Beijing, we recruited Ji Dao (characterized by Yan Fu) and Zhuo Ru (characterized by Liang Qichao) to form a four-person team and roughly drew up a list of preliminary candidates, putting them first. They are brothers Shucai."

Li Yu smiled and said, "I'm so proud of you."

Zhang Taiyan continued: "Since it is based on the French model, it also includes celebrities from Chinese studies."

Li Yu asked: "Is Mr. Taiyan the leader of the Chinese Studies department?"

Zhang Taiyan said: "I did not join."

Li Yu asked: "Why is this? You are the most qualified."

Zhang Taiyan said: "We have stipulated that those who hold other senior officials in the government will no longer be admitted."

Ma Xiangbo also said: "Officials are already so corrupt, and we don't want academics to become corrupt as well."

Li Yu praised: "Think far! Once academia is corrupted, it will no longer be academia."

While a few people were chatting, suddenly a group of people walked in with great fanfare and shouted: "Hang up the banner!"

Li Yu glanced at the banner and saw that Kang Youwei had returned to China.

Kang Youwei and his disciple Chen Huanzhang strode in, and happened to see Li Yu's table.

Chen Huanzhang pointed at Li Yu and said to Kang Youwei: "Master, this man has repeatedly slandered our Confucian Church, and his heart is worthy of death!"

"Ha!" Kang Youwei breathed out of his nose, "I didn't expect that I would see Li Yu's child just after I returned home. It was really off-putting."

Li Yu smiled and replied: "Then you must seldom look in the mirror, otherwise you wouldn't have gained such a lot of weight after going abroad for more than ten years."

Kang Youwei's beard curled up: "Yellow-haired boy! Do you know where this is? How dare you speak to me like this?"

Li Yu was calm and composed: "Why, did Mr. Nanhai not forget to invest in real estate in Shanghai during his more than ten years abroad? You bought all this land?"

"Presumptuous!" Kang Youwei raised his voice and said, "I, Kang, and others are back, and Confucius will be designated as the state religion soon. You, a busker who only knows foreigners' strange and obscene techniques, should be beaten back to your original form!"

Li Yu laughed out loud: "Mr. Nanhai, have you forgotten that it is the Republic of China now? The Qing Dynasty and the emperor are gone, how can you still be so arrogant?"

"The emperor is still here!" Kang Youwei retorted, "As for me, the Qing Dynasty, although I am gone, my spirit will not die. Anyone who forgets the Qing Dynasty is an ungrateful person!"

Li Yu didn't let him go at all and responded directly: "Mr. Nanhai, I haven't forgotten. Besides, how could I forget?"

Kang Youwei snorted coldly: "Have you seriously not forgotten?"

Li Yu said seriously: "I haven't forgotten! I haven't forgotten the three massacres in Jiading on the tenth day of Yangzhou; I haven't forgotten the Literary Prison where all the families were executed for speaking out; I haven't forgotten the countless treaties that ceded territory and paid indemnity, which was a humiliation to the country!"

Kang Youwei was so stunned that he opened his mouth for a long time without saying anything. Chen Huanzhang pushed him before he reacted and said loudly: "Slander! If you say such a thing, you will be beheaded!"

Li Yu calmed down and said, "I want to see what law you use to chop my head off."

"You..." Kang Youwei was so angry that he took a few breaths.

Li Yu added: "Mr. Nanhai, let me give you a message. It is impossible to forget the Qing Dynasty; but if you want to return to the Qing Dynasty, you are a pure fool."

Li Yu's words about later generations made Kang Youwei unable to refute.

Zhang Taiyan laughed loudly on the side: "Brother Shucai, I didn't expect you to be so talented in debating."

Kang Youwei suddenly shouted angrily: "You are not qualified to join my family, so what qualifications do you have to laugh?"

Li Yu secretly laughed in his heart, he had offended the wrong person.

Long before the Reform Movement of 1898, Zhang Taiyan came to work at the "Current Affairs News" run by Liang Qichao in Shanghai because of its reputation. It turned out that except for Liang Qichao, who had some writing skills, the others in this group were only flattery.

Zhang Taiyan was very disdainful and had a conflict with them. He even slapped Liang Qichao, but in turn he was beaten up by the Kangmen disciples and kicked out.

At this time, Kang Youwei brought up old things again, obviously wanting to humiliate him.

Zhang Taiyan put away his smile and said calmly: "Mr. Nanhai, even if I am a dog, I, Zhang Taiyan, will not be your Kangmen's dog. It's because your room is full of putrid smell that I am willing to stay for a long time because of the deworming."

Kang Youwei said: "Stop pretending! Those two tricks of yours are just leftovers from our Wanmu Thatched Cottage to pick up people's wits."

"Mr. Nanhai, I only called you that for the sake of the Wuxu era. If you really want to talk about knowledge, you are not worthy of holding a shoe in front of me," Zhang Taiyan said rudely, "As for you saying that I pick up people's wits, haha, I What you picked up wasn't bones, but big dog legs, and not a trace of meat was bitten off. Your teeth are really bad!"

Zhang Taiyan's level of swearing was too high. Kang Youwei's attempt to argue with Zhang Taiyan was completely asking for trouble. Zhang Taiyan was the number one "lunatic" in the Republic of China. If he let him go, he would be scolded into a trance.

Seeing his master being scolded like this, Chen Huanzhang couldn't stand it any longer, and counterattacked: "Is this how you treat your most holy master? No wonder they say revolutionaries are stubborn!"

"It's not your turn to speak yet," Zhang Taiyan said coldly, then ignored him at all, picked up the documents on the table and said to Kang Youwei, "Recently, the president will follow the example of the French Academy of Sciences and establish the Han Xia Kao Literary Academy. We have drawn up a plan The list, by the way, does not include Mr. Nanhai."

Kang Youwei calmed down his breath and said with a smile: "Can I, Kang, like what you are doing? In a few days, Confucianism will be designated as the state religion and the Academy of Sciences will be returned? It's ridiculous!"

"It stinks, it stinks!" Li Yu covered his nose and stood up, saying to Zhang Taiyan and Ma Xiangbo, "You two, let's leave quickly."

Zhang Taiyan also put his hand in front of his nose and flapped it, "It stinks!"

The three of them walked out of Huizhong Hotel, and Li Yu said speechlessly: "I didn't expect that a good meal would spoil my interest."

Zhang Taiyan said: "Although Kang Nanhai's statement is quite ridiculous, I am a little worried, maybe he really did it."

"Are you saying that the Presidential Office will really make Confucianism the state religion?" Li Yu asked, "But their Confucianism is not the Confucianism of the past at all!"

Zhang Taiyan said seriously: "The more heretical you are, the easier it is to confuse people's hearts, so you must be on guard against it."