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

A few days later, when Li Yu came to Tsinghua University again, he was invited to the principal's office by Zhou Yichun. There were several people in the room, most of whom Li Yu knew: Gu Weijun, Zhan Tianyou, Liang Dunyan, Yan Huiqing, Wang Zhengting, etc.

Zhou Yichun said: "Shaochuan (characterized by Gu Weijun) proposed to me to set up a group of European and American students who would have dinner together three to four times a year. Not only could they communicate and solve problems, but they could also regularly invite famous people from the United States or China to give lectures; and Hold discussions on issues that everyone is concerned about and brainstorm ideas.”

Li Yu said: "Now that there are many European and American students returning to China, it is indeed necessary to establish a public welfare organization. Of course I agree, and I am willing to donate five wireless telegraph machines and 10,000 yuan in membership fees."

Gu Weijun said: "Mr. Academician is very generous! It is really a wise move for you to join the alumni association."

Li Yu smiled and said: "Strictly speaking, I am not a European or American student."

"Yes, of course it does!" Zhan Tianyou said, "The University of Cambridge once awarded you a doctorate. Is it a fake?"

"That's right!" Zhou Yichun said, "Besides, so many students studying in the United States started because of you. If you don't join, this group will lose its backbone."

"I look down upon you too much," Li Yu said. "The doctorate given to me by Cambridge is almost honorary. But if the reunion does not involve political purposes, I can join."

Gu Weijun said: "It's just a class reunion, what political purpose can it have? We mainly want to benefit the public through holding speeches, charity and social welfare undertakings. If we can't serve the society, how can we afford to live abroad and study hard for several years?" "

"That's the case, I accept it." Li Yu said.

Zhou Yichun said: "With you here, we can have greater appeal to attract more and more European and American students to join; we can also find great foreign scholars to give speeches, just like Bell, Tesla, and Eastman not long ago. Waiting for someone.”

Gu Weijun smiled and said, "Principal Zhou, your purpose is too obvious."

Zhou Yichun also smiled: "Mr. Academician is extremely smart, there is no need to hide it from him."

At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, various fellows' associations and classmates' associations were common. There were not too many Huguang Guild Halls and Shaoxing Guild Halls in Beijing. It was almost natural for Zhou Yichun and others to organize a European and American classmates' association.

Since international students in Europe and the United States had previously organized some small groups on their own, such as the "Students in France and Germany", organizing them was not difficult.

Several people present immediately made donations, and soon a huge amount of 50,000 yuan was raised, and then Gu Weijun stepped forward to purchase a house for use.

The European and American Alumni Association should be considered a quite wealthy and powerful civil society during the Republic of China. After all, those who could study in Europe and the United States in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China were by no means ordinary people. They were either rich or noble, and they had to be talented.

As soon as the news of the establishment of the European and American Alumni Association was announced, the government and the public were shocked because there were too many big shots among the members.

The first batch of members reached nearly 300 people, with the largest number of students studying engineering technology, industry and commerce, and finance; followed by those studying politics and law. Nearly 80% of them work in the Beiyang government or directly affiliated institutions.

When the first gathering was held, Sun Baoqi, Director-General of Foreign Affairs of the Beiyang Government, Wang Daxie (temporary appointment), Director-General of Education, and Rui Enshi, the U.S. Minister to China, attended in person.

Li Yuze recruited the Carnegie Education Fund to sponsor a library.

Such a lineup and cost would be unimaginable at a reunion of students studying in Japan, but the advantage is the large number of students studying in Japan.

Wang Daxie spoke first, mainly with words of congratulations. Near the end, Wang Daxie asked Li Yu: "Mr. Academician, can you set a topic for the first seminar?"

Li Yu reiterated his old words without thinking: "We are all the backbone of the country, and if we want to talk, we have to talk about something useful. Now that the Republic of China has just been established, what is most lacking are two things, science and democracy. They are the best topics to discuss."

Gu Weijun agreed: "These two points are not only the topics of this gathering, but also should become topics that cannot be ignored in every gathering."

Wang Daxie said: "Science is something worth talking about. I have wanted to propose a bill before that traditional Chinese medicine should be abolished in the name of non-science."

As soon as Wang Daxie's words came out, there was an uproar.

Li Yu said: "Director Wang, I want to ask a question."

"Mr. Academician, please speak." Wang Daxie said.

Li Yu asked: "Does Chinese medicine have the ability to treat diseases and save people?"

Wang Daxie said: "Of course there is, but..."

Li Yu immediately asked: "But what?"

Wang Daxie thought for a while and said: "But it always feels not scientific enough."

"As long as it works!" Li Yu said, "Before Western medicine can be popularized, thinking about abolishing traditional Chinese medicine will inevitably be a bit high-minded and short-sighted, and alienate the public. Although the members of the alumni association here are all elites from all walks of life, if you only consider the problem based on your own class, It’s just getting more and more out of touch with reality.”

"Well said!" Sun Baoqi applauded, "Usefulness is king. If we blindly focus on the West, then we will even abolish chopsticks."

Wang Daxie asked: "But doesn't this go against scientific issues?"

Li Yu could only explain to him patiently: "I don't understand too many things, but take the most common Chinese herbal medicine as an example. It can cure diseases and save people. It actually contains some useful chemical components. Western medicine is just refined. But the problem Refining involves a complex set of biological, chemical, and inspection procedures, which can be called an industrial chain, which is the factory that everyone usually sees. This cannot be built in a short time."

Wang Daxie said thoughtfully: "So that's it, I thought too simply."

Li Yu continued: "In addition, medical treatment is very expensive for foreigners. If they can take supplementary medicines like us, they will probably be willing."

Sun Baoqi asked: "I remember Mr. Academician introduced German pharmaceutical companies, isn't it enough?"

Li Yu sighed: "It's far from enough. It can only barely be enough for a few big cities. The vast rural areas cannot take care of both, but we can't leave them without medical treatment or medicine when they get sick."

Wang Daxie said curiously: "Based on Mr. Academician's conversation and academic qualifications, I have always thought that you come from a wealthy family, but every word you speak does not stray from the common people."

Of course he didn't know that Li Yu was a time traveler. According to his background before time travel, he was from an ordinary working-class family, not a wealthy family.

Li Yu said with a smile: "One of the purposes of the European and American Alumni Association is to seek social welfare. If we don't talk about the common people, how can we talk about social welfare."

Zhou Yichun and others all admired him and said, "Sir, you are so righteous."

During the dinner, Li Yu sat at the same table with an older boy studying in the United States.

Li Yu casually asked Zhan Tianyou beside him: "What big project is Brother Juancheng working on?"

Zhan Tianyou put down his chopsticks and said: "Changsha-Wuchang section of the Guangdong-Han Railway."

Li Yu said: "I remember when I went to Changsha, the people there were very looking forward to the early opening of this railway."

Zhan Tianyou sighed: "If the railway is connected, Changsha will definitely be able to develop industry and commerce. But now it is difficult to obtain funds, and I don't know when it will be opened to traffic."

This section of the Hunan-Hubei Railway is relatively easy to repair among the Guangdong-Hankou Railway. The terrain is relatively flat, and the distance is not particularly far. It also connects two important cities, so it is of high value.

Liang Dunyan, like Zhan Tianyou, is among the first batch of young children studying in the United States. Liang Dunyan said: "I will continue to communicate with the Ministry of Finance about the funding issue."

Zhan Tianyou said: "Try to fight for as much as possible. If you can pay enough for the Wuchang-Changsha section, I can build dozens more kilometers, even to Zhuzhou."

Liang Dunyan smiled and said: "Juancheng is still the same." After the Hunan-Hubei section that Zhan Tianyou was responsible for was repaired in 1918, the construction of other parts of the Guangdong-Hankou Railway almost came to a standstill, leaving nearly half of it unrepaired until 1936. Completed.

All in all, the entire Guangdong-Hankou Railway started in 1900 and took 36 years to complete.

At this time, Gu Weijun said to Sun Baoqi: "Foreign Minister, the drafting of the Presidential Election Law has been completed. Should it be sent to Congress for review?"

Sun Baoqi said: "Yes, it just seems a little rushed."

They were talking about the big thing at the moment.

A few days later, the Presidential Election Law was reviewed and approved by Congress, and two days later, Yuan Shikai couldn't wait to convene a presidential election.

The official candidate was actually Yuan Shikai himself, but Li Yuanhong and others were later added to make up the number.

Yuan Shikai almost had the advantage and believed that his election was uncontroversial. But after two rounds of voting, he did not get enough votes.

According to the provisions of the "Presidential Election Law": the president is elected by secret ballots by members of Congress. 2/3 of the total members must participate in the voting, and 3/4 of the total votes will determine the candidate; if there is no one after two rounds of voting, If elected, the two leading candidates in the second round of voting will be held in a run-off election, and the one with more than half of the votes will be elected.

It may be that the congressmen found that the outside was full of military police and were dissatisfied with this coercive behavior and did not want to vote for him out of righteous indignation.

After the second round of voting, it was already past noon, and the members were hungry. However, the military and police controlled the entrance and exit of the Congress, and the members could not go out to eat.

They even openly said: "If we don't elect the president of our choice today, we will never leave!"

In the third round of voting, Yuan Shikai was finally elected as president. By this time, the moon was already on the branches.

Yuan Shikai was quite satisfied with the result, and the official inauguration ceremony of the president was held four days later. The inauguration place he chose was very symbolic - the Hall of Supreme Harmony where the former Qing emperor held his coronation ceremony.

You can guess what happened next. After Yuan Shikai became the president, he felt that he could "carry on the destiny" and there was no need to continue to hide it from the Congress. He just flipped the table and dissolved the Congress.

All in all quite outrageous.

Zhang Taiyan was extremely angry when he found out. He wrote a handwritten letter and asked Li Yu to take it and ask Liang Qichao what he meant.

When Li Yu saw Liang Qichao in Beigouyan Hutong, he seemed to be in a very bad mood. After reading Zhang Taiyan's sharp article, he put it on the table without any intention of refuting.

"Now that Congress has been dissolved and all political parties have been expelled, all my ideas have come to nothing. What else is there to say?" Liang Qichao said helplessly.

It can be heard that Liang Qichao also felt a little disappointed with Yuan Shikai at this time.

But Yuan Shikai's current strength is too strong, he can call the wind and rain, almost to the point where he can get whatever he asks for, and no one can stop him.

Liang Qichao added: "Now I finally envy the move of sparing talents and not getting involved in politics. It is simply prescient."

Li Yu said: "The main reason is that I am busy with academics and education and don't have so much energy."

Liang Qichao raised his forehead and said, "It's really annoying!"

Someone outside the room suddenly said: "What's bothering the teacher?"

A thin uniformed officer walked in.

"Songpo, why did you come to the capital!" Liang Qichao said in surprise, and then said, "No wonder, no wonder!"

Li Yu knew the young general in front of him - Cai E, the governor of Yunnan.

The reason why Liang Qichao is "strange" and "not weird" is because Cai E's identity is quite special.

The places currently not under the rule of Beiyang forces may only be Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan-Guizhou. And Cai E became the governor of Yunnan at a young age. He was very good at the job and had outstanding abilities, which must have made Yuan Xiangcheng a little suspicious.

After Cai E came to Beijing, he was appointed as the vice president of the Translation and Translation Office of the Ministry of War and the supervisor of the National Economic and Border Bureau. Although his rank was not low, just by his name, he knew that he was far inferior to the governor of Yunnan.

Obviously it rises brightly and falls darkly.

Yuan Xiangcheng himself really valued Cai E. Cai E had previously supported him in the second revolution. He wanted to continue to focus on training him, but before that, Yuan Xiangcheng must test Cai E's loyalty again.

Cai E also recognized Li Yu: "As early as when I was studying in Japan, I often heard of Mr. Academician's name and admired him for a long time!"

Li Yu said: "I have also admired the reputation of Governor Cai for a long time."

Cai E was indeed very powerful, but it was a pity that he died too early.

And after seeing it with his own eyes, Li Yu understood why later generations of movies would use Andy Lau when casting Cai E. He was indeed quite handsome.

It’s no wonder that the story of the Eight Hutongs spread later.

By the way, he hasn't met Xiao Fengxian yet, that was a year and a half later.

Liang Qichao said: "Songpo, haven't you seen Mr. Taiyan's current situation?"

Cai E was a smart man and replied: "Students hold sinecures and do not have any slanderous words, so they will not be imprisoned."

Liang Qichao asked: "Do you want to stand firmly on the side of the president?"

Cai E said: "It depends on how the current situation develops, but what we can be sure of is that students will always stand on the side of their teachers."

"I understand," Liang Qichao sighed, "we can only hope that strongman politics can save the country."

Cai E then said to Li Yu: "Mr. Academician, I saw in the newspaper that you have built an airplane. Can you let me see it with my own eyes?"

Li Yu said: "Of course, if you want to go to heaven, I can even give you a ride."

Cai E said excitedly: "There is such a good thing!"

Li Yu said: "It's just a training plane. It can't fly high or fast."

Cai E is not picky at all: "As long as I can take a flight in person, I will have no complaints."

This matter was easy to handle. The next day, Li Yu took him to Tianjin Feng Ru Aircraft Factory. After giving him a pair of goggles, he said, "We will fly in the sky for about ten minutes. Let's take a good look while the sky is clear today."

Li Yu is also addicted to airplanes. After flying a training aircraft to an altitude of about a thousand meters, Cai E exclaimed: "I heard that airplanes can detect the enemy's situation. Sure enough, I can see too far and can see all military deployments." Academician Sir, do you think so?"

Li Yu smiled and said: "I only saw great rivers and mountains."