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

Chapter 604 Can’t be persuaded

Yuan Shikai not only wanted to build an academy of sciences, but also naturally wanted to build a Chinese Academy of Sciences. This was the top priority.

After all, Lao Yuan was a model of respecting Confucius. Last year he personally went to Qufu to worship Confucius. The reason was, of course, that he wanted to use the Confucian idea of ​​loyalty to the emperor to make theoretical preparations for his restoration in the future.

The importance of this matter is very high.

Also taken to the presidential palace with Li Yu was Wang Kaiyun, a master of Confucian classics. He was over eighty years old and had students all over the world. But it seems that this old gentleman doesn't want to see Yuan Shikai's restoration.

The two met at the entrance of the Presidential Palace.

The location of Yuan Shikai's presidential palace was also the center of absolute power after 49 years. The gate is the famous Xinhua Gate.

It used to be called Baoyue Tower, and it is said that it was built by Qianlong for Xiang Fei.

With the popularity of "Huanzhugege", many people should have a concept of the three words "Baoyue Tower", also known as Xiangfei Tower.

After the Republic of China, Yuan Shikai changed Baoyue Tower into Xinhua Gate as the entrance to the Presidential Palace, and this was also the case 49 years later.

So to be honest, this place is much more mysterious to Li Yu than the Forbidden City.

Wang Kaiyun was helped down from the carriage by two disciples. He looked up and saw the three words "Xinhuamen". Thinking of Yuan Shikai's dream of becoming emperor, he snorted: "My old eyes are dim, and I saw that the plaque actually said 'Xinmangmen'. This is so inappropriate." An auspicious name.”

The traditional Chinese character "华" looks a bit like the character "Mang".

"Xin Mang" is Wang Mang who usurped the Han Dynasty and proclaimed himself the "Emperor of the New Dynasty".

Wang Kaiyun is worthy of being a master of Confucian classics. He scolded Yang Du who came out to greet him with just one sentence. He quickly corrected him and said, "Old sir, that's the Chinese character."

Of course Wang Kaiyun knew it: "Looking at the handwriting, it should be written by that yellow-haired kid Yuan Lizhun."

Yuan Lizhun was a Jinshi during the Guangxu period. Not long ago, Yuan Shikai paid 500 yuan for him to write this plaque.

However, even if Yuan Lizhun was present, he would not dare to retaliate when Wang Kaiyun scolded him.

During Wang Kaiyun's lifetime, the only person who scolded him was probably Zhang Taiyan's top disciple, the madman Huang Kan.

Huang Kan visited Wang Kaiyun when he was a boy, and the two hit it off and became friends.

Wang Kaiyun was more than fifty years older than Huang Kan, so he was considered a grandfather. He had a young son who was about the same age as Huang Kan. He said with emotion: "My youngest son is the same age as you, but it's a pity that he has accomplished nothing. He is really a 'dull dog'."

Unexpectedly, Huang Kan was not polite and said with a smile: "Old sir, you are still ignorant, let alone your son!"

Wang Kai was very lucky and did not get angry because of this. Instead, he fell in love with this arrogant young man even more.

Yuan Li was able to pass the Jinshi examination, and his level was not bad. Later, he became Puyi's last imperial master.

When Wang Kaiyun scolded him, he was referring to Sang and Huai.

Yuan Shikai did not dare to be too violent with these celebrities. He imprisoned Zhang Taiyan entirely because he was too harsh, but it was only under house arrest.

Arriving at Jurentang, Yuan Shikai's office, Li Yu once again saw this great tycoon in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China after many years.

He had changed a lot, and his body was visibly weaker. In the past, Yuan Shikai could eat, sleep, and was extremely energetic. He could deal with a large number of government affairs every day without getting tired.

At this time, his body became more and more bloated, and his aging appearance was particularly obvious in his hair and wrinkles.

Yuan Shikai sat on the chair and said, "Academician Li Yu, long time no see."

Li Yu politely replied: "President, please take care of yourself."

Wang Kaiyun said: "Your Excellency, since your health is not good, you should stop doing some heavy things."

Yuan Shikai didn't like this sentence very much, and seemed to be secretly trying to persuade him to give up his power and status, but what he said was also true.

Yuan Shikai thought for a moment and suddenly began to express his feelings: "I don't know why, but since I moved into Jurentang, my health has gotten worse, and it's getting worse day by day. This was the royal secret garden, every building, every tree Every stone and every ink stain is a symbol of the royal power of the past, indicating the royal domineering and dreams. After staying in this place for a long time, I can’t help but feel excited and want to imitate the ancient kings of the prosperous times and put this into my mind. The ancient states were well governed and strong.”

Wang Kaiyun didn't believe at all that he wanted to promote before suppressing, and still asked coldly: "President, is it safe to sleep here?"

Yuan Shikai ignored his offense and said calmly: "It's not good."

There are no sleeping pills now, so insomnia has a huge impact and is extremely painful. Poor sleep can lead to depression, irritability and other phenomena, and can even affect people's intelligence and judgment.

Since moving into Jurentang, Yuan Shikai has almost never left Xinhuamen.

After Yuan Shikai paused for a few seconds, he said to the two of them intentionally or unintentionally: "It is not easy for the Emperor to live in the emperor."

Li Yu said: "Has the President ever heard of the Sword of Damocles?"

Yuan Shikai shook his head: "No."

Li Yu said: "This is an ancient Greek allusion. Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a rich country.

The king had a friend named Damocles. He often said to the king, 'How lucky you are. You have everything people want. You must be the happiest person in the world. '

One day, the king got tired of hearing such words and said to Damocles, 'Do you really think that I am happier than others? Then I would like to trade places with you. '

So Damocles put on the royal robes and the golden crown, and sat at the table in the banquet hall, which was filled with delicious food. Flowers, fine wine, rare perfumes, and moving music were all there. He felt that he was the happiest person in the world.

But when he raised the glass, he suddenly found a sharp sword hanging upside down from the ceiling, and the tip almost touched his head. Damocles froze, his smile disappeared, his face turned pale, his hands trembled, and he didn't want to eat. I don't want to drink anymore, I just want to escape from the palace, as far away as possible.

The king said, 'What's the matter, friend? Are you afraid of that sword that might fall off at any time? I see it hanging over my head every day. Maybe someone will cut off the thin thread at any time. Maybe a minister covets my power and wants to kill me; maybe someone spreads rumors to turn the people against me; maybe the king of a neighboring country sends troops to seize my throne; maybe my decision-making mistakes force me to abdicate. If you want to be a ruler, you have to take all kinds of risks, and risks always go hand in hand with power. '

Damocles suddenly said, 'Yes, I know, in addition to wealth and honor, you also have many worries. Please go back to your throne, and I will go back to my home. '

From then on, Damocles cherished his life very much. "

Wang Kaiyun listened with great interest and laughed and said: "Academician Li Yu, I didn't expect you to know so much. Although this allusion is from a foreigner, I like it very much and it is applicable to all countries!"

Yuan Shikai's face was uncertain, and he said after a while: "I understand the risks behind responsibility. Ke Wen gave me a copy of "Game Theory" by Mr. Academician, but if I want to do more, I will definitely need greater rights. .”

Yang Du echoed: "Yes, Japan, Russia and Germany are all powerful countries where the emperor has extremely high power." Li Yu sighed. He had reached the limit. He couldn't just tell him not to proclaim himself emperor.

——Even if I say it, what’s the use?

I really can’t figure out why he is rushing to push himself into a conspiracy grave that he and the Japanese dug together.

A misstep becomes an eternal hate.

The act of proclaiming emperor is simply stupid and eager to show oneself in front of the enemy. It is like setting up a target high on the plain, unabashedly exposed to the enemy's gun, allowing people to take aim calmly and shoot. Entering the soul...

After many contacts with Yuan Shikai, Li Yu knew that his ability and level were unparalleled. He was absolutely outstanding in the political arena of the late Qing Dynasty after Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang.

However, if we compare Yuan Shikai with Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang, we can still clearly see that the three of them are of the same strain, as well as the cultural gap between them. Compared with the two of them, Yuan Shikai is more of a "rough man" and not so smooth.

Perhaps he can be compared to Cao Cao, which is quite similar, but Cao Cao did not dare to proclaim himself emperor during his lifetime.

Yuan Shikai got back to business: "I called you here because I want to follow the example of Europe and the United States in establishing the Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Chinese Studies. One of the key requirements is that members of the Academy of Sciences must also master Confucian classics on the basis of respecting Confucius and restoring ancient times."

Li Yu's scalp was numb: "In this case, President, I'm afraid I'm not qualified, because I can't even memorize the Analects of Confucius in its entirety, let alone other Chinese classics."

Yuan Shikai was a little surprised. Although he knew that Li Yu's level of Chinese studies was very low, he didn't expect that he couldn't even compare with him?
Yang Du smoothed things over: "You academician, you can continue to study Confucianism. With your talent, it will be easy to learn anything."

He was really wrong!
Frankly speaking, Li Yu's outstanding ability is entirely due to his status as a time traveler. Science has been advancing by leaps and bounds in recent years, and Confucianism has long been basically complete.

Li Yu said: "How can I have so much energy? Han Yu said that there are specializations in arts. In terms of Chinese studies, if I spend another ten years, I will not be able to compare with an ordinary scholar."

"This..." Yang Du was a little embarrassed, "It doesn't quite fit..."

"What is it?" Wang Kaiyun couldn't listen anymore. "If you are trying to make things difficult for others, I'll leave too! Mr. Li Yu has embarrassed the whole country and asked him to do this and that. It's too much! Let me tell you, In the future, whoever cannot understand Li Yu's introductory science books should not hold any official position! You will have to deal with foreigners in the future, do foreigners understand?"

Yang Du said: "That's because their cultural level is not enough."

"Behind closed doors, behind closed doors! Even worse than an old fool like me!" Wang Kai's beard trembled with luck, and then he coughed violently.

Yang Du quickly helped him beat his back to straighten out his breath, "Old sir, please calm down."

"Calm down your anger?" Wang Kai said luckily, "It can't be calmed down!"

Li Yu thought for a while and said, "Hu Gong, if you can answer a simple middle school or below math question correctly, I will accept your suggestion."

Yang Du had studied abroad after all: "What's the problem?"

Li Yu said: "The circumference of the earth is 80,000 miles. If you wrap a rope tightly around it and then increase the rope by one meter, how much higher will it be above the ground?"

Yang Du said: "One meter is not worth as much as eighty thousand miles, and if you add just one meter, it will be like a stone sinking into the sea, without any change."

Li Yu smiled, stretched out his hand and said, "It's actually fifteen or six centimeters taller."

"Impossible!" Yang Du said immediately.

Li Yu smiled and said: "It's really just a simple math problem."

He scribbled the formula for him on the paper:

2π(r1-r2)=1
r1-r2=1/2π
That is 0.159m.

Yang Du was stunned and speechless.

Wang Kaiyun laughed loudly: "Don't try to offend knowledgeable people."

Yuan Shikai really did not want to offend the cultural and scientific circles, so he had to say: "The requirement that members of the Academy of Sciences should also be proficient in Confucianism should be put aside for the time being."

He then took out an astronomy "advocacy" article that Li Yu had given before, "I asked the people below to read this article, but they couldn't understand it."

Li Yu said casually: "The article inside involves the theory of relativity and calculated the deflection angle of light during the 1919 solar eclipse."

It was impossible for Yuan Shikai to understand the theory of relativity, but he heard the words "solar eclipse of 1919" and murmured: "Four years later? It's too far! I have something to ask you now. Not long ago, several British people The dragon emerging from the water was discovered in Hubei and published in a foreign magazine. Isn’t this a symbol of national auspiciousness?”

Yuan Shikai specially selected the most "reliable" auspiciousness.

"What kind of dragon comes out of the water?" Li Yu asked doubtfully.

Yang Du took out a British "Oriental Magazine" and said: "It is clearly recorded in it that it is called an ichthyosaur. The carp transforms into a dragon, which has extraordinary meaning."

Li Yu took a quick glance and understood what was going on: "President, Mr. Tiger, this is indeed true."

Yuan Shikai looked happy: "You also think it's true?"

Li Yu said: "But the ichthyosaur mentioned in the article comes from hundreds of millions of years ago and is the fossil of a dinosaur, not the divine dragon in our legend."

"Hundreds of millions of years?" Yang Du was very confused. For people at this time, it was impossible to determine the lifespan of the earth.

Li Yu said: "Ichthyosaur is a top marine predator, but it has been extinct for tens of millions of years. I think it is very inappropriate to use an extinct paleontological fossil to make up the story of a carp transforming into a dragon. I hope the president can distinguish right from wrong. .”

Yuan Shikai frowned: "It has been destroyed for tens of millions of years!"

Li Yu didn't want to continue talking about science and superstition with them, so he said instead: "President, the current war in Europe is an excellent opportunity for us to hide our capabilities and bide our time. Foreign businessmen from various countries have withdrawn, and there is no time to continue to suppress Chinese businessmen. At the same time, A large number of factories have received countless orders, ranging from cotton fabrics, flour, matches, cigarettes, cement, canned foods to coal, iron ore and other raw materials, all of which can be rapidly developed and sold to Europe.

"The textile industry originally had low profits, but now the military uniform orders they receive have high profits of 40 to 50 percent even after shipping costs are excluded.

"Commodities have brought trade, and railway intersections have also formed emerging cities such as Jinan, Xuzhou, and Zhengzhou. Together with Shanghai, Wuhan, and Tianjin, a large number of industrial workers have emerged. This has not only created countless employment opportunities, but also greatly increased taxes.

"President, this is a God-given opportunity, a God-given opportunity to the whole of China, not... not to a certain person.

"At this juncture, stability is the most important thing!"

Of course Yuan Shikai understood this truth. It is estimated that people like Zhang Jian also showed him the data submitted by various places, but it did not seem to attract enough attention from him.

In this regard, he just expressed his attitude in a non-trivial manner: "Mr. Academician, your suggestion is very good. I will entrust the command office to study it carefully."