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

Chapter 618 Piaoping
Before Li Yu left Nanyuan Airport, a reporter chased him.

"Hello, Mr. Li Yu, I am Shao Piaoping, the special correspondent of Shenbao in Beijing. I would like to interview you."

Li Yu said: "Hello, Reporter Shao, do you have anything to ask?"

Shao Piaoping said: "This is the first time I have seen an airplane, and I heard that we built it ourselves?"

"Yes," Li Yu nodded, "from Tianjin Fengru Aircraft Factory."

"So does it lag far behind Europe and the United States?" Shao Piaoping said, "Excuse me, because after my investigation, the firearms and cannons produced by Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau all lag behind Europe."

Li Yu said: "You actually know about firearms?"

Shao Piaoping said: "Journalists must learn from many aspects."

Shao Piaoping is the founder of my country's journalism theory, and she is very good at it.

Li Yu said: "Aircraft is a new industry. Theoretically speaking, even if we start from now on, we won't lag too far behind. It's just that aircraft involves many other industries, so it is really difficult to develop."

"So, the aircraft manufactured by Tianjin Fengru Aircraft Factory are indeed far behind Europe?" Shao Piaoping said.

"You can't say that," Li Yu said, "Mr. Feng Ru studied in the United States for many years and had been manufacturing aircraft in the United States. The aircraft he built were highly praised by American aviation magazines. I specially invited him back to make Our aircraft industry will not be that far behind, and it will no longer happen that the Germans can fool us with an obsolete rifle."

Shao Piaoping pointed to the plane behind Li Yu: "Is this one?"

Li Yu said: "Yes, but it is just an ordinary trainer aircraft and cannot represent the highest level of Feng Ru Aircraft Factory."

"What aircraft is the highest level?" Shao Piaoping continued to ask.

Li Yu said: "It is estimated that in one or two years, there will be aircraft capable of carrying people. Then you can experience it for yourself."

Shao Piaoping lamented: "The price must be much more expensive than a train ticket. I'm afraid I can't understand it."

During the Republic of China, train ticket prices remained high and were not affordable for ordinary people. There are too few major railways, and they are prone to destruction due to war.

Shao Piaoping added: "Mr. Li Yu, I have another question. Not long ago, the latest reports came back from Europe. On the Somme battlefield, the British army used a secret weapon, a strange thing called a 'water tank' , achieved incredible results in a short period of time, and you actually mentioned it in your conversation with British Minister Zhu Erdian a few months ago. Minister Zhu Erdian himself didn't even know how you did it. And is it possible for us to create it? Because if we cannot create it, we will be suppressed by the armies of the great powers."

As expected of a reporter, he can dig out any information, and even knows his predictions about tanks.

Li Yu said: "I once told Mr. Zhu Erdian that it was all based on information from the supply chain. It should be said to be a conjecture, but I didn't expect it to be right. As for whether we can build it, it's hard to say, because if we want to build a tank, at least You must first be able to build cars and tractors.”

Shao Piaoping said disappointedly: "None of these can be made."

Li Yu said: "However, tanks do not necessarily dominate the entire battlefield. There are many factors that affect the direction of the war. At this time, the war in Europe is purely about fueling tactics. The competition is not about technology or tactics, but who can sustain more tanks. Human lives are involved, so the general who laughs in the end will definitely be a butcher."

"Sir's summary is so insightful. I like the word butcher!" Shao Piaoping said, "If those warlords do nothing, they can only be butchers."

Shao Piaoping hated evil and dared to expose it, but later died at the hands of Zhang Zuolin.

Li Yu took out a few negatives and asked, "Can you develop them?"

Shao Piaoping nodded: "Of course."

Li Yu said: "This is what my wife took when we were flying in the sky just now."

Shao Piaoping said excitedly: "Photos of the military parade? And they were taken in the sky?"

Lu Bicheng said: "Maybe the photo was not very good..."

Shao Piaoping said: "This is not a question of whether it is good or not, but a question of whether it is good or not! If it were published in a newspaper, it would definitely be on the front page!"

Li Yu said, "Bring a few to me and I'll take care of the rest."

Shao Piaoping took out two big coins from his pocket: "It's a pity that I don't have many with me."

Li Yu smiled and said, "The photos you developed for me will be considered as payment."

Shao Piaoping carefully put away the negatives: "This is probably the first aerial photo we took ourselves. I can't wait to develop it and take a look! Mr. Li Yu, I'll take my leave first and I'll send you the photo in a few days." "

Li Yu waved his hand: "Don't worry."

-

The next day, Zhou Yichun, the principal of Tsinghua School, came to Li Yu and talked about students going to the United States. This was a routine matter. Then he said, "Brother Shucai, do you want to go to a lecture? I just spent four yuan to buy it." Got two.”

Li Yu asked curiously: "Who charges such a high ticket price for a speech? It only costs one yuan and two cents to listen to Mei Lanfang's play."

"Gu Hongming," Zhou Yichun said, "the reason why the ticket price is so high is because most of the people listening are diplomats from various countries."

Li Yu said: "Should we talk about "The Spirit of the Chinese"?"

Zhou Yichun said: "It's called "Spring and Autumn Days" and it's located at the Liuguo Hotel in Dongjiaomin Lane."

"Spring and Autumn Days" is "The Spirit of the Chinese People".

Li Yu said: "This old gentleman has set a precedent for selling tickets for lectures. Let's go and take a look."

In the car, Zhou Yichun talked about interesting things about Gu Hongming during this period: "When President Yuan died, the Beiyang government ordered three days of mourning, but Mr. Gu actually held a church meeting in his courtyard, with drums and music. Extraordinary. The police came over and asked him why he was openly defying the law. Mr. Gu slapped the police and said, "How dare you interfere with me, Gu, and my foreign friends enjoying the show here?"

His church meeting was held for three days. Once the Beiyang government's three-day ban passed, his yard ceased operations. "

Li Yu laughed and said, "It's indeed arrogant."

We have mentioned that Gu Hongming has always hated Yuan Shikai, especially Yuan Shikai's act of proclaiming emperor, because it violated the imperial system in Gu Hongming's own mind.

At the beginning, Yuan Shikai also thought that Gu Hongming was an imperialist and wanted to invite him to become a member of the parliament. Unexpectedly, he went to the venue to collect the attendance fee of 300 yuan, and then went directly to the Bada Hutong, giving up one yuan for every prostitute he saw. I visited several brothels until all the silver coins were spent, then I laughed loudly and left singing.

Li Yu and Zhou Yichun came to the Six Nations Hotel and found a seat. The American Minister Rui Enshi recognized him: "Mr. Academician."

Li Yu shook hands with him: "Mr. Rui, are you also here to study?"

Rui Enshi said: "It is rare for Chinese people to speak Confucianism in English, and everyone wants to understand it."

In one sentence, he explained the reason why Gu Hongming is so popular among foreigners: it is because he can talk about Confucian culture in English.

Although his level of Chinese studies is not very good, his English is extremely good, after all, he has been abroad for so many years. Isn't there a story that has been circulating for a long time? Gu Hongming once took a bus and deliberately read the English version of "The Times" backwards. When the British saw it, they humiliated him: "Look at this Chinese country bumpkin with long braids. He doesn't understand English, but he pretends to be knowledgeable and reads the newspaper, but he just takes the newspaper down."

All the foreigners in the carriage laughed at him.

Then Gu Hongming calmly said in fluent English: "English is too simple. What's the point of reading the newspaper backwards?"

The carriage suddenly fell silent.

He is a very interesting old gentleman.

At this time, Gu Hongming had already walked to the stage. He cleared his throat and said:

"I once heard a foreign friend say that as a foreigner, the longer you live in Japan, the more you hate Japanese people. On the contrary, the longer you live in China, the more you like Chinese people. This foreign friend Lived in Japan and China for a long time.

The reason for this, I think, is caused by different civilizations. So what is civilization?

To value a civilization, one must look at what kind of people, what kind of men and women it can produce. To understand the real Chinese and Chinese civilization, that person must be deep, broad and simple, because the Chinese character and the several major characteristics of Chinese civilization are profound, broad and simple, in addition to sensitivity.

In my opinion, Americans are broad and simple, but not deep;

The British are deep and simple, but not broad;

Germans are broad and profound, but not simple;

The French do not have the natural depth of the Germans, nor are they as broad-minded as the Americans or as simple-hearted as the British, but they possess the agility that these three nations lack;
Only the Chinese possess these four excellent spiritual qualities.

......"

Gu Hongming talked eloquently for nearly two hours. The foreigners in the audience all listened attentively and applauded fiercely from time to time.

Gu Hongming himself is quite good at speaking, and he knows how to control his emotions and the ups and downs of his tone.

Li Yu had never read Gu Hongming's works, but now he had a different feeling when he heard him speak it in English.

——From his original words, we can personally feel Gu Hongming's great confidence in Chinese culture, and every word he said was neither humble nor arrogant.

For people in this era, it is really difficult to do this.

It is estimated that among the intellectual circles in the country, there are two people who are most confident in Chinese culture: Gu Hongming and Li Yu.

Of course, Li Yu has witnessed the rise of the Eastern giant because of his perspective as a time traveler.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the vast majority of educated people extremely admired Western culture.

Is it because things have two sides? Some people worship the West extremely, and others will do the opposite?
According to game theory, there really needs to be such a person.

After Gu Hongming finished speaking, he took a sip of water. A British reporter stood up and asked: "Mr. Gu, I would like to know, based on your judgment, how to stabilize China's current situation?"

Gu Hongming put down the water glass, raised the corner of his mouth, and then said: "The method is very simple. Pull out all the foreigners and politicians and bureaucrats here and shoot them. The current situation in China will be more stable."

The reporter was immediately speechless.

Others didn't dare to ask questions when they saw him being criticized.

Gu Hongming raised his cane: "Okay, I guess it will take you ten and a half days to understand what I said today. If you don't understand anything, wait until I come next time."

Zhou Yichun said to Li Yu: "Mr. Gu resigned from his position as a teacher at Peking University because of a conflict with the president. I just invited him to go to Tsinghua University."

Li Yu said: "I think you'd better not entertain this idea, he won't agree."

"How will you know if you don't try it?" Zhou Yichun said.

He then ran to the door and stopped Gu Hongming: "Mr. Gu, I, the principal of Tsinghua School, Zhou Yichun, can you please give a lecture at Tsinghua School?"

"I won't go, I won't go!" Gu Hongming immediately refused and said, "I know Tsinghua University is too far away, so they have gone to the edge of the Summer Palace. From now on, we will have food and accommodation there."

Zhou Yichun said: "The environment there is very good."

Gu Hongming was still unmoved: "The liberal arts in Tsinghua University are not taken seriously and are only arranged in the afternoon. How can I be so angry?"

Li Yu laughed loudly on the side: "I'll just say it!"

Gu Hongming said to Li Yu: "Hey, it turns out to be Academician Li! I haven't congratulated you yet for your incredible academic achievements. It's better to do science! The results will be whatever they are supposed to be. There won't be so much controversy, let alone the need to learn rhetoric. A hundred years from now, some people may still remember my name, but a thousand years from now, I think it will be someone like you who will be remembered in history.”

Zhou Yichun said: "Mr. Gu is a famous teacher of his generation and is unruly and unruly. Are you afraid of being judged by future generations?"

"It makes sense, it makes sense!" Gu Hongming smiled, "You, a young man, have some insight. I hope that when the principal takes office, he will not just let students learn abcd. Don't forget our classics and history collection."

Zhou Yichun said: "This is natural."

Gu Hongming stepped away: "I'm old, I have to go back and rest."

Zhou Yichun sighed: "I originally wanted to find a madman like him to change the disadvantages of Tsinghua students in liberal arts, but it seems that it still doesn't work."

Li Yu didn't care and said again: "You can't have your cake and eat it too. In the future, these students will have to study abroad and have limited energy. It's understandable that they can't take care of Chinese studies. As long as the Chinese language classes in the afternoon are maintained, students will learn if they are interested. Go study hard.”

Zhou Yichun said: "This is the only way. Unfortunately, we still have too little autonomy over the school. I want to transform it into a university as soon as possible, so that we can set up a formal mechanical department and learn to make airplanes, ships, and automobiles."

"Sooner or later!" Li Yu said, and then asked, "What is the enrollment scale of Chengzhi Primary School now?"

Chengzhi Primary School was one of the best primary schools in the Republic of China, later known as Tsinghua University Affiliated Primary School. It was established in 1915.

Zhou Yichun said: "The number of students in each semester is not certain."

Li Yu said: "Please save a place for me, my child will be of school age soon."

Zhou Yichun said: "It's a small matter. We welcome your young master very much."

Chengzhi Primary School was originally only a school for the children of Tsinghua faculty and staff. Li Yu was considered a teacher at Tsinghua anyway, so this request was normal.

Li Yu took the opportunity to give a lecture at Tsinghua University. It should be said that it was a permanent lecture. As long as he was in the capital, Li Yu would give lectures at Tsinghua University and Peking University in turn.

In this session, both universities recruited some later celebrities, such as Liang Shiqiu and Liang Sicheng from Tsinghua University, who were classmates; and Feng Youlan from Peking University.