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

Chapter 78
Tang Shaoyi was also born as a child studying in the United States. She was in the third batch, and her grades were relatively good. She was admitted to Columbia University.Later, he worked as a diplomat in North Korea for ten years, so he paid more attention to global current affairs.

Tang Shaoyi said to Li Yu: "Little brother is Li Yu who has been praised by the "Shenbao" and "The Beijing-Tianjin Times" recently?"

Li Yu said, "I'm really here."

"It's not simple, it's not easy, Western learning is hard to learn!"

Tang Shaoyi later served as the president of Beiyang University and Shandong University, so she still knows a lot about education.

Zhang Xun asked in confusion: "The Beijing-Tianjin Times? What is it reporting?"

Cao Kun laughed and said, "You don't even read newspapers?"

Zhang Xun's education level is not high, and said: "Such small characters hurt the eyes."

Although Cao Kun was dull, he loved calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting. Later, he had a good relationship with Qi Baishi, and he was somewhat cultured.Cao Kun thought about the recent newspapers: "So, you are the one who made the headlines in England and France a few times?"

Before Li Yu could speak, Tang Shaoyi said, "There can be falsehoods. The Governor didn't just say it all. Otherwise, why would he let him sit next to you, just let you accompany him."

When Cao Kun heard this, he turned into Tie Hanhan again, held up the wine and said, "I toast to my little brother!" He didn't forget to grab Zhang Xun, "Zhang Guandai, don't you like educated people the most? Bar!"

Under Yuan Shikai's matchmaking, Zhang Xun once worshiped Xu Shichang as his teacher, and said that he was also a cultural lover when he met everyone.

But after listening to Cao Kun's words, Zhang Xun only felt his scalp tingle, and his butt was even more numb.

He may not know that it is actually his own "Cao San idiot" that has caused so many troubles.

Of course, it was just a joke.

It was really funny for Li Yu to be caught in the middle.

Zhang Xun raised his wine glass: "Do it!"

Gan!
After drinking a glass of wine, Zhang Xun felt that he was really going to heaven, and he had to go to the military doctor after dinner.I really can't drink this wine today, and I can't eat chili anymore, so I have to talk about something else!

Zhang Xun said casually: "We are wondering why they are so good at Westernization? We have also been to the foreign school in the team. When fighting a battle, you have to look at the map and calculate the distance. Especially the artillery team, there are a lot of triangles and triangles every day. All kinds of line studies come and go.”

Cao Kun said, "Zhang Guandai, you are talking about trigonometry and ballistics, right?"

"That's right, that's right! All right, Cao San fool, you know a lot!"

Li Yu thought to himself, it seems that "Cao San Idiot" is bound to get drunk with you today.

No matter what, Cao Kun had studied in the Beiyang Armed Forces Academy for several years. These are compulsory courses in military studies. He said: "If you want to lead an artillery team in a war in the future, you must learn all of them."

Zhang Xun shook his head: "I can't understand it even if I'm killed. What kind of joke are you kidding? It's learned by humans? Besides, it's not that there is no special artillery battalion. We just need to bring our own troops."

"What about infantry and artillery coordination? What if you can't determine the distance and the artillery hits one of your own?"

Zhang Xun was stunned when he heard this. He was from Ye Luzi. Although he had led soldiers for several years, he was all about bravery and senselessness in battle, and he was also commanded by the generals directly above him.

How could he think so much.

However, his idea is not completely wrong. Until World War II, the Japanese army actually paid attention to the word fierce.But how "violent" method is still very learned.

Zhang Xun refused to accept it and said, "It's enough to know the art of war in war. Do you still need to know those numbers? I don't believe that Qi Jiguang and General Qi have to learn trigonometry."

The general Cao Kun admired most was Qi Jiguang, and he even called his mansion "Guangyuan".Seeing that he brought up Qi Jiguang, he had no choice but to say: "The art of war has always existed from time to time, but the specific implementation on the battlefield is always changing!"

Tang Shaoyi interjected: "By the way, when it comes to the art of war, Governor Yuan ordered me to buy 100 copies of "On War" from abroad and send them to the army. It is said that it looks very insightful in line with Sun Tzu's art of war. The money went straight away. Tariffs are the governor's will. What do you think of this book?"

Cao Kun said: "I read it when I got it. I deeply agree with the chapters on the concentration of superior forces. The foreigners have so few troops and fight so fiercely. They rely on these war theories. Do you think so, Zhang Guandai?" ?”

Zhang Xun actually didn’t watch it at all, and coughed in embarrassment: “Yes, yes, yes! I think so too! Otherwise, I think it’s better to talk about trigonometry and ballistics. Tell me about ballistics first!”

Anyway, I have seen trigonometric functions and ballistic theory, although I don't understand it at all, but I really haven't read "On War".

Cao Kun scratched his head and said honestly, "I don't know how to tell, but I will check the meter!"

Zhang Xun said happily: "Then it's over!"

Cao Kun pointed at Li Yu: "He knows things about foreigners, you can ask him."

"Me?" Li Yu listened to the two of them talking about "cross talk" with great interest, so why did he suddenly involve himself again.

Cao Kun said: "That's right, the newspapers said that you are a proud son of the East, know everything, know everything, and know astronomy at a high level, and geography at a low level. It must be difficult for you!"

Li Yu asked suspiciously, "Where did this come from? What newspaper reported it?"

"It's been said in the newspapers, and it's also said that you can even calculate the route with the stars in the sky, and you know where you are when and where. It's amazing."

Li Yu thought to himself, just add oil and vinegar, and let the big guys just drink oil and be jealous.Leave three points for speaking, so it will be easy to maneuver in the future.

But ballistics is indeed a relatively simple theory for him, basically it is the combination of mechanical analysis in mathematics and physics with parabolic analysis.

There are many mechanical analysis questions about this aspect in high school physics, which are more humane than the frightening little sliders.

But the thought of having to use the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches of the Qing Dynasty to tell them these issues feels overwhelming.

"Actually, ballistics should be learned, and it's not difficult, but it's best for you officers to understand the Cartesian coordinate system first, so that it will be easier to explain."

"Flute what?" Zhang Xun asked.

"Descartes."

"Have not heard."

amount……

"It's the X axis and the Y axis, one horizontal and one vertical, and then draw the image."

Zhang Xun suddenly realized: "I've seen this before! I understand!"

Li Yu's thinking is very clear: "It's easy to understand this! Then, it is to draw the trajectory of the shell or bullet, use the principles of mechanics and mathematical derivation to calculate, and use the cosine function and sine function to substitute the two directions of the initial velocity. Combining the relationship between the two, and using a little calculus, you can get the coordinates of any point about time. This is roughly the case.”

Zhang Xun opened his mouth wider and wider. He could understand just now, but he was now listening to the heavenly scriptures.It feels as if the teacher was still talking about 1+1=2 last second, and when I lowered my head to pick up the pencil, I found that the blackboard was full of various complex differential equation solutions.

"Ha...hahaha!" Zhang Xun laughed a few times and applauded lightly, "Did Cao Guandai understand?"

What Li Yu said is actually not complicated, and it is completely what military ballistics should learn.

Cao Kun was an honest boy. He used to be quite serious in his studies at the Beiyang Armed Forces Academy. He was even selected by Li Hongzhang as one of ten outstanding graduates to play in the imperial court.

He understood it naturally, but some nouns were different from what he had learned before, and he felt that he had learned it very hard at that time, so why did Li Yu say it casually.I used this to get good grades at the beginning, and it couldn't be easier to put Buddha in Li Yu's mouth.

"That's the case, I understand." Cao Kun said honestly.

Zhang Xun didn't believe it, and asked Tang Shaoyi again: "You, do you understand?"

Tang Shaoyi smiled and said, "I understand too. Where are you?"

Zhang Xun bit the bullet and said, "So do we!"

Li Yu was immediately amused, and suddenly thought of Zhang Fei's phrase "I am the same" in the TV series.

This Zhang Xun is so funny!

From the beginning to the end, I thought that I was playing with Cao Kun, the "tie Hanhan", but in fact, Cao Kun somehow got involved.

After three glasses of wine, Yuan Shikai, who was at the top, was almost done talking, and said to Zai Zhen: "Zhen Beizi, I want to borrow someone from you."

"Borrower? Whom?" Zai Zhen asked.

Yuan Shikai looked at Li Yu: "I want to borrow him."

"Li Yu?"

"Correct."

Zai Zhen wondered, "What are you borrowing him for? He doesn't seem to know how to march and fight."

"Of course it's not for this reason. I just established a few schools here, but a few professors in Germany have been on vacation these days. You know, the Germans, even if they go to the front line, they will definitely go on vacation or have a holiday. I don't know much about it. Mathematics and physics, just let him take over for a few days. I myself, might as well learn from this Oriental pride.”

"That's the case!" Zai Zhen said, "If Li Yu is willing, he can. Anyway, he doesn't have to go back to Beijing to report to the Prime Minister's Office."

"That would be great."

Zai Zhen asked again: "Do you also learn Western learning in the army now?"

Yuan Shikai laughed and said, "Of course we have to learn. The recruited soldiers are almost illiterate, and that's not the way. I asked the German instructors, and their soldiers understand at least the basic scientific theories. Although I can't say what these things are useful for fighting Useful, but since everyone else is like this, I think it must make sense."

Zai Zhen visited their armies when he was in Britain, France and other countries, and he knew that what Yuan Shikai said was true. The soldiers in the British and French troops had indeed attended at least a few years of schooling.As for Germany, compulsory education was implemented nearly 200 years ago, and it is the first country in the world to popularize compulsory education.

But now even Yuan Shikai's new army, the most powerful force in the Qing Dynasty, is actually a group of illiterate and semi-literate, which is really unreasonable.

Zai Zhen agreed: "Yuan Zhitai has a far-sighted vision and set up a school in the army. You are really No. 1 in my Qing Dynasty."

Yuan Shikai said in a low voice: "It's not just a school. Recently, our Beiyang Army is planning to order 3000 new fast guns and fast guns from the Jiangnan Machinery Bureau. We need a checker who understands foreign things."

Zai Zhen immediately understood what Yuan Shikai meant. The amount of the order was quite large, and it was obvious that there was money to be made if he told himself.

After all, Zaizhen was the son of Yikuang, the number one greedy man in the Qing Dynasty. He was very sensitive to money matters under his influence, but he still pretended to ask, "Didn't all the weapons in your army be bought from foreigners?" ?"

Yuan Shikai said with a smile: "Of course I still have to buy it, but always buying it is not the answer. If it is broken, it will be difficult to repair. The most important thing is that the bullets bought are not enough. Usually, I can't even shoot with live ammunition a few times. And if we really want to fight again Come on, it’s too late to buy from foreigners, we can’t let soldiers use rifles as firewood sticks.”

Zai Zhenshen thought: "Military affairs are decided by Yuan Zhitai. But are the guns we made ourselves useful?"

Yuan Shikai actually didn't know much about it: "You have to try first."

(End of this chapter)