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

Chapter 97
Since Li Yu was recommended by Yikuang, he first came to the Zongli Yamen to meet Yikuang.

Yikuang is absolutely full of confidence in Li Yu: "Mr. Li will be able to teach Long Live God in the future, and the future is boundless!"

Li Yu said: "I don't have any experience in teaching the current sage, and I don't know if I can do it."

"It's nothing difficult. Governor Yuan said that you have taught Western studies in the Beiyang Army. It's nothing more than the object of the class has changed." Yikuang said, after all, in his eyes, the teaching of Western studies is really the same as the previous lectures on classics and history. It's different, and of course you can't use the same method to teach. Since it's a new form, you don't have to pay so much attention.

Li Yu really had no idea, and said, "Beiyang is Beiyang, and the emperor is the emperor. There are too many differences, and the content of the lectures must be very different."

"As for the content, you can teach me what you taught me in the past," Yi Qiang suggested to him, "and the Empress Dowager knows everything I learned."

When Li Yu taught Yikuang about Western learning, he always picked up interesting things, but Guangxu obviously still had a little ambition, and it must not be exactly the same.

Martin also learned that Li Yu was going to teach the emperor about Western learning. Although foreigners now call Cixi the "Queen of the Qing Dynasty", they obviously prefer Guangxu more.

Ding Weiliang rushed to the Zongli Yamen, shook hands with Yikuang: "Hello, my lord."

Yikuang laughed when he saw Ding Weiliang: "Now you have three people under your command who have become the masters of Long Live Lord."

Martin felt that the matter was indeed unbelievable: "The emperor has not asked for a teacher for many years, why does he suddenly want to learn Western learning?"

Yikuang said: "It was the empress dowager's intention. Now when the ministers come to the palace to meet, sometimes they have to talk directly to the empress dowager and the long live god. It is inconvenient for the queen mother to come forward directly, so they can only be interviewed by the long live god."

Since Xi'an came back, Cixi also began to let Guangxu meet with ministers and ministers every day, and issued an edict in his name, so he was picked up from Yingtai every day.

But in the final analysis, Guangxu is nothing more than a tool used by Cixi to whitewash the court. He can't leave the dragon chair empty in the Qing Dynasty. After all, he is still the emperor in name.

This is a rare opportunity for Guangxu to see more outsiders every day, but Cixi will send Guangxu back to Yingtai immediately after the performance of the monarch, minister and minister is over.

Martin Martin had stayed in China for so many years, and he also knew that he could not get involved in the power struggle at the top. He told Li Yu: "If the Queen Mother only asks you to teach Western learning, you must only teach Western learning, and nothing else will be mentioned."

Ding Weiliang had long regarded Li Yu as the most important student in his college, and he took great care of his situation.

Li Yu naturally understood the key points, and replied: "Thank you, Chief Teacher, for reminding, even if it is Western learning, there are too many to teach. How can I teach other things?"

Martin Martin took out some books: "These are my textbooks in Chongshi School. They are all elementary mathematics, physics, chemistry and other related subjects."

Martin Martin has been doing education for decades, and he has these resources at his fingertips.

Li Yu was very grateful, but he was still worried about where to find materials. It is very difficult to find science teaching materials during the Great Halal.

"Thank you, Head Teacher!"

"In addition, I also have some small blackboards and chalks in the Tongwen Museum. You can take them with you. If you are teaching Western learning, these things will come in handy." Martin continued.

Martin was so thoughtful, Li Yu hadn't mentioned it yet, he had already made all the arrangements.

Yikuang also smiled and said, "If the Queen Mother hadn't specified that foreigners should not be taught, you would be the most suitable candidate."

Martin Martin said: "If it was before, I would have been suitable, but now there are better ones. In terms of Western learning, Li Yu is already far ahead of me."

Yikuang clapped his hands and said, "I'm going to tell the queen mother this, she will definitely feel more at ease."

Although Cixi hated foreigners, she was afraid of them from the bottom of her heart. A word of Ding Weiliang may be more important than ten words of a courtier.

Ding Weiliang counted on giving Li Yu a strong reputation, otherwise the ministers below would not know how long it would take to discuss such a big matter as finding a teacher for the emperor.

After explaining everything that should be explained, whether it is a mule or a horse, it is about to be pulled out for a walk.

Yikuang and Li Yu set off for Xiyuan, and also gave Zhang Deyi Xin'er to go with them.

Although Cixi didn't care about Guangxu, Guangxu's every move had to be reported to her, and of course she had to ask her if she wanted to teach her.

It may also be a kind of deformed "love and kill each other".

Yiluan Hall, Yikuang brought the two of them to meet Cixi.

Cixi said meaningfully: "Isn't it Li Yu? We have met, and I know your skills. Since it was recommended by Prince Qing, the details are also clean. But I still want to tell you, what should you teach?" Just teach what you don’t want to teach, and don’t teach what you shouldn’t.”

Cixi just wanted to train Guangxu to be a qualified puppet emperor. If it involved reform content, it would definitely be absolutely unacceptable.

Empress Dowager Cixi's point of view is actually biased towards Japan's constitutional reform, and the emperor's power is still great.Although the political system is more feudal than Europe, it also respects Western learning such as science and technology.Of course, it's all relative.

But if you really want to implement the decree to learn from Japan, Cixi's stubborn thinking will not be able to go one step further.

"Follow the Queen Mother's order." Li Yu himself didn't understand politics, so he couldn't say anything.

Cixi stroked the fingertips on her hands: "It's good to know."

Then she said to Cui Yugui: "Eunuch Cui, take them to see the emperor."

"Cha!" Cui Yugui said to Li Yu, "Follow me."

It is impossible for Yikuang to go to Yingtai together, and the attitude of the court ministers towards Guangxu is very subtle.After all, they all read the books of sages and still respected Guangxu. Even if Cixi asked them to go to Yingtai, seeing the emperor in such a situation, he couldn't accept it in his heart.

But the eunuchs were different. They acted according to the wind and even dared to speak insultingly to Guangxu.

Penglai has just arrived, and it is really in the middle of the water.

Yingtai was originally a beautiful place with excellent scenery, but now it has become the emperor's palace prison.

Li Yu looked at the past, pavilions, halls, verandahs, surrounded by water, like a fairy island in the sea, and the name of Yingtai came from this.

The Ming and Qing dynasties put a lot of thought into the construction of Yingtai, which has always been the place where emperors and concubines listen to government, take summer vacation and live.

Now not only Guangxu lived in Yingtai, but Concubine Jin also lived in Yingtai.It's just that Guangxu lives in Hanyuan Hall, the so-called "Mausoleum Hall"; Concubine Jin lives in Xiangjian Hall, which is separated by two large courtyards to the south of Hanyuan Hall.Without the order of the Empress Dowager Cixi, it is impossible for the two to meet.

There is only a small bridge between Yingtai and the mainland, and guards stand guard day and night.

"Get out of the way for our family."

The guards must have known Cui Yugui. To enter Yingtai, one had to "make a face" or have Cixi's order.

Although there was no Guangxu in his eyes, the superficial etiquette had to be followed. Cui Yugui and others saluted the emperor together. Guangxu was not angry when he saw Cui Yugui, and didn't want him to stand up immediately.

Cui Yugui knelt on the ground for a long time, unable to hear Guangxu's voice, raised his head and said, "Long Live Lord, the queen mother sent the slave here."

It stands to reason that eunuchs cannot raise their heads when they kneel down to the emperor. Guangxu felt angry when he saw it, but after thinking about it, he still didn't get angry, so he said, "Let's get flat."

Sure enough, Cui Yugui moved out of Cixi and took care of things.

After several people stood up, Guangxu's blurred eyes saw that there were two more people behind Cui Yugui, and one of them was the former English teacher Zhang Deyi.

The other young man also looked a little familiar.

Cui Yugui said: "Long live, the Empress Dowager Lafayette said that in the future, Mr. Li Yu will be your teacher of Western learning, and he will teach you half an hour regularly."

"Li Yu?" Guangxu remembered this name in his memory. He once had people bring in newspapers and publications.

Guangxu stood up, ran to the desk, and took out some newspapers.

Li Yu found out that Emperor Guangxu was barefoot and without shoes. Now that the weather was getting colder, he didn't seem to notice.

Guangxu ran over with a copy of The Beijing-Tianjin Times: "You, are you Li Yu from the newspaper?"

Guangxu has a certain stutter.

The "Beijing-Tianjin Times" used Li Yu's photo at the time, and Guangxu compared it, "It really looks like it."

Li Yu said: "Go back to Your Majesty, the Caomin is Li Yu."

Guangxu excitedly said: "You are not a grassroots! There are grasses in this world, and there are straw bags in the palace, but you are not a grassroots!"

Guangxu flipped through the newspaper, "I've read it all, you really make me proud!"

Cui Yugui realized that Guangxu had completely ignored his own existence, and said angrily, "The servant is going to wait outside the palace."

He wouldn't stay too far away, but Guangxu didn't want to talk to him at all.

At close range, Li Yu found that Emperor Guangxu was not in a good state of mind. Fortunately, because he had to meet with ministers and officials, the eunuchs paid more attention to his personal hygiene.

Li Yu said, "I didn't expect His Majesty to care about science."

The "Beijing-Tianjin Times" in Guangxu's hand was a long time ago. It seems that the eunuchs did not deliver the newspaper to him in time.

Zhang Deyi on the side said: "Your Majesty, not only is it mentioned in the newspaper, Mr. Li Yu recently traveled around the European powers with Zhen Beizi and published several scientific papers, which shocked the whole of Europe, and even the Royal Academy of Sciences of Great Britain expressed deep respect for him. admire."

Guangxu's news was obviously lagging behind, and he was shocked when he found out: "Is it all true?"

Zhang Deyi said: "How dare I lie to the emperor."

Nowadays, many ministers in the ruling and opposition parties are very sympathetic to Guangxu, and Zhang Deyi was once Guangxu's teacher, even more so.

Guangxu excitedly said: "In fact, I am a talent in the Qing Dynasty. I must let you be, be..."

Guangxu suddenly couldn't continue, and sat back on the chair helplessly.Not to mention that he has no power now, the few people who were promoted when he had power before are now in a miserable mess.

Guangxu's room was very simple, and the cushions on the chairs were torn and had not been replaced with new ones.

Zhang Deyi felt very sad, and said: "Your Majesty, don't think too much. How about we start the class, each class is only given for half an hour."

Guangxu said: "Alright."

Li Yu moved in the small blackboard from outside the hall, Cui Yugui saw it and said, "What is it?"

"An ordinary blackboard used in class," Li Yu said.

"Blackboard? In the past, gentlemen used books in class, so how could they use a board?" Cui Yugui asked suspiciously, "Let me check it, and I will not harm the Lord Long Live."

Naturally, he was not worried about harming Guangxu.

Cui Yugui took the blackboard and handed it back to Li Yu after carefully checking that there were no hidden grids. "Where is the thing in your hand, and what is it?"

Li Yu said helplessly, "This is chalk, for writing on the blackboard. This is pencil, for writing on paper."

Cui Yugui was worried, so he took them all over. He opened the chalk box and checked them one by one, and even broke a few. After confirming again, he said, "Okay, let's go in. From now on, just put your things here, and don't bring any more things with you."

Li Yu saw several legal books on Guangxu's desk, such as Explanation of the Japanese Constitution, Montesquieu's Legal Ideas, General Theory of Law, etc. It seemed that he was still thinking about reform.

But unfortunately, this will be his dream that will never come true.

Li Yu set up the blackboard, "I wonder how much your Majesty knows about Western science?"

Guangxu thought for a while and said, "I don't know much, I have only studied English, politics and law."

Li Yu asked, "Okay, then what do you most want to learn?"

Guangxu said: "Can you teach? Then I will learn!"

Well, Emperor Guangxu was really keen on Western learning.In fact, even if it was not Cixi's order, he himself hoped to learn more about Western culture.

But Li Yu nodded his head, how to start teaching this.After thinking about mathematics as the basis of science, Li Yu asked, "Does Your Majesty know Arabic numerals and numeral symbols?"

Guangxu shook his head, "I don't know."

Well, it seems that I really can only be an enlightenment teacher.

Fortunately, Guangxu is still much stronger than Yikuang, and his ability to accept is also much better.

The half-hour class was very fast, and Guangxu learned a lot of new things.

"It turns out that the calculation of Western symbols is so convenient." Guangxu was quite surprised. "Liang Qi...someone once told me that Western mathematical formulas are extremely advanced. It turns out that the expression is much simpler, and it is also brisk to learn."

Guangxu then said to Zhang Deyi: "It must be carried out in the future. You'd better give it to your father."

Guangxu has always called Cixi "father", it is said that Li Lianying taught him.

Zhang Deyi is already a member of the second rank, and he will go to the UK to be an ambassador in a while. He replied: "Your Majesty, now the college is starting to recruit students again, and in the future we will gradually implement the Western style of writing."

Guangxu asked in surprise: "University Hall?"

Zhang Deyi said: "Yes, the Imperial Academy."

Of course Guangxu remembered the content of his reform: "I didn't expect it to be destroyed."

Zhang Deyi said: "Not only has it not been destroyed, but now the Jingshi University has just started to enroll students officially, and the first batch of students who are the first in high school is Li Yu in front of me."

Guangxu looked at Li Yu in disbelief: "You are indeed a talent, I want...to... hey! You are a talent."

Guangxu's mood was sometimes excited and sometimes depressed. Under the pressure of Cixi, it was already somewhat abnormal.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Emperor Guangxu suddenly started to cough violently, Zhang Deyi hurried over and asked, "What's wrong with you, Your Majesty?"

Guangxu was so coughed that he couldn't speak for a while, Zhang Deyi quickly shouted: "The imperial doctor, quickly send the imperial doctor!"

Guangxu interrupted him weakly: "Master Zhang, don't shout."

Cui Yugui outside the house still heard the voice, came in and said impatiently: "The emperor wants to invite a medical officer?"

"No, no need!" Guangxu insisted.

"That's it." Cui Yugui turned around and left the hall without asking any further questions.

Zhang Deyi asked worriedly: "Why doesn't Your Majesty appoint a medical officer?"

Guangxu said in a low voice: "Drinking the soup is better than not drinking it."

What Guangxu said was very cryptic, but Li Yu immediately understood his helplessness.

Zhang Deyi was not stupid, but he didn't believe that someone would harm Guangxu, but he didn't dare to ask, so he could only say: "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself."

Emperor Guangxu's health was indeed very poor, and he would become weaker and weaker later, and even had problems such as restlessness and sweating, but he did seldom dare to take medicine, which was very sad.

(End of this chapter)