Reborn and become a Great Scientist

Chapter 385 124 Royal North Star Medal

After meeting with the Crown Prince of Sweden, Chen Muwu basically didn't say a word.

He didn't know why he was about to be awarded a medal by the other party for no reason.

This is not the first time that Dr. Chen has received a medal. As early as the second year after arriving in the UK, he had already received the Baoguang Jiahe Medal from the Beiyang Government of the Republic of China, as well as additional medals of honor.

Later, because his contribution was so outstanding, the Beiyang government awarded him a second medal, raising the level of the medal Chen Muwu received to the highest level.

That is to say, the Republic of China, the Republic, no longer divide people into high and low like the Qing Dynasty, otherwise.

If Chen Muwu's two highest-level medals were equivalent to those in the Qing Dynasty, he would be the Duke of the Aisin Gioro family.

Others were so happy after receiving the medal that they wished they had to pin the medal in the most conspicuous place on their chest every time they were formally dressed for a photo.

Chen Muwu had no interest at all in the false reputation given to him by the Beiyang government, and he never wore the medal even once after it was awarded.

——Because he was abroad, Chen Muwu directly rejected the Beiyang government's proposal to mail the medal to him to the Republic of China's Embassy in the UK, and instead asked them to send the medal to Bihai's home.

Last year, his family moved from Sihai to the UK, and Chen Muwu finally saw his two medals for the first time.

When Chen Muqiao solemnly handed over the medals he kept for his third brother to Chen Muwu, he seriously told him that if he dealt with officials or attended any formal events in the future, he must remember to wear these medals. After all, it can be regarded as a status symbol.

Chen Muwu asked his eldest brother if the government sent money corresponding to the medals to his family every year after awarding them medals.

According to the Beiyang government's medal regulations, recipients of medals are equivalent to the country's nobility and can receive a sum of money from the government every year until the death of the recipient.

But when Chen Muwu received the medal, the Beiyang government had already emptied its wealth in the continuous civil war. The Ministry of Education could not pay the salaries of professors and employees of various national universities, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not pay the salaries of various diplomatic missions abroad. Naturally, there is no spare money for the museum's funds, so it will be given to these medal recipients who are not short of money in the first place.

So when he heard Chen Muwu's inquiry, Chen Muqiao could only smile awkwardly and said that the government promised to pay off the outstanding money in one lump sum in the future.

Chen Muwu didn't say anything after hearing this, and just silently accepted the medal.

The Beiyang government is about to be finished, and the promises they made will become empty talk next year.

And after you sang and I came on stage, the Tingjing government that came to power soon after, in order not to wipe the mess left by the Beiyang government's indiscriminate issuance of medals, made up for the owed funds for medal recipients like Chen Muwu and continued to do so every year. To pay, simply push it back and start over, no longer recognize any medals awarded during the Beiyang period, but establish a brand new medal system.

Chen Muwu had known for a long time that the two plaques brought all the way from China by his eldest brother were just two piles of scrap metal. It was estimated that only the few pearls inlaid on them were worth a little bit.

Unexpectedly, the Swedish Crown Prince has now put this issue on the table and once again raised the issue of conferring medals on Chen Muwu.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, thank you for your kindness." Chen Muwu said politely, "It stands to reason that medals from various countries should only be awarded to people with the nationality of that country?"

Chen Muwu's question was not taken for granted, but that he had indeed understood this matter before.

Because he has been staying in the UK for a long time in recent years and is still a good friend with the second prince of the UK, the Duke of York, Chen Muwu either actively or passively knows about the complex and cumbersome medal system in the UK, which can be passed on to the next generation of nobles, and You can only obtain the title yourself, and after death, you must return the knight to you.

However, whether it is a hereditary noble or a knight who can have a "sir" in front of his surname, an indispensable condition for obtaining these titles or medals is that the recipient must be a holder of British nationality.

In the future, foreigners like Chen Muwu can also get medals, but as long as you are not a British citizen, this medal is just an honorary decoration. The recipient of the medal cannot be called a knight, and he is not recognized by the UK. knight.

One time, the Duke of York half-jokingly proposed to Chen Muwu that when he could find an opportunity, he would also ask his father, His Majesty King George V, to award Chen Muwu a medal so that his name could change from Dr. Chen to Chen Muwu. Sir, - but the prerequisite was that Chen Muwu change his nationality from China to the United Kingdom, and Chen Muwu also half-jokingly rejected this request.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Sweden suddenly raised the matter of conferring honors like the Duke of York today. Chen Muwu started to think about the British medal system: Sweden is also a royal country on the European continent, and it is a cousin to the British royal family, so he felt that the two countries' attitudes towards medals should be similar.

"Dr. Chen, you are worrying too much. What you are talking about must be because the UK has this requirement on medals,"

The Crown Prince of Sweden saw through the crux of the problem at a glance.

“However, Britain is Britain and Sweden is Sweden. Although I am a cousin to the current British King, His Majesty George V, the national conditions of the two countries are completely different.

"You came to Sweden at the right time this year. At the moment we have only drafted the list a few times, but it has not been officially finalized.

"And, in the Swedish medal system, there happens to be one, and I think it fits your identity very well."

Originally, he had been busy with these things these days, and the Crown Prince of Sweden was already very disgusted with the medal.

But for some reason, when he felt that he could also award Dr. Chen a medal, he suddenly became very energetic again.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince called his servant to bring him paper and pen, and while writing and drawing on them, he introduced Sweden's domestic medal system to Chen Muwu.

“Our country’s medal system was founded in 1748 by His Majesty Frederick I, the then King of Sweden.

“The highest level among them is called the Royal Order of Seraphim. In addition to members of the Swedish royal family and the kings and queens of various royal countries in Europe, those who can receive this medal are the few people closest to His Majesty the King, and There are also limits on the number of people allowed.

"The recipient of the medal is equivalent to His Majesty the King's Knights, so the level of the Order of the Steward Seraph is basically comparable to the most famous Order of the Garter in the UK.

“In addition to the Royal Order of the Seraphim, His Majesty Frederick I also founded the Royal Order of Swords and the Royal Order of the North Star.

“The former is basically more like a military medal, with different levels of medals awarded according to the level of military merit achieved;

"And the latter will be awarded to people who have outstanding achievements in the fields of science, freedom and art. "And the most important point is that the recipients of the Royal Polar Star Medal are not as rigid as the UK with so many rules. They can only be awarded to a person of this nationality.

“His Majesty King Frederik I had stipulated when he created these three badges that anyone who has made contributions to Sweden, regardless of nationality, is eligible to be awarded the above three badges.

"And you, Dr. Chen, don't you think you just meet the requirements to be awarded the Royal North Star?"

Chen Muwu tasted the product carefully and saw this big call made by the Crown Prince of Sweden.

The Royal North Star Medal can be awarded to people who have made contributions to science. Chen Muwu felt that he was certainly qualified for this.

As for having made a contribution to Sweden, can it be said that he built a school in Stockholm? Does this count as a contribution?

Or is it his contribution that he helped revitalize the Ericsson telephone company that was on the verge of bankruptcy and pointed out the direction of development for the new Swedish car industry?

When Chen Muwu was thinking about a problem, he would always remain expressionless and keep his eyes blank.

The Crown Prince of Sweden thought he was dissatisfied with the honors he had arranged for him, so before Chen Muwu could answer, he continued to comfort him: "Dr. Chen, this Royal North Star Medal is all I can offer at the moment. The highest level of medal.

"I can only ask you to wait for a while. After I ascend the throne, I will definitely let you receive the Royal Seraph Medal and become a member of my Seraph Knights."

I rely on.

Chen Muwu was just thinking about the problem. Why was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Sweden opposite him already looking forward to the future when he would be the King of Sweden?

Stories that have been repeated again and again in history show that when the emperor is in good health and still alive and well, the crown prince begins to dream about being the emperor in the future, and the outcome is usually not good.

Going further back, during the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu had an uneasy son, the violent prince Liu Ju.

The most recent one should be that Kang Mazi, the second oldest prince in their family, Yin Reng, who was the one who took over the throne in Kowloon, but in the end he didn't get a good death.

Fortunately, this is Sweden, not China's traditional feudal dynasty.

Otherwise, as a senior member of the princeling party, Chen Muwu would definitely not be able to escape the fate of being killed by the sword if the prince's uprising failed.

However, Chen Muwu once again had wild thoughts.

After the Swedish Crown Prince in front of him ascended the throne, he had made a wish to be included in the Royal Seraphim Knights.

Then will my other good friend in the UK, the Duke of York, who will also become the King of the UK in the future, George VI, award him with an Order of the Garter and allow him to join the Knights of the Garter after he ascends the throne? ?

Then at that time, as a knight of His Majesty the King of Sweden and the United Kingdom, would he be almost the same as Su Qin who had the seal of the Six Nations?

He suddenly felt like that rare Lu Buwei, who could judge in advance before others that the shy second prince of England with speech problems would become His Majesty the King of England in the future.

"Chen, Dr. Chen? How are you thinking about it?"

Seeing that Chen Muwu still had no reaction, the Crown Prince of Sweden called his name again.

"Ah, ah, I am flattered by the fact that you proposed the award. I always feel that I have done nothing to deserve such a glorious honor."

Chen Muwu said politely.

"Dr. Chen, don't say that. If you don't deserve it, those upstart Americans and Jews who spend money to buy medals are even less worthy.

“It is not your honor but ours in Sweden to be awarded the Royal Order of the North Star to you.

“Only people like you who receive medals can ensure the gold content of Sweden’s domestic medal system.

"I advise you not to refuse anymore, but to accept this medal. After I go back today, I will add your name to the list of medals awarded at the beginning of next year. This matter is indeed my fault. Although I have been busy recently I’m so worried, but why did I forget to award you the medal in the first place?”

Chen Muwu continued to be polite: "Then I'll be more respectful than obedient. Thank you for your kindness, His Royal Highness."

Since there is no need to change nationality, Chen Muwu is still willing to receive a medal from Sweden and hang it on his chest.

If there are no surprises, his permanent residence in Europe will gradually change from the United Kingdom to Sweden in the next few years.

When he was in the UK, because he was already a fellow of the Royal Society, with the badge of the society hanging on his chest, he enjoyed many supra-national treatments in the UK, such as priority in passing through customs and the like.

Chen Muwu felt that after coming to Sweden, it would be better to have a knight by his side. From now on, his activities in Sweden would be more convenient.

Although even without this medal, with his relationship with the Crown Prince of Sweden and the Wallenberg family behind Marcus Jr., he should be able to travel unimpeded in this land of Northern Europe.

Unexpectedly, the title that followed Chen Muwu's surname was that he had always been a doctor and a fellow for so many years but could not be upgraded to a professor. However, he became Sir Chen because he became a nobleman - although this knighthood is Swedish.

There is another key point, that is, Sweden's medal ceremony should be held next year, that is, after New Year's Day in 1928.

In this way, after watching Zhao Zhongyao and Cockcroft receive the Nobel Prize in Physics on December 12, Chen Muwu will still have a legitimate reason to stay in Sweden.

He could then continue to stay at the Prince's College in Stockholm and secretly continue the design and construction of the cyclotron.

The matter of the medal that the Swedish Crown Prince came up with on a whim has come to an end for the time being.

At this time, the servant came to inform that dinner was ready, and invited the two of them to the dining room to eat and chat.

On the way from the living room to the restaurant, the Crown Prince of Sweden finally remembered his identity as the host:

"Dr. Chen, you have been in Stockholm for several days this time. Are you still used to it? If you encounter any problems, just tell me and I will try my best to solve them within the scope of my ability."

(End of this chapter)