1900: A physics genius wandering around Europe

Chapter 101 The British Prime Minister’s shrewdness!

The first Nobel Prize award ceremony that amazed the world officially came to a close amid the reluctance of countless people.

But its subsequent impact will inevitably spread in all directions at the speed of light.

Ridgway and his group chose to leave Sweden by boat with Thomson and others.

Wandering above the North Sea, you can enjoy the magnificent view of the sea and sky merging into one.

Occasionally, a few unknown seabirds fly by, and a light salty breeze blows, interweaving with the steaming water vapor.

Intoxicated by the vast sea, Li Qiwei and others were in a very good mood.

However, even as he was enjoying this rare day of leisure, a secret discussion about his knighthood was taking place.

10 Downing Street, Westminster, London, UK.

This is the official residence of the British Prime Minister.

Inside the Prime Minister's Office.

Robert Cecil, 44, the 71th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is looking through documents while talking to a middle-aged man.

Robert Cecil was a legendary prime minister, and this was his third term as British Prime Minister.

As the only surviving son of the second Marquis of Salisbury, he inherited his father's title and was an aristocratic politician.

This man is extremely arrogant, cruel, and far-sighted, and is an out-and-out imperialist.

He believed that the backward races in the world must be brought about by Europeans.

In 1900, he sent troops to suppress the Boxer Rebellion in the Qing Dynasty.

His governing philosophy was that British rule must be maintained by absolute force, and he advocated the expansion and defense of the British Empire.

Therefore, during his term of office, he actively expanded Britain's overseas colonies and did not hesitate to launch many wars.

In Europe, he implemented the "policy of splendid isolation", believing that Britain did not need allies and would not form alliances with any country.

Instead, it wants to act like a boss, stand high and mighty, maintain the balance of power in Europe, and beat anyone who stands out.

As for the middle-aged man opposite Robert Cecil, he is his nephew, Arthur Balfour.

Balfour, 53, is the leader of the House of Commons and Prime Minister Cecil's most trusted and capable aide.

When Robert Cecil stepped down as Prime Minister in July 1902, he handed over the office to Arthur Balfour.

As the 45th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Balfour basically inherited everything from Robert Cecil, including his personality and governing philosophy.

Some people call him "Bloody Balfour" and "He has a heart of stone". He is a cold-blooded maverick in politics.

Moreover, this person belittled China in his heart, and when he later served as British Foreign Secretary, he repeatedly criticized China.

However, at this moment Balfour had not actually become prime minister, so he was still a little immature.

"Mr. Prime Minister, why is there a Qing citizen in the list of nobility submitted this time?"

Except in private occasions, Balfour always called Cecil "Mr. Prime Minister" because he had to address people by their titles when working!
He was called here today to help Prime Minister Cecil check the list of knighthoods for next January.

According to current British law, the list of people to be knighted by the King is reviewed and submitted by the current Prime Minister.

The list in the Prime Minister's hands is a list of candidates proposed by heads of various fields, who are then reported and summarized.

When Edward VII ascended the throne, Balfour could understand his eagerness.

However, he actually saw the name of a Qing Dynasty person on the list, which made him feel incredible.

When did the British Empire confer a knighthood on a foreigner?
Prime Minister Cecil looked at his surprised expression and smiled faintly: "Haven't you heard of this name?"

Balfour picked up the list again and read it in a low voice several times: "Chivy Lee, Chivy Lee." The more he read, the more confused he became.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Prime Minister, I haven't heard of this name. Is this person famous?"

Prime Minister Cecil finally put down the pen in his hand, leaned back to make himself more comfortable, and then said slowly:
"This young man from the Qing Dynasty is no ordinary person. He has made great achievements in the field of physics and recently won a Nobel Prize."

"His name was nominated jointly by Lord Kelvin and Lord Rayleigh. As a candidate in the field of science, I have to take him seriously."

Balfour felt something unusual when he heard this and began to read Li Qiwei's reasons for recommendation carefully.

He also knew the names of Lord Kelvin and Lord Rayleigh.

They are both aristocrats and great scientists, and are also quite famous in British upper class society.

This is enough to show that the Qing Dynasty man Chivi Lee, whom they are optimistic about, is not a simple character and must have his outstanding qualities.

However, if he was just a scientist, no matter how great his achievements were, there would be no need for Prime Minister Cecil to pay too much attention to him.

He has to deal with so many military and national affairs every day, and a lowest-level title, even if given to a foreigner, doesn't seem to be a big deal.

As if he saw Balfour's doubts, Prime Minister Cecil took out another document from the drawer and handed it to him.

Balfour quickly stood up, took it carefully, and then opened it to read.

"The Causes of the Industrial Revolution", "The Pioneer Trap", "The Rise of China".
What he was reading was Li Qiwei's speech at his undergraduate thesis defense, which recorded his evaluation of the current world situation.

The more Balfour looked at it, the more solemn his expression became, and he even broke out in a cold sweat.

He was born into a wealthy Scottish noble family and his family owned a large estate.

He received an elite education in the upper class since childhood, first attending Eton College and later studying philosophy and natural sciences at Cambridge University.

So, although he didn't know the specifics of Ridgway's quantum theory, he knew its sacred position in the physics community.

If a British person achieved such an achievement, he would be more than qualified to be awarded the title of baronet.

Even though Li Qiwei is a Qing citizen, it is understandable that he was only given the lowest title of knight.

It is a good deal to win over a top scientist by using a worthless honor.

However, after reading about Li Qiwei's deeds, Balfour fell silent, but his heart was filled with turmoil.

Is this really something a 21-year-old can think of independently?
And the key point is that Li Qiwei came from the East, where civilization was deserted. How could he have such a profound insight into the development of science?

Are there really people in the world who are born with spirituality? They can understand the essence of things they have never seen.

"Mr. Prime Minister, is this Qiwei Lee really as terrible as recorded?" Balfour even used the word terrible.

Prime Minister Cecil said calmly, "That little guy William had a conflict with Qiwei Lee in Cambridge, and he asked me to cross him off the list."

"I scolded him severely. How can a brat be allowed to interfere in national affairs?"

"Instead of studying hard, you just fool around all day."

Balfour smiled and agreed, "No wonder I saw him in a bad mood a few days ago. He even ignored me." Prime Minister Cecil said, "He was spoiled by his parents."

Balfour didn't dare to respond and could only smile. He knew how much his uncle doted on his grandson.

"Mr. Prime Minister, are you prepared to agree to put Qiwei Lee on the list of knights?"

Prime Minister Cecil did not answer directly, but asked a question in return: "Do you think Chiwe Lee will be a threat to Britain in the future?

Belfort was stunned, not understanding why the other party asked this question, but he thought for a while and said cautiously:
"If he can achieve what he said, with the population of hundreds of millions in the Qing Dynasty, after completing the industrial revolution, I think its strength should not be underestimated."

"But the current system of the Qing Dynasty determines that even if they have a revolution, they will inevitably fall into an endless civil war."

"This is our chance for Britain to divide the huge Qing Empire into smaller pieces by attracting and dividing it."

"Industrialization is an extremely large and complex national project. I don't think the power of an individual is a concern."

"Of course, the above are just my personal opinions, and I still need your guidance, Mr. Prime Minister."

After listening to this, Prime Minister Cecil nodded slightly with a hint of approval in his eyes. He had always trained the other party as his successor, and now it seems that this choice is the right one.

"Balfour, you are pretty good. It seems that after so many years of fighting with those old guys in the parliament, your vision has been honed."

When Balfour heard the praise from Prime Minister Cecil, he became embarrassed, like a child, which was unusual.

"But there's one thing you haven't considered."

"That is, Qiwei Li is not a threat. On the contrary, we need to help him and let him accelerate the industrialization process of Qing Dynasty."

“Although the British Empire is now thriving, its internal contradictions are also very serious.”

"We urgently need a huge market to divert the increasingly intensified conflicts in the country."

"At present, Qing is the best choice, with its vast territory and large population."

“The potential of that country is just so huge.”

"Do you know how much money the Qing Dynasty has to pay in this year's indemnity treaty because of last year's war?"

"The principal and interest totaled 9.8 million taels of silver, close to 1.5 million pounds, more than the annual fiscal revenue of the British Empire."

"But this country is still a feudal agricultural society and cannot absorb much of our products and market."

“So we need to turn it into an industrialized country.”

"By then, our steel, chemicals, automobiles, industrial products, etc. can all be dumped there."

"Then we buy their silk, tea, porcelain, etc. at low prices and ship them back to China for sale."

"In this way, the empire's economy will be revitalized and internal conflicts will be resolved."

"But I may not be able to live to that day. These will be your political achievements in the future." After saying this, he looked at Balfour with satisfaction.

Balfour's face flushed instantly after hearing this, and he trembled with excitement, but he clenched his teeth tightly, forced himself to calm down, and said:

"Uncle, your health will definitely improve. Maybe you can serve as prime minister for another term."

Prime Minister Cecil smiled and said nothing, then continued: "So, I agree to give Qiwei Lee the lowest lower honor of knighthood."

"And we need to publicize it widely, especially to let the Qing Dynasty know this news."

"It creates irreconcilable conflicts between those in power and the Han elite, exacerbating hatred."

"I am very familiar with everything in that country. If we intervene a little, we can turn the situation upside down."

"No matter how smart Chiwe Lee is, he is just a scientist, not a politician. He can't change anything."

"The game between countries is not something a young man like him can understand."

"Even in his country's terms, he is just a craftsman, responsible for doing his job honestly."

"His greatest achievement was to help us advance the physical sciences in our British Empire."

"How can such a person be a threat?"

After listening to this, Balfour smiled and said, "Mr. Prime Minister, you are indeed very good at planning and making decisions."

"It's as if the whole world is a chessboard in your hands, and all of us are your chess pieces."

"The chess piece thinks he is very important and that winning the Nobel Prize is the pinnacle of his life."

"But to a great being like you, it's like an ant finding a piece of food and being complacent."

Although Prime Minister Cecil was in a high position and had great power, he couldn't help but smile like a chrysanthemum when he was praised like this.

At this moment, Belfort suddenly stopped being casual and asked seriously:
"But, Mr. Prime Minister, I have a concern."

"If the Qing Dynasty were to be unified in just a few years after its division, and then complete its industrialization, it could be a threat to Britain."

Prime Minister Cecil smiled and said, "You are able to plan ahead and consider the worst-case scenario. That's great. This is a necessary quality for a qualified politician."

"First, we must not allow this to happen, whether through military or political means."

"Second, as long as the unrest lasts for more than 20 years, Britain will have entered the third industrial revolution by then."

"The guns, ships, trains, etc. of the Qing Dynasty are all obsolete in the British Empire. They are a generation behind."

“Like Chiwe Lee said, as long as we keep breaking through, there will never be a first mover trap.”

"Third, even if they have cannons and explosives, can they bomb the British mainland from more than 10,000 miles away?"

"As for naval battles, our British Empire Navy has been roaming the deep blue for hundreds of years and has never suffered a defeat."

"In this world, having more people does not necessarily mean having more power."

"A backward nation will always be backward. Even if it masters high technology, it will only throw its spears as if they were spears."

As soon as he finished speaking, Prime Minister Cecil burst into laughter, and Balfour also laughed along.

The British Empire will always be the center of the world, trampling other nations under its feet.

But several years later, the gray-haired Balfour knelt tremblingly in front of Prime Minister Cecil's tombstone and said with tears in his eyes:
"Uncle, you have caused me so much trouble."

"Then Chiwie Lee's cannon is different from others'."

“Not only can it circle the Earth, it can hit anywhere with pinpoint accuracy.”

"The point is, it's too powerful. It can blow up a whole city with just one shot."

Unfortunately, Prime Minister Cecil could no longer hear or feel the terrifying power of this weapon, which was like a punishment from God.

(End of this chapter)