1900: A physics genius wandering around Europe

Chapter 135: The Limitations of the Times of Little People in History

After Zhang Deyi's repeated requests, Li Qiwei was embarrassed to refuse, so he had dinner with him.

He thought that this old man was quite interesting, and his decades of experience living abroad made him talk eloquently.

From witnessing the Paris Commune Revolution to witnessing the development of Britain's railway transportation industry.

From criticizing Christianity in the United States to becoming the first Chinese to visit the pyramids.

He has studied the coins of countries such as Britain, France, Japan and Russia, and has also criticized the Western "kidney clothes" for being contrary to human ethics.

From Zhang Deyi's narration, Li Qiwei had no sense at all that he was a Qing Dynasty person.

The other party seemed to be the kind of tourist who traveled around the world in later generations, except that this guy traveled at public expense.

Putting aside the experience of later generations, Li Qiwei felt that Zhang Deyi's knowledge of the West was far beyond what he had experienced in the past two years.

Communicating with the other party gave him the illusion that he had returned to the afterlife.

And after a few drinks, this guy completely opened up. As expected of a diplomat, he is very talkative.

"Qiwei, do you think that Europe and America have advanced technology, so their culture is also advanced and ahead of China?"

Li Qiwei wanted to hear what he had to say, so he said, "I have little knowledge of cultural studies, so I dare not speak rashly."

"I tell you, this is a completely wrong conclusion."

"When I was traveling in San Francisco, I met a Chinese man who had cut off his braids and was wearing American clothes."

"I scolded him on the spot: You have already cut off your braids, how can you have the nerve to return to China?"

"Our Great Qing is a country of etiquette, and we respect the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. How can we easily damage our bodies and hair, which are given to us by our parents?"

"Uh." Li Qiwei was speechless. He no longer had a braid. It seemed that Zhang Deyi was really drunk.

"Don't look at Western countries. They have trains, ships, and all kinds of strange things."

"But their cultural core is far from ours."

"They don't respect their superiors and pursue individuality. How can we manage the people of this world?"

"Their lead is only temporary. Western learning is not that difficult. Qiwei, you have learned it very well."

"As long as we can meet a wise ruler and reform and innovate, we will naturally be able to catch up."

"Your Majesty is such a holy monarch now."

"Although we have suffered a setback temporarily, the future will definitely be bright and beautiful."

Li Qiwei felt that Zhang Deyi might be the one who stayed abroad all the time and had no one to talk to around him.

So when he suddenly meets someone who is willing to listen, he can't control his emotions.

Moreover, Li Qiwei was from the same faction as him, so he felt relieved.

"When I was on a business trip in France, I found that some foreigners were afraid that having children would be a burden."

"Buy a leather or silk cover and put it on top of XX. Even if the phoenix is ​​upside down, it won't lay a single egg."

"You tell me whether it's funny or not."

Li Qiwei: "How ridiculous."

Zhang Deyi became more and more out of character, "Mencius said: There are three kinds of unfilial behavior, and the worst is to have no descendants."

"If someone kills his heir, his crime is unforgivable. The so-called first person to make clay figures out of graves will have no descendants!"

Li Qiwei could only keep agreeing with him. He himself didn't dare to touch these topics, let alone in the future.

It was unexpected that people had thought about these issues more than a hundred years ago. This opened Li Qiwei's eyes.

When Zhang Deyi passed away, someone gave him a couplet:
"Traveling around East Asia and Western Europe, taking in the grand view of the universe, how many people can have such a magnificent journey; writing numerous books, explaining the mysteries of the past and present, this is a true celebrity who has lived a life well-deserved."

However, such a person who opened his eyes to the world and had a high degree of westernization remained unknown in history.

It’s all because his ideological level is too low.

His observations on the West ultimately still stood on the Qing Dynasty's perspective.

His regret comes from his own educational background.

He was one of the first foreign language translators trained by the Qing Dynasty and also the first batch of students at the Tongwenguan in Beijing.

The idea I have been taught since childhood is that the world is centered on the Qing Dynasty, which is a typical traditional scholar-official.

Even though they saw so many changes and innovations, they still turned a blind eye to the shortcomings of the Qing Dynasty.

He might be trying to protect himself and not want to take any risk.

It may also be that they realize that their abilities are low and they are not up to much use.

But no matter what, by comparing with Zhang Deyi, Li Qiwei discovered how worthy of respect those ancestors in history who sacrificed their lives and shed their blood are.

They transcended their own historical limitations and regarded saving China as their lifelong responsibility.

Li Qiwei would not discriminate against Zhang Deyi. As long as he did not deliberately work for the Qing Dynasty and harm China, it was within his understanding.

It would be biased to evaluate a person without considering the limitations of the times.

Because all everyone sees is confusion, and they have no idea where the road ahead lies.

Many choices may seem wrong in the eyes of future generations, but if you were put in that position, you might not necessarily do better.

The reason why great men are great, in addition to their own strong will and correct choices, is also due to the blessing of the destiny of China.

With Zhang Deyi's strange experiences, Li Qiwei's thoughts had already drifted to who knows where.

Soon, the two ended their first meeting of the day in an atmosphere where both the host and the guest had a great time.

Zhang Deyi completed the task successfully. He learned from Li Qiwei that the other party would return to China in the near future and was willing to accept the position of Deputy Minister of Education.

He would use special means to pass the message to Guangxu.

Li Qiwei unexpectedly obtained an official identity that suits him, which is more conducive to the implementation of the Spark Project.
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After returning home, Li Qiwei told everyone the good news.

Everyone cheered and praised Li Qiwei for being so amazing. When he came abroad, he could be knighted by a foreign country; when he returned to China, he could immediately be awarded an official title by the emperor, and it was directly from the fifth rank.

In their hearts, Li Qiwei is like a god.

Any one of his achievements is something that an ordinary person would never achieve in his lifetime.

Moreover, in the eyes of the other party, these achievements are still ordinary and dispensable.

It's really annoying to compare people to each other.

Wang Luyao held Li Qiwei's arm and shook it continuously, saying sweetly, "My brother Qiwei is the best."

Then he said to everyone, "My father was killed because he offended a minor official."

"In the end, he had to drink and apologize, and then offered 1,000 taels of silver, before the conflict was finally resolved."

"Without a position of any kind in the Qing dynasty, it is simply impossible to move forward."

“Ordinary people can only be bullied.”

Wang Luyao's words were recognized by everyone, and they all nodded continuously. It was obvious that they had encountered similar things in the country.

Xu Qitai's eyes turned red with envy.

This time is different from the last Jazz.

Li Qiwei was granted the title of an official of the Qing Dynasty.

It’s the fifth rank, equivalent to the Yuanwailang of the Ministry of Works.

His grandfather worked diligently all his life, dedicated to introducing and spreading foreign science and technology, and designed and manufactured countless tools for the Qing Dynasty.

In the end, he didn't even get any official position, let alone a promotion.

Moreover, when they are working, they have to accept the leadership of those arrogant officials in the Ministry of Industry and have no way to express their grievances.

But now, his elder brother Li has not even returned to the country, but Emperor Guangxu is already rushing to present him with a hat. The gap is too big.

Now, he is particularly glad that he made the decision.

Following such a big guy, I can’t even imagine my future.

Starting from the fifth rank is just the starting point for Brother Li.

At this moment, Xu Qitai was full of passion.

"Brother Li, when we return home, my father will probably have to call you Lord Li when he sees you."

"Hahaha, I really want to see his expression then."

"He was against my coming to England at first."

Li Qiwei was speechless, thinking that you were just itching for trouble, "Be careful or your dad will beat you up so badly that you can't take care of yourself."

"I have lost a great general." Everyone laughed.

As a former second-generation official, He Yujie actually feels the most deeply.

His father was an honest man throughout his life, but the highest position he ever held was only a county magistrate, which was several levels lower than Li Qiwei.

The key point is that Li Qiwei is a central government official, and his promotion speed is unmatched by local officials.

When it comes to studying Western knowledge, there is probably no one else like Li Qiwei who can reach the level of this person.

Although he knew that as a winner of the Lichtenstein Prize and a British knight, he was more than qualified to be an official of the fifth rank.

But after all, her age is there, and Emperor Guangxu values ​​her so much, so her future is limitless.

"Brother Li, I really can't believe it. This is your first time to be an official, and you are a high-ranking official in the imperial court. This is amazing."

Li Qiwei smiled and shook his head, "Stop flattering me."

"It sounds nice to say that it is from the fifth rank, but in fact it is just an empty shell."

"It's in the education field that no one wants. I guess those people are fighting over it, and that's what's left in the end."

"But it doesn't matter, as long as it is beneficial to our plan."

"When I return, I will initiate domestic education reform in the name of the Deputy Minister of Education."

"When the time comes, you three will have your hands full."

He Yujie and the other two all smiled after hearing this. It would be great if they could get a position by following Li Qiwei.

Although they do not covet the so-called power, having an official position will make it easier for them to do things in the future.

Many domestic industrialists and businessmen do this.

Otherwise, those cruel officials will drink all your blood and squeeze you to death.

Li Qiwei knew that Xinghuo and the other two envied him.

Although he had already instilled many things into the three of them, those were only possibilities for them, not absolutes.

Be it the future chaos in the country or the establishment of a city of science, none of these have happened yet.

The three of them were not deeply touched.

But Li Qiwei is about to become a high-ranking official, and they can put themselves in his shoes and imagine themselves.

Although they were influenced by Li Qiwei, they belittled the Qing Dynasty and did not care about anything about it.

However, being an official is still a big shock to them who are still young.

Again, except for those great figures in history who have gone down in history.

Most people have their limitations and need Li Qiwei to cultivate them bit by bit.

Since he has chosen the path of educational technology, he is destined to have a difficult journey.

After taking a temporary leave to consider what to do after returning home, Li Qiwei threw himself back into his business.

(End of this chapter)