Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 391 Progress
“Dear Helena, I’m so sorry it took me so long to write to you.

You are a quiet, beautiful girl. I am lucky to be with you. Do you remember the promise I made to you last year? After graduation, I hope to invite you to my homeland, Hanguo, located in the southern part of South America, to the La Plata prairie, ride a tall and strong Pampas horse, along the Parana River, and experience the prairie scenery at sunset.

My home is in a small village near the Daxing River (Paraná River) on the edge of the Pampas. My father is a retired veteran and my mother is a kind and amiable mother. When I was young, I often took my younger brothers and sisters, and drove the cattle and sheep at home to the woods by the river to drink water.

The river water near the small village is clear and transparent, and has not experienced industrial pollution. Sometimes when my brothers, sisters and I are thirsty outside the village, we will lean over the river and drink a few sips of water.

The small village is quiet and beautiful. The Chinese people there are hardworking and kind. If you want to visit South America, they will definitely welcome you. After all, you are a beautiful girl who is lovable. …

Dear Helena, in my homeland, there are many children of the same age as your brothers and sisters. They are at the grade of receiving education. However, due to the huge workload of introducing and translating Western science textbooks, many children who love reading cannot absorb various types of scientific knowledge at the best age like their peers in Germany.

Helena, last year I heard you say that your father is an enlightened and knowledgeable university professor, so I would like to ask you to arrange a meeting between me and your father. Then, I will use the most sincere attitude to ask your father to recommend some teaching materials suitable for students at different stages of study. Of course, in addition to this, I will also guarantee with the honor of a Han man that I will definitely express my feelings to your father and persuade him to help two young people who like each other get together. "

Pan Mingzhong carefully put the written letter in an envelope and walked out to deliver the letter under the jealous gazes of several roommates. When he sent the letter and returned to the dormitory, he saw two more people in the dormitory.

"How are things going, Yaoxun and Jifu?"

"The students are very patriotic. Gifford and I contacted 12 schools in Germany that accept Chinese students. More than 800 students are willing to accept our suggestions. Although nearly 1,700 other students did not agree to follow us, they also divided into seven or eight teams and planned to use their free time to strengthen their scientific and technological knowledge according to different plans."

“It’s pretty good to be able to contact more than 800 people.”

Pan Mingzhong nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Shi Jinyong and asked
"Brother Jinyong, how is the factory going? How many companies are willing to accept Chinese students to intern in their factories?"

"The situation is very bad. The factories and enterprises willing to accept Chinese students are mainly companies in emerging electrical and chemical fields such as Siemens, Deutsche Telekom, and Bayer.
In the heavy industry fields such as steel, metal smelting, and machinery, there are only seven companies willing to accept Chinese students for internships.

"Krupp, Ruhr Coal and Iron Group, and Vulcan Shipyard rejected our internship application?"

"Yes, the mid-level employees of the three companies we contacted all said that their companies already have enough employees and do not need any extra interns."

"Could it be that these German ministers are prejudiced against us because of our Chinese identity?"

"There is definitely bias, but after I interviewed more than a dozen German company employees, I found that the situation in most companies is indeed similar to what those mid-level company employees said. Many companies have overcapacity and cannot find buyers for their products. Some companies have already laid off one-twentieth of their employees because of losses in profits."

Shi Jinyong explained.

"What should we do? There are less than 200 people who can go to the German embassy for internship. Are we going to ignore the remaining 500 students?"

"Germany's economy seems to be a bit depressed this year. It is difficult for us international students to find suitable internship opportunities for all our classmates. Why don't we ask for help from the Chinese Embassy in Germany and ask Minister Hu to help us contact companies willing to accept interns."

Tan Yaoxun suggested.

"Interning at the factory is to better serve the country. Lord Hu should be able to find a way for us."

Shi Jinyong, Cao Jifu and others nodded, and all thought that Tan Yaoxun's suggestion was feasible.

"Okay, if everyone agrees, then Brother Mingzhong and I will go to visit Minister Hu first. After we are done, we will discuss the subsequent internship arrangements with the students."

"We have no objection. Brother Tan and Brother Pan, please go and come back soon."…………

At the Han Dynasty's Embassy in Germany, Hu Jingde, who had been officially promoted to the position of Minister to Germany less than a year ago, sat at his desk, occasionally looking up at the clock on the wall.

Hu Yade was the third son of Hu Yaji, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Han Dynasty. He was born in 1848 at the age of 35. Born as a descendant of a meritorious family of the Han Dynasty, Hu Yade was in the prime of his life. Since he arrived in Germany in 1880 to take up the post of Deputy Ambassador to Germany, he has been working diligently, fearing that mistakes would be made during his tenure, delaying the overall development of the country's diplomacy and ruining his own career prospects.

"Have you received the telegram from His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederick?"

Hu Jingde couldn't contain his anxiety and asked the assistant beside him.

"I haven't received it yet. If we receive a telegram from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the telegraph office will immediately forward it to the office according to the instructions given by the Minister."

"Go and urge them again, and have the telegraph office verify it carefully, so as not to waste time."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

The assistant sensed Hu Jingde's anxiety, but did not utter a word of complaint and faithfully carried out the orders given by the other party.

The waiting time was boring and long. An hour later, the telegraph room finally received a telegram from the German Imperial Palace.

"Your Excellency, Crown Prince Frederick called back and said that after the intervention and persuasion of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Crown Princess, the Vulcan Shipyard relented and agreed to send ship experts and technicians to assist our technicians at the Xinjing Shipyard in our homeland to build two 3500-ton armored cruisers!"

With Hu Jingde's permission, the assistant couldn't wait to tell him the contents of the telegram.

"And what else? Are the Germans willing to open up and license the armored cruiser technology to us?"

"In addition to the horizontal three-cylinder reciprocating steam engine as a power plant, which needs to be exchanged with the three-stage expansion steam engine technology mastered by the local market, the Vulcan Shipyard is willing to transfer to the local market the core technologies of armored warships such as round coal-fired boilers, searchlights with an illumination of 8 candlepower and 2 candlepower, 70-kilowatt ship-mounted generators, and 150mm caliber naval guns."

"The Germans still haven't given in on the technical licensing of the 305mm naval gun?"

"His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederick explained tactfully that the 305mm main gun is Germany's core technology and will not be spread to other countries."

"The larger the caliber of the gun, the greater the pressure on the rifling and the shorter the life of the gun. The 305mm gun is almost the largest caliber naval gun currently available. If we want the Germans to license the technology to our country, we really need more efforts and preparations."

The goal of the Han government was to persuade Germany to agree to build two armored cruisers on its own soil. Hu Jingde used the relationship between Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Victoria to make the Vulcan Shipyard make concessions and agree to open and authorize the core technologies related to warship construction and supporting equipment. This was considered to have exceeded the goal. As for the 305mm main gun, although it was not completed, it was not a pity.

After careful consideration, Hu Jingde smiled with satisfaction and ordered, "Tell the telegraph operator to send a reply, saying that the Han Kingdom is very grateful for the help of Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Victoria. Next Sunday, I will go to the palace with Dr. He Lianchen to visit the Crown Prince, Crown Princess, and other princes..."

"Yes, Your Excellency"...

The Han Dynasty was able to establish a high level of personal relationship with Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Victoria thanks to an accidental event. In 1879, Prince Valdemar, the youngest son beloved by Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Victoria, contracted diphtheria. At that time, the European medical community was not very clear about the pathogenesis and treatment of diphtheria, and thus the disease, which could have been cured, eventually took the prince's life.

What is slightly different from history is that when the officials stationed abroad reported the major events in Germany back to their homeland as usual, Li Mingyuan used the partial knowledge of diphtheria in later generations and cooperated with the research of famous Chinese medicine practitioners such as He Lianchen and Cai Xiaoxiang to mix Chinese medicinal materials with certain antibacterial properties such as northern bean root, honeysuckle, forsythia, Sterculia lychnophora, burdock seeds, ophiopogon japonicus, loquat leaves, etc. in a certain proportion to replace some of the functions of penicillin.

At the same time, the taboos and suggestions for diphtheria patients, such as avoiding spicy and irritating foods, eating more fresh vegetables and fruits, avoiding eating seafood such as fish, shrimp and crabs, not overworking, not staying up late, resting on time and exercising more, strengthening physical fitness and improving body immunity, etc., were conveyed to Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Victoria through direct telegram communication between Li Mingyuan and the German royal family. Faced with the dilemma that famous Western doctors in European countries were helpless and Prince Valmade's condition did not improve, the German Crown Prince and Crown Princess, who loved their son dearly, did not give up any treatment method, and accepted Li Mingyuan's suggestions. According to the Chinese medicine treatment plan given by the Han Dynasty, they took Chinese medicine on time, paid attention to rest, and avoided diet and other taboos. After two months of slow treatment, the results that surprised the European medical community finally appeared. Prince Valmade recovered under the careful care of Chinese medicine and He Lianchen.

Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Victoria were very grateful to Li Mingyuan and He Lianchen for saving their beloved son. Influenced by their personal feelings and the objective needs at the national level of China and Germany, the number of Chinese students studying in Germany and the technological exchanges and economic cooperation between the two countries were able to continue to strengthen.

By successfully curing Prince Valmaden's diphtheria and publishing the pathogenesis and treatment of diphtheria, the Han Dynasty not only won the gratitude of Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Victoria, but also restored the reputation of the Han Dynasty's medical community.

(End of this chapter)