The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 579 The First Step Out of the Country

Teng Yuzao mentioned the idea of ​​participating in the Olympics and the World Expo, which led to two completely different attitudes among the hundreds of people in the conference room.

The attitudes of the civil and military officials headed by Zhou Fu and Wei Jinghai were almost all indifferent with a mixture of surprise.

Although some young officers such as Wei Jinghai and Li Jinyu still had a thoughtful look on their faces, generally speaking, their expressions were still confused.

The expressions on the faces of the former Chinese students who studied in the United States, led by Cai Shaoji, Tang Shaoyi, and Zhan Tianyou, were much more colorful. Almost everyone's face was filled with surprise and excitement.

Although Teng Yuzhao had expected such a scene, he still smiled bitterly in his heart, thinking that the most important thing for the New Deal and Reform was to quickly change people's thinking, to update people's concepts and broaden their horizons. Only in this way can people change their thinking.

Only by changing our thinking and concepts can we easily accept, learn and master new things.

Only in this way can we quickly catch up with the world.

Teng Yuzhao knew better that although China was now far behind the great powers, it was not too late to catch up.

We are still in the period of the Second Industrial Revolution. The iconic industries of the Second Industrial Revolution, such as internal combustion engines and electrical power technology knowledge, are still in the early stages of development. It will be much easier to catch up at this time than to catch up decades later when the Third Industrial Revolution begins.

Moreover, the great powers that are catching up with the world at this time have some convenient conditions.

Because, at this time, except for the major powers such as Britain, the United States, France, Germany, and Italy, which had already completely entered the period of the Second Industrial Revolution, most of the developed countries in later generations were still in the middle of the first and second industrial revolutions, including Russia and Japan.

Although the Second Industrial Revolution had begun several decades ago, some major capitalist countries such as Japan and Russia had not yet completed the First Industrial Revolution, but had already begun to follow the old powers and started the Second Industrial Revolution.

For these countries, the two industrial revolutions took place at the same time.

If the Chinese people can catch up again quickly, they will have an advantage, that is, they can absorb the development experience of the First Industrial Revolution and directly use the new technologies of the Second Industrial Revolution. This will greatly shorten the catching-up time and the economic development speed will be much faster than that of the great powers.

What's more, there is a time traveler like Teng Yuzao who is familiar with the historical development process and is here to personally coordinate and direct.

Teng Yuzao coughed lightly and said, "Just now I just briefly introduced what the Olympics and the World Expo are. Now, I will tell you in detail why we should participate in these two world conferences attended by major countries in the world."

"First, let's talk about the World Expo. The world's first World Expo was initiated and held by the British. It was also held in the UK. Its original full name was the World Industrial Expo, which only exhibited the world's advanced industrial equipment and industrial products."

"However, its full name is now World Expo, and of course it is no longer just about displaying industrial equipment and manufactured products, it also displays the technological products, cultural features, and rich products of various countries."

"In short, all the good things can be taken."

Teng Yuzao's words made Liu Shijiu even more confused. He couldn't help but ask, "Marshal, I don't understand this. Why should we show our good things to the foreign devils? This will make them miss us even more."

Liu Nineteen's words also reflected the thoughts of many people. Only some of the former Chinese students who had studied in the United States could not help but laugh. However, these people did not dare to laugh out loud, because they all knew that Liu Nineteen was a famous general in the vanguard army and an ally of their governor-general.

Teng Yuzao smiled bitterly and said, "My elder brother, what do you think foreigners like about us now?"

Liu Shijiu curled his lips and said, "We have so many good things, but I think the foreigners like our gold and silver the most."

Seeing that what Liu Shijiu said was completely different from what Teng Yuzhao said, Wu Peifu on the side hurriedly made an excuse.

"Teacher, what foreigners like most are probably our porcelain, tea and silk. They also like our antiques and cultural relics, and they even steal our cultural relics and export them abroad."

Teng Yuzao nodded and said, "You are right."

Then he turned to Liu Nineteen and said, "If porcelain, tea and silk can be sold in large quantities, it will allow tea farmers, porcelain kiln workers and silk weavers to earn a lot more money, which will greatly improve their living conditions."

"If they have money, they will not only eat well and wear warm clothes, but also live in better houses and provide their children with education. Do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing?"

Liu Nineteen nodded and said, "Marshal, I understand what you mean. You want to use this world to help the people in the country sell their products. This is naturally a good thing. If this is the case, we really have to participate."

The conversation between Teng Yuzao and Liu Shijiu not only made Zhou Fu and others suddenly realize something, but even Cai Shaoji, Tang Shaoyi and other young Chinese students studying in the United States showed thoughtful expressions.

Teng Yuzao continued, "Not only that, now foreigners from various countries should know more than just our porcelain, tea and silk, which are the things they like. They also think that our people are weak because of their heavy opium consumption, and call us the sick men of the East."

At that time, there was no derogatory term "Sick Man of East Asia". The term "Sick Man of East Asia" was earliest called "Sick Man of the East", which came from an article written by a British on October 1896, 10 in the Shanghai "Xilin Daily", an English newspaper sponsored by the British.

Seeing that Liu Shijiu and a group of generals all had warm expressions on their faces, Teng Yuzao waved his hand and said.

"If you're talking about opium smokers, that's not wrong. In addition, there are many Chinese who regard foreign things as a scourge and are against foreign things. For example, when the railway was being built, the completed railways were forced to be demolished in the end."

Teng Yuzhao's words immediately deflated the generals, and even Zhou Fu and others looked a little gloomy.

Teng Yuzao waved his hand and said, "So, this time we should not only vigorously promote the good things we have, but also vigorously promote the 5,000-year history of civilization created by our ancestors and the rich historical and cultural heritage they left behind."

"For example, history, humanities, palace architecture, Suzhou gardens, famous mountains and historical sites, and our calligraphy art, all of these should be vigorously promoted to let more foreigners know that China has the oldest and most brilliant civilization in the world, and completely change the impression that foreigners have of us in the world."

"Of course, we also need to let the foreigners know that not only were our ancestors much stronger than those in the West, but even now, as we are catching up, we have created many things that they don't have. We Chinese are no worse than them."

At this point, Teng Yuzao couldn't help but laugh.

"You may not know yet, but many of the things produced by the Westernization Company led by Jizhi, including the Aurora Industrial Development Company, are either better than those produced by foreigners, or they don't have them yet. You will see it in a moment."

"We are going to make a lot of money from those things."

When people heard Teng Yuzao say that what Zhou Xuexi prepared could make a lot of money, they all turned their eyes to Zhou Xuexi.

Under the gaze of everyone, Zhou Xuexi put on a smug smile and bowed to everyone repeatedly.

"There are also carvings, such as seals." Zhou Fu couldn't help but interrupt. "Yes."

Teng Yuzao nodded and said, "Our carving art can definitely be said to be unique. Foreigners may not have even seen it."

"But it can't be a seal. Foreigners can't understand these elegant things, such as jade carvings, ivory carvings, root carvings, etc."

"We can even organize a folk music band to perform in the United States, so that foreigners can also appreciate our Chinese folk instruments."

Teng Yuzhao had already made up his mind to borrow a few treasures from Cixi.

"Commander."

Xu Shichang said with a strange expression on his face, "When I came here, I heard some ministers discussing what exhibits to bring to the World Expo. Some people said that we should also prepare different styles of pipes. Going to the Expo with women with bound feet is to reflect the customs and habits of the Qing Dynasty as described by the foreigners."

Xu Shichang's words immediately made Teng Yuzao's face gloomy.

Teng Yuzao knew that this was the country's first time participating in the World Expo.

Historically, when the World Expo was finally held in St. Louis, USA, the imperial court sent an exhibition delegation headed by Prince Pu Lun as chief supervisor and Huang Kaijia as deputy supervisor to participate in the Expo, spending 750,000 taels of silver to build villages and pavilions with a strong ethnic style.

Overall, this trip across the ocean to the United States to participate in the World Expo was fruitful. During the World Expo, Pu Lun met with the new US President Theodore Roosevelt.

Historically, the imperial court from top to bottom attached great importance to this event in the United States, and allocated huge funds to support it. The provinces and regions also attached great importance to this event in the United States.

The most enthusiastic response came from scholars and businessmen from all over the country, who became the highlight of the competition.

Encouraged by the imperial court and local governors, they pooled their capital and went shopping in the United States. In Guangdong, Shanghai, Zhejiang and other places, some companies were organized specifically for participating in international exhibitions, such as Guangdong's Guangye Company and the Tea and Magnetism Competition Company.

In the end, the exhibits brought by the Chinese businessmen received high praise in the United States.

For example, the black tea and green tea of ​​the Tea and Magnets Exhibition Company were singled out as the best at the expo and were awarded super diplomas. They became famous at the venue and all the tea they brought was sold out.

The porcelain brought by the club also received medals, and Prime Minister Su Mudong was also awarded a first-class star.

Because the venue of the Beijing Crafts Bureau was small and remote, many products could not be displayed, so sales were very small and its performance was not as good as that of the Tea and Magnetism Competition Company. However, it still won three super diplomas and several gold and silver medals.

The Continental Cement produced by Zhili Qixing Cement Company also won the gold medal at that World Expo.

At this World Expo, a total of 100 gold and silver medals were won, and the number of awards won was comparable to that of Britain, the United States, Austria, Italy and other countries.

Even during Pu Lun's visit to the United States, he achieved a very good influence.

Pu Lun once expressed to overseas Chinese in various places and reporters from the New York Reform Daily his determination to strengthen the country and revitalize the country in order to change the weak situation.

After the competition, public opinion placed more hope on the political reform of the Qing court and urged the court to take practical actions more strictly, requiring Pu Lun to fulfill his promise to overseas Chinese: to speak out his heart and propose constitutional reform to the Empress Dowager Cixi, "to inspire the two palaces and provide impetus for reforming the political system."

It was under this circumstance that the constitutional movement became unstoppable.

However, due to the officials' ignorance, they also brought more than ten opium pipes, several opium lamps, and even a smoker with a smoke-filled face dressed as an official. They also brought all kinds of torture and hundreds of small wooden figures, including beggars, smokers, prisoners, laborers, prostitutes and the like.

There were more than ten small thatched houses, a Kuixing Tower, a small City God Temple, a City God ghost judge, several killing knives, several small killing photos, a rudimentary county magistrate's office, and one each for women with bound feet in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, and Ningbo.

However, exhibits such as opium, smoking pipes, and foot bindings represented backwardness and ignorance, which made the Chinese people laugh at them and also aroused strong protests from overseas students at the time.

Thinking of these painful past events, Teng Yuzhao couldn't help but get angry. He slammed the coffee table beside him, causing the cups and plates on it to rattle.

Teng Yuzao said angrily, "They are all a bunch of ignorant fools."

Teng Yuzao took a deep breath and said, "Since I am the one doing this this time, I will not allow these ugly things and customs to be brought out to embarrass people, and I will not allow those stubborn court officials to point fingers and make decisions. Everything needs my approval."

Teng Yuzao calmed down a little and said, "This time, I have won the Queen Mother's consent to appoint Prince Pu Lun as the director of the exhibition group."

The reason why Teng Yuzao still let Pu Lun serve as the director as in history was mainly because he wanted to completely pull Pu Lun to his side, and this Manchu did have some talents.

Historically, Pu Lun sided with Yuan Shikai and supported the abdication of the Qing emperor. If he could side with him, with the help of this red-belt prince, it would save him a lot of trouble.

Moreover, this was definitely a big matter for the imperial court. It would be embarrassing for the imperial court if it were to hand it over to Teng Yuzhao so easily.

With Pu Lun, the red belt, nominally taking the lead, this made it easier for Cixi to accept.

Teng Yuzao looked at Huang Kaijia, who was craning his neck to listen carefully to what Teng Yuzao said, and smiled.

"Dounan, listen carefully. I will appoint you as the deputy director of this exhibition in the United States. Are you willing?"

Huang Kaijia, whose courtesy name is Dounan.

Teng Yuzao's words made Huang Kaijia stunned for a moment, and then he suddenly became so excited that his face turned red. He stood up abruptly, bowed deeply to Teng Yuzao, and spoke with a trembling voice.

"Thank you for your cultivation, Marshal. I am willing to go!"

Teng Yuzao smiled and said, "Dounan, remember this, although you are the deputy director this time, all matters related to the exhibition are completely decided by you. I have already told Pu Lun that he is only responsible for external affairs and will not ask about the exhibition at all."

(End of this chapter)