Training the Heavens

Chapter 306 Arrival in Sweden
The next day, the Qing Dynasty's ambassador to France, Yu Geng, learned that Zhang Xingjiu had arrived in Paris, so he invited him to the embassy and held a banquet. He had served as ambassador in Paris for more than two years and knew something about the influence of the Nobel Prize, so he wanted to take this opportunity to show off.

Zhang Xingjiu went there as agreed. When he arrived, Yu Geng saw that he had cut off his braids and kept short hair, but he didn't say anything. Because the Qing government began to pilot the Westernization Reform this year, military and education became key areas. In new-style schools and the army, students and soldiers were required to cut off their braids to show that they were in line with modernization.

Although this measure was not fully promoted at the time and was more limited to specific groups, given Zhang Xingjiu's identity, he could not say anything wrong even if he cut his braids.

There is no need to follow the old rules of the country when you are outside. Zhang Xingjiu saw his two daughters De Ling and Rong Ling, both of whom have left some records in history.

Because Yu Deling was proficient in eight foreign languages, she worked as a translator for Cixi for a period of time. Later, she married Thaddeus White, the vice-consul of the American Consulate in Shanghai, and went to the United States with her husband, becoming a writer.

Yu Rongling was the first Chinese person in modern Chinese dance history to study European, American and Japanese dance. Later, she entered the palace as a female official and choreographed many modern dances in Chinese style. After the founding of New China, she served as a curator of the Museum of Literature and History.

Many French celebrities came to the banquet, including some government officials. They were all very friendly when they saw Zhang Xingjiu, and had a good chat with him. They also discussed with Zhang Xingjiu the issue of introducing more international students to study in France.

Zhang Xingjiu knew that, just as Lippmann had said yesterday, they hoped to train him to be France's spokesperson in China. They felt that France was so developed that as long as they extended an olive branch, there was no reason for Zhang Xingjiu to refuse.

In fact, it is not just now. In the past hundred years, Western countries have been constantly adopting similar methods. If they give a little preferential treatment, people will come to them and regard the West as an absolutely beautiful existence, and gain benefits for themselves through flattery.

Zhang Xingjiu knows what they are, so he can send international students. After all, there are many things worth learning from France now. If they want him to sell out China's interests, then forget it. He is not like that person, and he still has some basic backbone.

In any case, the banquet was quite successful. Yu Geng felt that using Zhang Xingjiu showed the power of China. The French also felt that they had a good chat with Zhang Xingjiu and reached an agreement on cooperation with international students. When these international students come to France and see the prosperity of France, they will definitely have a good impression when they graduate and return home.

As these people grow up and occupy important positions in the Chinese government, France may be able to obtain excess returns from them.

Zhang Xingjiu was also on guard against this, so when selecting international students, he would definitely examine their character, and add patriotic education to the normal teaching at Aurora College. At the same time, he would reveal to them the dark side beneath the glorious appearance of Western countries, so that these people would be demystified by Western countries in advance.

He was a guest at the embassy at noon and returned to the Sorbonne University to give a speech in the afternoon. Some of his classmates who entered the Sorbonne University at the same time as him are still working hard to obtain a degree, but Zhang Xingjiu not only obtained a doctorate degree and a visiting professor position, but also won the Nobel Prize in Physics. These classmates were very envious of him.

In his speech, Zhang Xingjiu talked a lot about the help that Sorbonne University had provided him and praised the university to the sky. The students were very happy to hear this, and the school administrators and teachers were also very pleased. They now regarded Zhang Xingjiu as the pride of Sorbonne University. It's just that he is too young now. If he were older, perhaps a bronze statue of him would appear on the campus of Sorbonne University.

Of course, this is just a matter of time. As a student of Sorbonne University and the first Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Zhang Xingjiu is destined to leave a significant mark in the history of Sorbonne University. It is only a matter of time before his portrait is hung in the teaching building and a statue is erected for him.

Zhang Xingjiu was also paving the way for those who would come after him. By having the Sorbonne and other French universities recognize Chinese students, the future would be better for others studying in France. After his speech, Professor Lippmann told him another piece of good news: the French Academy of Sciences had decided to admit Zhang Xingjiu as a foreign member, making him the youngest member in its history.

Zhang Xingjiu guessed that this was probably a decision they made after seeing the list of Nobel Prize winners. In addition to him, the winner was also Van'tov from the Netherlands (Chemistry Prize), who discovered the laws of chemical kinetics and the law of osmotic pressure.

Behring of Germany (Physiology or Medicine), for his outstanding achievements in the research of serum therapy.

France's Prudhomme (Literature Prize), he has made great achievements in poetry writing.

The Peace Prize winner is Dinan of Switzerland, who founded the Red Cross in 1864.

Passy, ​​who founded the Inter-Parliamentary Union to promote international arbitration.

French scientists did not win any awards in the natural sciences, and they must have felt a little embarrassed. It just so happened that Zhang Xingjiu graduated from a French university, so recruiting him would add some glory to their cause. Moreover, Zhang Xingjiu's academic achievements were definitely up to the standards of a foreign academician.

Therefore, Zhang Xingjiu stayed in Paris for another day and went to the French Academy of Sciences with Professor Lippmann to receive the certificate of foreign academician. Only then did he reluctantly bid farewell to Lippmann, Lang Zhiwan, the Curies and others and took the train to Berlin.

If he took the sea route, he would have to go around Denmark before entering the Baltic Sea, which would take too long, so Zhang Xingjiu chose the current route.

The train arrived in Berlin, where I gave a lecture at the University of Berlin and communicated with German scientists. The next morning, I continued to take the train north and arrived at the port of Rostock on the Baltic Sea coast.

Then he changed ships, crossed the Baltic Sea, and finally arrived in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. During the entire journey, Zhang Xingjiu changed two passenger ships and three trains, which took more than a month.

No wonder the Nobel Prize results are announced in October and the award ceremony is held in December. The current transportation speed is really too slow. The winners from Europe may be better off, but the winners from other continents really need to set aside two months to arrive in Stockholm to receive the award, otherwise they may not be able to make it.

Zhang Xingjiu went into a hotel specially designed to accommodate winners to rest, and that evening, a group of guests came.

　Happy New Year everyone, I wish you all good health and all the best in the new year

　　
　
(End of this chapter)