Yan Fansun had experienced the reform and the abolition and re-establishment of the Eight-legged Essay, and finally saw clearly the Qing government's attitude towards the imperial examination, so he returned to Tianjin and devoted himself to setting up modern education.
Li Yu didn't know why Yan Fansun mentioned economic special subjects to him, so he asked: "What does Mr. Yan want to say?" Yan Fansun said: "I think you can participate. As the person who knows the most about Western learning, it is very suitable. . I can contact Tang Daotai and let him recommend." Anyone who can participate in the Economic Special Section must be recommended by the minister.
Li Yu smiled and said: "Forget it, I have no interest in fame." Yan Fansun said: "It's not a bad thing, because I know that you are the one who really understands Western learning, and only people who understand can manage Western learning. Only with good education can the country have a future." Yan Fansun's thinking this way is a bit like how Fang Zheng and Taoist Chongxu in Xiaoao Jianghu wanted Linghu Chong to be the head of the Five Mountains Sword Sect.
What Yan Fansun had in mind was education, but the Qing court did not necessarily think so on this matter. After all these years, education and imperial examinations have never been synonymous.
Li Yuwen: "I don't know all the fields of Western learning, and I don't understand it if it's about politics and law." Yan Fansun said: "The country needs political and legal talents, as well as scientific talents. The establishment of Enke by the imperial court will not be like in the past. The college entrance examination is just as rigid. I think a person like you who understands science has a good chance." Li Yu asked: "What's the difference? I heard that if you don't write well in the imperial examination, you won't have a chance." In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the level of calligraphy It is very critical to whether you can win the first prize, and you must write a very standard Guange style.
Li Yu had seen articles from the imperial examinations of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in the museum. The level of calligraphy was really very high, almost the same as print.
With Li Yu's calligraphy ability, he would never appear on the stage. Yan Fansun said: "This exam does not deliberately pursue calligraphy. It doesn't matter even if it is corrected; and there is no need to cover up names and make special transcriptions during the exam." Li Yu said: "It would be better if you can use hard-pen calligraphy, but with a calligraphy brush I really can't do it." Even if Li Yu could write calligraphy, it would be too difficult for him to write in regular script.
Yan Fansun said: "I heard that the grading minister, Mr. Rong, is the minister of management of the Capital University. You will get extra points if you are from the Capital University."
"Master Rong? Master Rong Qingrong?" Li Yu asked.
"Of course it's him." Yan Fansun said. Li Yu spread his hands: "Then there's nothing we can do about it. He and I don't have a good relationship."
"You? Have a bad relationship with him?" Yan Fansun asked in surprise,
"He is the Minister of Management and Education, and he will definitely be promoted in the future. How come we have a bad relationship with him?!" Li Yu sighed: "It's a long story, but this is indeed the situation."
"This is not going to be easy," Yan Fansun stroked his beard.
"You really shouldn't have offended Mr. Rong." Li Yu said: "The matter has reached this point and can't be undone." Lu Bicheng said helplessly: "This scientific giant has offended many people." Yan Fansun said: " In this case, we can only find someone else. I really don’t want to let the successful special economic subject fall short again because of the failure of the candidate." Li Yu said: "Since Mr. Yan is ready to devote himself to Western education, why is he still obsessed with the imperial examination? ?" Yan Fansun said: "After all, this matter started because of my suggestion. You can't just sit back and do nothing." Li Yu said: "Since Mr. Yan has arrived in the capital, let me accompany you to the guild hall." Qing Dynasty At that time, people who came to Beijing to take the exam often stayed in the provincial halls outside Xuanwu Gate.
Li Yu said to Lu Bicheng again: "Let's go together?" Lu Bicheng said: "I am a woman, isn't it inappropriate?"
"What are you afraid of?" Li Yu didn't care.
"Are you afraid that you won't be as talented as them?" Lu Bicheng immediately became motivated when he heard this.
"I'm not afraid." As soon as a few people arrived at the guild hall, someone stopped Yan Fansun: "Master Yan! Long time no see." Yan Fansun also recognized him: "Yifu, why are you here?" Yifu is Liang Shiyi. word.
Liang Shiyi was a well-known representative of the transportation department in the Beiyang government. He founded the Bank of Communications. He made great contributions to the early railway industry.
Liang Shiyi said: "I am preparing to take the special economics exam."
"You?" Yan Fansun couldn't believe it,
"You are already a Jinshi in high school, why are you here to join in the fun?" Liang Shiyi said: "Over the years, I have been obsessed with issues such as finance, canals, roads, etc. In addition, I have studied for the imperial examination for many years, and I have long understood that I must 'learn and put it into practical use' ', the Jinshi status back then was of little use." He became a Jinshi one year later than Yan Fansun. Their situations were quite similar, and they both realized the disadvantages of the imperial examination.
Yan Fansun said: "With your talent, it will not be difficult to win the Jinshi again. Such a feat of being a Jinshi twice is really something I am looking forward to." Liang Shiyi smiled and said: "It's still something that can't be said for sure." Yan Fansun He is very confident in Liang Shiyi: "There are not many people studying Western learning nowadays. Plus your foundation is definitely better than ordinary people. You may become the top scorer in high school."
"I'll do my best," Liang Shiyi looked at Li Yu,
"Who is this?" Yan Fansun introduced him: "He is the famous Li Yu." Liang Shi said in surprise: "It turns out to be Mr. Li Yu! Li Yu, the emperor's teacher and a scientific genius who was famous all over Europe!" Yu smiled and said: "Hello, Mr. Liang." Liang Shiyi said: "If the emperor also wants to refer to it, I'm afraid I'd better give up." Li Yu waved his hand: "I will not take the economic special subject examination." Liang Shiyi said: "I When I was in Guangdong, I saw several reports about the Imperial Master in the newspapers. Your achievements in science are extremely commendable. Even if you are directly listed as a Jinshi or even the No. 1 Scholar, I don't think it is an exaggeration." Li Yu said. : "As you just said, what can Jinshi do? If there is an Academy of Sciences, maybe I will still be interested, but the possibility is almost zero." Liang Shiyi said: "Now there are many wastes waiting to be done, and there are more practical talents. It can save the country from danger." Yan Fansun said: "What Yifu said is absolutely true, but I don't know whether the imperial court can recruit practical talents for this special economic department." Liang Shi sighed: "If there are another group of corrupt scholars, I'm afraid There is no chance at all." Yan Fansun has been an academic administrator for many years and understands the situation of the imperial examination very well. He said: "Although I have written to explain it many times, the imperial court still only regards the school as a place to train people. In their eyes, Only the imperial examination is the real way to select talents. If this concept does not change, I am afraid it will still not be able to develop the school." Liang Shiyi is from Guangdong, Guangdong is the hometown of the Revolutionary Party. At that time, he and Liang Qichao were classmates, so he was very interested in the new school. Accept it and see that what is taught in the new school is more useful knowledge.
Liang Shiyi said: "I have studied water conservancy and transportation with great concentration in the past few years, and then I realized that there is so much knowledge in it. Just like foreign railways and trains, they contain countless knowledge and principles. If only those who understand these knowledge are It is no longer enough for people to be regarded as craftsmen." Now Li Yu is mainly engaged in theoretical science. If he builds a few specific machines, he may be regarded as a craftsman.
Because theoretical science, whether it is mathematics or physics, the ministers will not understand no matter how they explain it; but the manufactured machinery is different. No matter how sophisticated it is, as long as the real thing is placed in front of them, they will feel that it is nothing more than that.
Therefore, even though the Qing government had been beaten for so many years since the Opium War, it still only focused on foreigners' strength in weapons and warships.
Even the relatively easy to understand and very useful political and legal systems cannot be accepted, let alone brain-consuming science and technology.
Liang Shiyi then said to Li Yu: "I heard that the emperor has been to several great powers, and even took a train to Europe via Russia, which broadened his horizons. Do you think we can catch up with the great powers on the road of science and technology?"
"It's still a bit too early to say we're catching up. It's great if we can learn and understand it now," Li Yu said,
"But as you two said, if you don't build a new school, you will never have a chance. Only by taking a few down-to-earth steps can you consider the so-called catching up in the future." Liang Shiyi said: "What Mr. Yan said is true." Yan Fan Sun encouraged: "That's why I hope Yifu can go to high school! The economic special subject is set up for the purpose of new learning. In the future, if you are the top student in high school, you can promote the new learning." Yan Fan raised his hand and Sun smiled and said: "Definitely Try your best." However, this time Liang Shiyi not only did not get the top prize in high school, he also failed to pass the Jinshi exam.
Generally speaking, the examination questions for economic special subjects still belong to the category of policy theory, but the questions are a little bit different.
"Economic" flavor, e.g.
"Huan Kuan said that if foreign goods flow out but the benefits do not leak out, then the state will spare the people's use. Now if foreign goods want to flow inward but the benefits do not leak out, what is the policy?" In fact, the discussion is about import and export trade.
But I still look for examples from the ancients. Huan Kuan was the author of "Salt and Iron Theory" in the Han Dynasty.
Another topic is: "In "Zhou Rites", agriculture, industry, and commerce each have their own specialist officials." Li Yu definitely couldn't answer.
He was born in a modern society. If he really took the economics exam, he would be able to get away with it anyway. But he has never read "Zhou Li", let alone "Salt and Iron Treatise". If he writes about the real economic import and export related content and writes about the World Trade Organization (WTO), I am afraid that Rongqing will not be the grader. I must have thought it was a lunatic.
So after all, the imperial examination is still an imperial examination. It is impossible for Li Yu to adapt to a different medicine without changing the soup. Liang Shiyi was actually selected as the number one scholar, but when the results were handed over to the Empress Dowager Cixi as usual, she thought Liang Shiyi's name was really unlucky: the last name was the same as Liang Qichao, and they were classmates; the last character of the name was the same as Kang Youwei,
"Liangtou is healthy and full, and his character can be known." As a result, Liang Shiyi's qualification as the top scholar was cancelled. The person who finally won the first prize was Yuan Jiagu, a native of Yunnan, who later became a professor in a modern university.
He is also the only number one scholar in Yunnan in the history of imperial examinations. The title of the article he wrote when he won the top prize is very interesting: "On Defending the People is Like Defending Sichuan."
