In the late Qing Dynasty, there were seven exams for foreign students. The first exam was relatively hasty. The key was because the imperial examination had just been abolished and the Qing government had not yet made up its mind on how to select talents.
Soon, the school department submitted a list of international students and asked Yan Fu and Li Yu to write questions based on the majors they filled in the list.
In addition, the school department also sent Tang Bao'e, a student representative who returned from studying in Japan with relatively good grades, to assist.
Tang Bao'e was one of the first batch of students sent by the Qing government to Japan after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. He entered Waseda University.
Tang Bao'e has quite a family background. Shanghai, as the richest city in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, gave birth to many aristocratic families, and the Tang family was one of them.
Tang Bao'e's ancestor was related to Tang Tingshu, one of the four major compradors in Shanghai, and was also a distant nephew of Tang Shaoyi.
As for Tang Bao'e himself, he later became a barrister in Tianjin.
Tang Bao'e must have wanted to be an official, so he was very active. He diligently approached Li Yu and Yan Fu and asked what they needed to do.
In his eyes, Li Yu and Yan Fu were the examiners.
After Yan Fu saw him for the first time, he said, "I'm afraid you need to make some extra preparations."
Tang Bao'e immediately asked: "Master Yan, please tell me, I will bear it in my heart."
Yan Fu took out a document from the academic department and said: "It is the decree of the imperial court that all those who take the exam must have uncut hair."
This is a very embarrassing condition because most international students currently have their hair cut.
Tang Bao'e said in surprise: "But we have already pruned it, and it won't grow back for a while. We can't destroy the seedlings and encourage them to grow."
Li Yu also cut his hair and suggested, "You can go to Liulichang to buy one and hang it up."
Tang Bao'e was overjoyed: "The emperor's master is still thinking sharply."
Yan Fu added: "There are also two regulations, which were drawn up by the Queen Mother. One is that those who cannot kowtow will not be accepted; the other is that those who wear glasses will not be accepted."
It seems that Cixi already knew to some extent that most overseas students were exposed to Western ideas and did not have the etiquette of kneeling, but Cixi must still be conservative in her mind.
However, kneeling down is not a big problem, because although international students have advanced ideas, they are not stupid. If they can become officials, kowtow is nothing.
As for glasses, there are not many intellectuals who don't wear them. Tang Bao'e himself wore black-rimmed glasses and said helplessly: "Master Yan, Imperial Master, you know that learning is very hard on the eyes, especially the books written by foreigners. So young, there are really not many people who don’t wear glasses.”
Yan Fu said: "I can't help it, but the Queen Mother doesn't like myopia and feels it hinders the court's view. But you can use portable glasses that don't need to be worn at all times."
Tang Bao'e said: "Thank you sir for reminding me, I will inform all candidates as soon as possible."
Then Li Yu and Yan Fu began to study the list. Many of the people on it had names in the Republic of China, but what really surprised Li Yu were two of the names: Lu Zongyu and Cao Rulin.
Well, two of the three people who were included in history textbooks in later generations because of the signing of the Twenty-One Agreement suddenly appeared.
And looking at the notes, both of them graduated from Waseda University.
There was no way to intervene in the subsequent events, which were all major military and political matters, and even without Lu Zongyu and Cao Rulin, Yuan Shikai would send others to sign the treaty.
Li Yu and Yan Fu quickly drafted professional and foreign language topics.
Although Gu Hongming will definitely draw up Chinese test questions, the stipulation is to choose between foreign language questions and Chinese questions, and all candidates will choose foreign language questions without hesitation.
Because they have long been ignorant of the imperial examinations and cannot handle those things at all; and they can use this to show that they have good foreign language skills, and maybe have a chance to enter the very popular Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
What is a pity is that very few of these people major in engineering. In fact, according to the requirements for talents in the Republic of China, engineering majors are the most lacking, followed by science majors, economics majors, medicine, etc.
Because the proportion of university students in the Republic of China was really abnormal, with liberal arts students accounting for more than 90% of the total students, and very few other subjects.
It was not until around the 1940s that the proportion of non-arts majors rose to about 30%.
In peacetime, it is barely acceptable, but as the ancients said, we should learn from each other's strong points to offset our weaknesses. At this time, what China lacks most is actually non-arts students.
During the war, it is true that "a useless scholar" is not a mockery.
Among non-liberal majors, the most valuable to backward China should be engineering, even more valuable than science.
After all, Europe's strength relies on the Industrial Revolution, and industry corresponds to engineering.
As for other science, medicine, law, business, etc., they will naturally follow up with the strength of industry.
It’s just that during the Republic of China, this path was not possible due to various reasons.
Li Yu now pays special attention to engineering students like he sees treasure boys, such as one of them, Zhang Jingxu, who studies mechanics at Tokyo Imperial University.
Yan Fu also understood this truth. He had been engaged in industry, but Yan Fu was not mainly engaged in education and was powerless.
What the two of them are struggling with now is not knowing what their level is. Most of these people only provided diplomas and no transcripts or other supporting documents.
The two contacted some teachers from the Capital University Hall and the Peiyang University Hall and drafted test questions by major. In the end, they were conservative in considering the difficulty.
The exam went very quickly, and the result was that Tang Bao'e and another person named Jin Bangping had the best results.
Cao Rulin and Zhang Jingxu were in the second class; Lu Zongyu and others were in the third class.
Yan Fu sent the transcript, and Cixi quickly organized the imperial examination in person and pulled Guangxu out according to the rules.
However, when the students who returned from studying in Japan saw the imperial examination questions, they were completely dumbfounded. They were completely different from what Li Yu and Yan Hu had previously asked.
There are two questions in the palace examination: one is "On the Practical Theory of the King of Chuzhuang's Daily Training to the People of the Country to Warn the Army", and the other is "On the Theory of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to Promote Talented Persons Who Can Become Generals and Prime Ministers and Destroy the Country".
It is completely based on the previous imperial examination policy and has nothing to do with the new style of study.
I don’t know if it was a show of force, but Cao Rulin and others were completely deceived. They didn’t know how to write, so they had to bite the bullet and write.
The next day, Li Yu knew the test questions and thought it was really funny. This kind of talent selection standard was clearly about selecting talents among minions, or minions among talents. In the final analysis, you still have to choose minions.
The results of the palace examination did not mess up the rankings because of their names again. Tang Bao'e and Jin Bangping became Jinshi; Cao Rulin was born with the same Jinshi. The rest of the third class were all born in Juren.
With this kind of reputation, there is a possibility of becoming an official in the future.
So the dozen or so students who had returned from studying in Japan were very happy, and together they paid for a banquet for Li Yu and Yan Fu at Dongxing Tower.
The students knew in their hearts that the only people in the imperial court who really used new students were Yuan Shikai from Beiyang and Zhang Zhidong from Hubei.
However, oil and salt cannot enter Zhangzhidong, while Beiyang is quite valuable for climbing because of its lush foliage.
Tang Bao'e took out the Japanese sake he brought back from Japan and said, "Thank you Master Yan and Imperial Master for your support. We would like to toast these two adults with this glass of wine."
Yan Fu said: "You should serve the country with all your heart in the future and put your knowledge to use."
The international students repeatedly said: "We will remember this."
After saying polite words, everyone drank a few more drinks, and the atmosphere gradually became lively.
Cao Rulin said: "If the constitution is successfully established in the future, our future will be limitless."
Lu Zongyu said: "In a month or two, the five ministers will go abroad again. After returning home, I want to establish a constitution as soon as possible."
Cao Rulin said: "I've been waiting impatiently, you guys hurry up and set off."
At present, most people support changing the status quo, and because of Liang Qichao's extremely strong fighting power, the voice of the constitutionalists is even louder.
If it could really implement the Japanese method, the Qing government might actually be able to survive for a while.
Because after the establishment of the constitution, the royal family does not have much power, and the Han people can stand up again through the establishment of the constitution.
But the problem is that the Qing court knew very well what it had done when entering the customs, and was very worried about Han people's revenge, so it was very slow to establish the constitution.
Since all those present were students studying in Japan, Japan was quickly discussed from a constitutional perspective, and then the Russo-Japanese War that had just ended.
Japan's victory was also the biggest motivation for the Qing government to send five ministers abroad to inspect constitutional government.
This war had a greater impact on students studying in Japan.
Tang Bao'e said: "In the war between Japan and Russia, not only a small country can defeat a big country, but also a solid constitution can defeat autocracy!"
Others quickly echoed, Cao Rulin said: "I also saw Mr. Liang Qichao's editorial, 'This battle is a testing ground for the advantages and disadvantages of autocratic countries and free countries. Those who stimulate the stubborn eyes are not weak at first.' Even Mr. Liang said so, constitutionalism is definitely the general trend, and in the future Mr. Liang and Mr. Kang will definitely return to China as the pioneers of constitutionalism."
Li Yu smiled faintly and took a sip of tea.
His movements were caught by Cao Rulin, who asked, "Master Emperor, what do you think?"
Li Yu put down his tea cup: "Everything has two sides, and the world pattern has more than two sides, and it has eight sides and ten sides, so it is not simply right or wrong or good or bad. We don't have to be happy for the Japanese. The "" "The Portsmouth Contract contains information about us, but the Japanese only informed our Ministry of Foreign Affairs after it was signed. Why do you think they have any good intentions towards us?"
Cao Rulin said: "We declared neutrality at the beginning of the war. It is natural that we are not invited in the contract. It is nothing to give up a little bit of rights and interests."
This kid thinks like this now. No wonder Yuan Shikai will send him to sign twenty-one items in the future, so that he can play the game of "losing his car to save his handsome man".
Li Yu said: "Now China is at the center of competition among countries around the world. It is coveted by the great powers as a battlefield for commercial and military warfare. People are fighting for their own good, so we must be vigilant."
There are still people who see this clearly, such as Lu Xun who is still in Japan. However, the vast majority of people are immersed in the illusion that the yellow race defeated the white race and Japan's constitution was successful.
On the contrary, because Japan itself did not get a penny of compensation, the public was so excited that the cabinet collapsed.
Lu Zongyu was surprised and said: "The Imperial Master is not happy at all?"
"What should I be happy about?" Li Yu asked.
"this……"
Lu Zongyu and Cao Rulin didn't know what to say for a while.
Li Yu didn't want to bring the topic into the debate between constitutionalism and revolution, otherwise his situation would become somewhat dangerous.
It is better to do your own scientific and educational things, the Qing Dynasty will soon kill itself.
The Qing Dynasty is indeed very annoying. Maybe only some girls who like to watch Qing palace dramas have fantasies about the Qing Dynasty (which can’t even be understood as a favorable impression, it’s different), but speaking of it, the Qing Dynasty did at least one thing well: yes Contribution to China’s modern territory.
The territory of the Ming Dynasty was only about 3 million square kilometers. At the peak of the Qing Dynasty, it reached about 13 million. Of course, the great powers later took away a lot of it.
But therefore I have to say another contribution of the Qing Dynasty: its rapid demise. This resulted in the great powers being unable to continue to obtain more benefits through the backward and corrupt Qing government.
During the subsequent Republic of China period, due to the adoption of legal demands in line with international practice and recognition of itself as the successor of the Qing court, it accepted all the unequal treaties and indemnities from the Qing Dynasty, and at the same time accepted all territories. Several relatively good diplomats emerged. Even though they were poor and weak, they actually used diplomatic means to prevent the entire territory from falling apart. They really made a great contribution.
Yan Fu said: "The emperor's master can always look at a few more moves, like a master at chess."
Li Yu smiled and said: "We can play two games of chess another day."
Li Yu slowly changed the subject and chatted with them about the influence of Japanese culture on Chinese culture. In fact, it was to help them build cultural confidence.
Zhang Jingxu, an engineering student, has always said little. Li Yu took the initiative to ask: "Have you thought about how to develop in the future?"
Zhang Jingxu had returned to China for two or three years. He did not become an official, but helped to open the mines, so he replied: "I haven't thought about it yet."
Li Yu asked again: "How did you learn the professional courses when you studied in Japan?"
Zhang Jingxu said: "I am very interested in mechanics, and I also went to Japan for an internship at the Mitsubishi Factory. However, after returning home, I saw that most of the machinery manufacturing bureaus in various places were manufacturing weapons, which was very different from what I learned."
"Have you been to Mitsubishi's factory?" Li Yu continued to ask, "Have you ever thought about entering my factory to do some business?"
Zhang Jingxu did not agree immediately, but replied: "I will think about it carefully."
At present, graduates of mechanical majors can mainly work in major machinery bureaus and mining plants.
Machinery manufacturing bureaus, such as the manufacturing bureau in Jiangnan, basically made guns. Many people who studied mechanics abroad at this time went there to learn to make guns and even warships.
I didn’t expect that foreign schools don’t teach it.
The reason is the same as it would be a hundred years later: technological blockade.
Although it was slightly relaxed later, you could only learn the manufacturing process of rudimentary pistols and bolt-action single-shot rifles. As for machine guns, airplanes, tanks, and cannons, you couldn't even think about it.
After that, during the Republic of China, the country desperately tried to increase foreign exchange, also in order to buy foreign goods.
Arms are a big deal, and what the foreigners hope most is that China and all its colonies are in a situation where they can barely maintain, are relatively stable, but cannot develop, so that they can dump their products.
The British understood this truth as early as after the Opium War. It is a typical conspiracy that everyone knows, but hundreds of years later, it is still difficult to break.
