Chapter 135 The limitations of the times for small figures in history
After Zhang Deyi tried to persuade him in every possible way, Li Qiwei was too embarrassed to refuse, so he ate with him.
He thought this little old man was quite interesting. His decades of experience in overseas life made him talk eloquently.
From witnessing the Paris Commune revolution to witnessing the development of the British railway transport industry.
From criticizing Christianity in the United States to becoming the first Chinese to visit the pyramids.
He has studied the coins of Britain, France, Japan, Russia and other countries, and also criticized Western "kidney clothes" as being contrary to human ethics.
From Zhang Deyi’s narration, Li Qiwei could not feel that he was a Qing Dynasty person at all.
The other person seems to be one of those tourists from later generations who travel around the world, but this guy only travels at public expense.
Leaving aside the experience of later generations, Li Qiwei felt that Zhang Deyi's knowledge of the West was much beyond what he had experienced in the past two years.
Communicating with the other party gave him the illusion of returning to the future world.
And after a few glasses of wine, this guy started talking completely. He was indeed a diplomat and very eloquent.
"Qiwei, do you think that Europe and the United States have developed science and technology, so their culture is also developed, ahead of me, China."
Li Qiwei wanted to hear what he had to say, so he said: "I study culture I dare not speak nonsense.”
“I tell you, this is a completely wrong conclusion.”
“When I was traveling in San Francisco, I once met a Chinese. He cut off his braids and still wore American clothes.”
"I reprimanded him on the spot: You have already cut off your pigtails, how can you have the nerve to return to China?"
"We are a country of etiquette in the Qing Dynasty, respecting the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, our body and skin are suffering, and our parents are , How can it be damaged so easily?"
"Uh." Li Qiwei was speechless. He no longer had braids. It seemed that Zhang Deyi had really drunk too much.
“Don’t look at Western countries. They have trains, ships, and all kinds of weird things.”
“But the core of their culture is far from us.”< br>
"They don't respect their superiors and pursue individuality. How can they manage the people in this world."
"Their lead is temporary. There is nothing difficult about studying Western objects. Qiwei, don't you learn well?"< br>
“As long as we can meet a wise king and make new reforms, we will naturally be able to catch up from behind.”
“The current His Majesty is such a holy king.”
“Although There is a slight setback for the time being, but the future will be bright and beautiful.”
Li Qiwei felt that Zhang Deyi probably stayed abroad all the time and had no one around him to talk to.
So when he suddenly met someone who was willing to listen, he couldn't hold back his emotions.
And Li Qiwei was considered to be of the same faction as him, so he was relieved.
“When I was on a business trip in France, I found that foreigners were afraid that having children would be tiring.”
“I bought a leather or silk case and put it on the XX. The phoenix is like a phoenix but a chick has no eggs.”
"You say it's ridiculous or not."
Li Qiwei: "It's ridiculous."
Zhang Deyi became more and more uncharacteristic, "Mencius said: There are three types of unfilial piety, and the greatest is not having offspring."
>"The crime of beheading someone cannot be punished. The so-called instigator has no descendants!"
Li Qiwei could only keep echoing him. He did not dare to touch these topics himself, let alone in future generations. Dare to touch.
Unexpectedly, some people were thinking about these issues more than a hundred years ago, which was an eye-opener for Li Qiwei.
When Zhang Deyi passed away, someone sent him an elegiac couplet:
“Traveling around East Asia and Western Europe, making a grand view of the universe, how many such heroic feats can there be? ”
But such a person who has opened his eyes to see the world and has a high degree of westernization is unknown in history.
All because his ideological level is too low.
In the end, his observation of the West was still from the perspective of the Qing Dynasty.
His regret comes from his own educational background.
He was one of the first batch of foreign language translators trained by the Qing Dynasty, and was also the first student of the Tongwen Hall in the capital.
The concept I have accepted since childhood is that the world is centered on the Qing Dynasty, and I am a typical traditional scholar-official.
Even though we have seen so many changes and innovations, we still turn a blind eye to the shortcomings of the Qing Dynasty.
It is possible that he was unwilling to take risks for the sake of protecting his own safety.
It may also be that the self-conscious ability is too low to be useful.
But no matter what, by comparing Zhang Deyi, Li Qiwei discovered how worthy of respect those ancestors in history who shed their lives and blood.
They transcended their own historical limitations and regarded saving China as their lifelong responsibility.
Li Qiwei would not have any discrimination against Zhang Deyi. As long as he did not deliberately work for the Manchus and harm China, it was within the scope of his understanding.
Regardless of the limitations of the era at that time, it is indeed biased to evaluate a person.
Because what everyone saw was confusion, and they had no idea where the road ahead was.
Many choices may be wrong in the eyes of future generations, but if you are put in that position, you may not necessarily be able to do better.
The reason why great men are great is not only their own firm will and correct choices, but also the blessing of Chinese luck.
Based on Zhang Deyi’s strange experiences, Li Qiwei’s thoughts no longer knew where to go.
Soon, the two ended their first meeting today in a happy atmosphere.
Zhang Deyi successfully completed the task. He learned from Li Qiwei that he would return to China in the near future and was willing to accept the position of Deputy Minister of Management.
He will pass the news to Guangxu through special means.
Li Qiwei unexpectedly obtained an official status that suited him, which was more conducive to the development of the Spark Project.
——
After returning home, Li Qiwei told everyone the good news.
Everyone cheered and praised Li Qiwei for being so awesome. When you go abroad, you can be knighted by foreign knights; when you return home, you can immediately be knighted by the emperor, and directly from the fifth rank.
Li Qiwei is simply like a god in their hearts.
Any achievement he achieves is something that ordinary people cannot achieve in their lifetime.
Moreover, in the eyes of the other party, these achievements are still ordinary and dispensable.
It’s really annoying to compare people to each other.
Wang Luyao took Li Qiwei's arm, shook it constantly, and said sweetly: "My brother Qiwei is the most powerful."
Then he said to everyone: "Back then I Father, it was because he offended a minor official."
"In the end, he apologized and offered a thousand taels of silver, and finally the conflict was resolved."
"In the Qing Dynasty, there is no official position, and it is difficult to move forward."
"Ordinary people can only be bullied."
Wang Luyao's words were recognized by everyone, and everyone couldn't stop. Nodding, obviously I have encountered similar things in China.
Xu Qitai’s eyes turned red with envy.
This time is different from the last Jazz.
Li Qiwei was awarded the title of a serious official of the Qing Dynasty.
From the fifth rank, he is equivalent to a member of the Ministry of Industry.
His grandfather worked diligently throughout his life, committed to introducing and spreading foreign science and technology, and even designed and manufactured countless tools for the Qing Dynasty.
In the end, I didn’t get an official position, let alone an increase in official salary.
And when I was working, I had to accept the leadership of the arrogant officials from the Ministry of Works.
But now, his brother Li has not returned to China, and Emperor Guangxu is rushing to give him the title. This gap is too big.
Now, he is very happy about his original decision.
Following such a big boss, my future is unimaginable.
From the fifth rank is just the beginning for Brother Li.
At this moment, Xu Qitai was filled with pride.
"Brother Li, when my father sees you after returning to China, I'm afraid he will have to call you Mr. Li."
"Hahaha, I really want to see his expression then."
< br>"He was opposed to me coming to the UK at first."
Li Qiwei was speechless, thinking that you were itching, "Be careful, your father will beat you until you can no longer take care of yourself."
"I just lost a general." Everyone laughed.
As a former second-generation official, He Yujie actually felt the deepest feelings.
His father was clean and honest throughout his life, and the highest he could do was to be a county magistrate, which was several levels behind Li Qiwei.
The key point is that Li Qiwei belongs to the central government, and his promotion speed is not comparable to that of local officials.
If you can study Western learning to the level of Li Qiwei, you probably won’t be able to find anyone else.
Although he knew that as a Richwino Prize winner and a British knight, being a fifth-rank official was more than enough.
But after all, age is there, Emperor Guangxu values it so much, and the future is limitless.
"Brother Li, I really can't believe it. This is your first time as an official, the central official of the imperial court. You are so awesome."
Li Qiwei smiled and shook his head, "You guys Stop flattering me.”
“It sounds like it’s from the fifth level, but it’s actually an empty shell.”
“It’s in the field of education that no one wants. It’s those people who fight over it and what’s left in the end.”
"But it doesn't matter, as long as it is beneficial to our plan."
"After I return, I will start the domestic education reform in the name of the Deputy Minister of Management and Education."
"When the time comes , you three are very busy.”
He Yujie and the other three all smiled after hearing this. It would be great if they could have a part-time job with Li Qiwei.
Although they are not greedy for so-called power, having an official status will make it easier to do things in the future.
Many domestic industrialists and businessmen do this.
Otherwise, those officials who eat people without spitting out their bones can drink up all your blood and squeeze you to death.
Li Qiwei knew that Xinghuo and the others were envious of him.
Although he has already instilled a lot of things into the three of them, for them, those are only possibilities, not absolutes.
Whether it is the chaos in the country in the future or the establishment of a city of science, these have not happened yet.
The three people didn't feel deeply.
But Li Qiwei is about to become a high official, but they can put themselves in his shoes and imagine it for themselves.
Although they were influenced by Li Qiwei, they belittled the Qing Dynasty and did not care about everything about the Qing Dynasty.
But becoming an official has a great impact on them who are still young.
Again, except for those great figures who are famous in history.
Most people have their limitations, which need to be cultivated bit by bit by Li Qiwei.
Since he has chosen the path of educational technology, he is destined to have a very difficult journey.
After taking a break from thinking about what to do after returning to China, Li Qiwei returned to his business.
(End of this chapter)