For the next few days, Lu Shi visited the British Museum Library every day.

Covin was a little afraid of him, hiding far away,

Oz couldn't accompany him the whole time because he had important things to do.

Lu Shi was also happy to see this situation, and he went through various historical materials to improve the less rigorous parts of "The Fifteenth Year of Wanli", so that the manuscript was as blameless as possible.

However, the difficulty of writing historical monographs was still beyond Lu Shi's expectations.

He was exhausted, but his progress was still slow.

……

March 10th.

Gu Hongming is leaving London for France.

Lu Shi and Natsume Soseki saw them off at the port.

The ship's whistle had not yet sounded, and the travelers were saying goodbye or hugging.

The three of them had nothing to do, so they put Gu Hongming's huge suitcase on the ground as a low table and stood to play cards.

When they play their cards, they have to bend down and throw them on the table, and they crackle.

Looking at it from afar, it looks like a street slipper.

From time to time, there were Englishmen who came over curiously to take a look, and found that they could not understand the rules of fighting landlords, and they could not understand Chinese communication, so they walked away stupidly, and occasionally stopped when they left, and turned back to linger.

"Pair two."

Gu Hongming threw out two cards, and then said: "It's a pity that I didn't see the finished draft of "The Fifteenth Year of Wanli". ”

"I can't afford it." ×2

Lu Shi and Natsume Soseki leaned over to join the cards.

The corners of Gu Hongming's mouth hooked,

"I still have a bomb here~ It's boring, it's out so soon."

He discarded the card.

The old gentleman had a particularly good luck today and kept winning.

Lu Shi said cool words: "It's uncomfortable, Mr. Gu is leaving London today, and his rare good luck is going to be useless~"

Gu Hongming glared at Lu Shi dissatisfiedly,

"Go! Don't play anymore! ”

Attitude like an old child.

Lu Shi laughed.

Gu Hongming took out the cigarette pouch he carried, knocked on the cigarette pot, and then lit it with a match, and said: "The plaything is demoralized, and I still don't talk about fighting the landlord." ”

He looked at Lu Shi,

"Lu Shi, when will your "Fifteenth Year of Wanli" be completed? Although there is no shortage of historical textbooks in the university hall, they are all serious history books, and I am really anxious to wait for a monograph with explanations and analyses like yours. ”

Lu Shi waved his hand,

Frankly speaking, even if "The Fifteenth Year of Wanli" is completed, this book still has a long way to go before it can be used as a textbook.

"Learning is subtle," he said. ”

Gu Hongming asked: "How do you say this?" ”

Lu Shi rummaged through the cards he put away, and replied: "The manufacture of playing cards has always developed along the lines of each manufacturer's own line, until the French government promulgated an officially approved design, giving each name to each card. ”

He pulled out the K of diamonds,

"This picture shows Julius Caesar, the most famous great dictator in human history, and he deserves to be on the playing cards."

Gu Hongming couldn't help but ponder,

“……”

Lu Shi said: "Mr. Gu doesn't believe it? Then you should go to the museum to see the ancient Roman coin, which has a portrait of Caesar carved on it, and looks like the figure on the square K. ”

Gu Hongming shook his head,

"No, it's not that I don't believe it, it's just that I've never thought about it. According to Ling, singing, paper-cutting, candy blowers, and clay pinching people...... These people are also educating the common people about history, right? ”

As soon as the words fell, I heard a roaring whistle in the distance,

555——

Far louder than a train.

At the same time, the sailors lowered the chains that were blocking the gangway,

Travelers scrambled to board the ship.

Lu Shi said to Gu Hongming: "Mr. Gu, let's talk next time." ”

Gu Hongming nodded, picked up his suitcase and walked to the boarding gate.

But he stopped halfway through and remembered something, ran back with small steps, and said to Lu Shi: "Don't change the overall framework of your book, just write like that." ”

Lu Shi didn't understand,

"What?"

Gu Hongming smacked his lips,

"I mean, you just write clearly about the failure of the Wanli Dynasty."

The original author, Huang Renyu, wrote in the preface to the book: "What is described in the book can be called a total record of great failures. ”

Emperor Wanli, Shen Shixing, Zhang Juzheng, Gong Hairui, Li Zhen, Qi Jiguang, six failed people, constitute the history of failure,

So the central idea of the whole book is "how 'I' fails".

Lu Shi said: "Understood. You are worried that the Qing court is too sensitive to the history of the Ming Dynasty. ”

Gu Hongming smiled,

"That's certainly one of the reasons. But the main thing is that someone needs to summarize the failures. ”

At this time, China experienced many painful defeats, especially the defeat to Japan in the First Sino-Japanese Naval Battle, which shrouded the atmosphere of the entire intellectual circle in gloom.

People don't like the prediction of success, but like the summary of failure, and finally come to the conclusion that "it will fail".

This is an ancient defeatism.

Lu Shi is helpless,

"Reflection, huh? I know. ”

Of course, Gu Hongming heard the sarcasm in Lu Shi's tone, but he didn't think it was angry, but laughed and said: "After reading your Cambridge speech, I know that you look down on those self-deprecating people the most. But you know, that's the way it is. ”

Lu Shi said "um" shallowly,

"Don't worry, I won't change the structure of the book."

Gu Hongming was relieved at this time, turned around and carried the box to the gangway.

Seeing his back, Natsume Soseki asked, "Lu, are you going to the British Museum today?" ”

Lu Shi said: "No, take a break, go home and write "The Lord of the Rings". ”

Natsume Soseki pouted,

"You call this rest?"

The two waited for the ship to leave the harbor and then drove back to Blya Road.

As a result, as soon as they jumped out of the carriage, they saw George Bernard Shaw.

George Bernard Shaw waited at the door, seemingly unanxious, smoking his pipe while flipping through the Daily Telegraph, muttering a few words from time to time.

Lu Shi was surprised,

"Mr. Superintendent?"

George Bernard Shaw said, "Lu, you are back. ”

He put his pipe away and lowered his voice,

"I met Professor James of King's College, Cambridge today, and he told me that he had told you about the Nobel Prize in Literature, but you refused."

I didn't expect it to be the Nobel Prize again.

Lu Shi nodded,

"yes, I just felt ...... Not...... You said you met Professor James? Could it be the Nobel Prize? ”

George Bernard Shaw grinned,

"You guessed it?"

Lu Shi complained: "Looking at your proud appearance, I'm afraid you were nominated in the primary list, right?" ”

According to history, George Bernard Shaw is indeed a Nobel Prize winner in literature.

The award was given "for his idealistic and human works, which are so emotional and ironic, often contain a high degree of poetic beauty." ”

Because of the rapid spread of drama, he has been nominated many times.

But the final award was won in 1925.

George Bernard Shaw smiled even more happily,

"Lu, it seems that you also recognize my level, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to guess what was going on."

Lu Shi is sloppy,

"Haha, hahaha."

An awkward laugh.

But George Bernard Shaw wasn't so excited,

Because the Nobel Prize is only the first at the moment, although the movement is very large, there is no way to talk about authority.

George Bernard Shaw said, "Lu, you seem to have been nominated as well. ”

Lu Shi was a little confused,

"I've only been on the scene since last winter, so why nominate me? And, what do you mean by 'as if' you just said? ”

George Bernard Shaw replied: "This kind of thing can be talked about~"

Lu Shi was speechless.

In later generations, as soon as Sweden announced the primary list, the media around the world would follow suit, especially when there were Chinese on the list, and the entire Internet of Simplified Chinese could go crazy for it.

And now, the list of Nobel Prizes turned out to be a black box, and it can even be added, deleted, changed, and checked, which is very outrageous.

George Bernard Shaw smiled and said: "Your reputation is growing, how can there be no place for you~"

Lu Shi found that he was not mistaken,

The current Nobel Prize, highlighting one word -

Rub!

Whoever has traffic will stick it to whomever it is.

Lu Shi said: "Forget it, Mr. Superintendent, please help me give ...... Forehead ......"

He wanted George Bernard Shaw to help with the conversation, so he said that he was not going to participate in the selection of the Nobel Prize in Literature, but halfway through the sentence, he realized that he didn't even know who to bring the words to.

Swedish Academy?

James of Cambridge?

Nos?

……

Lu Shi scratched his head.

George Bernard Shaw said, "Why don't you come with me to University College London?" There's a temporary jury over there, and I'm one of them. ”

Lu Shi was even more confused,

"Didn't you just say you were nominated?"

George Bernard Shaw nodded again and again,

"Yes."

Lu Shi said again: "Then you said that you are on the jury?" ”

George Bernard Shaw continued to nod his head, "Yes." Any questions? ”

"Hiss......"

Lu Shi took a cold breath.

George Bernard Shaw asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Lu Shi said: "It's nothing, it's just a little toothache." ”

George Bernard Shaw had already reacted at this time, patted Lu Shi on the shoulder, and said, "You think it's inappropriate for me to judge myself, right?" Come with me, just look at the list. ”

Lu Shi was helpless, and gestured to Natsume Soseki on the side.

Natsume Soseki said, "Then I'll go back first and walk my generation." ”

After saying that, he opened the door and entered the house.

On the other side, Lu Shi and George Bernard Shaw got into the carriage.

University College London is just a short distance northwest of the British Museum, and it is a familiar road to pass by during this time of day.

It didn't take long for the destination to arrive.

The two jumped out of the carriage.

By March, the weather in London had warmed up, but there would be light rain from time to time, giving the air a kind of dampness.

But light rain is also beneficial, at least to dispel the fog.

George Bernard Shaw led Lu Shi into the school building.

Soon, they came to a huge room that resembled a conference room,

There was a long oval table that could seat thirty people in the room, and the table was full of scattered manuscripts, and Lu Shi only glanced at it, and found that there were Danish, Swedish, German, French, English, and some languages that he was not even familiar with.

On either side of the long table, a dozen professors were sitting there, lazily reviewing manuscripts,

Some of them even put their feet on the edge of the table.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, the person closest to the door didn't even raise his head and said, "Mr. Xiao is back?" Keep the door shut. ”

Lu Shi closed the door with his backhand,

Click-

There was a soft thud.

The man didn't look up and said, "Thank you." ”

He is not the only one in this state of immersed work, everyone is reading the manuscript, and there is a feeling of despair in their expressions.

Someone complained: "I shouldn't have taken this job if I knew it earlier." Fxxk！ ”

Looks like I'm crazy.

George Bernard Shaw ignored him, rummaged through the pile of papers on the table for a while, and finally took out a thick one, handed it to Lu Shi, and whispered, "Look at it." ”

Lu Shi didn't want to be a judge or translator.

But since George Bernard Shaw asked, he could still help.

Moreover, among these people at the scene, many professors are older, but don't look at the manuscript and overwork yourself.

Lu Shi checked the manuscript in his hand,

"Whose book is this?"

The corners of George Bernard Shaw's mouth twitched slightly, as if he was holding back a smile,

He said, "Just open it and see." ”

Lu Shi found that there was not even a title on the cover of this book, so he couldn't help but be curious, and muttered: "It's so mysterious? Mr. Supervisor, it can't be your new script, right? ”

As he spoke, he opened the manuscript,

As a result, in the next second, Lu Shi's whole person froze, and his mouth opened wide, as if he could stuff a whole durian into it.

He spoke incoherently,

"This ...... This special meow...... This special meow turned out to be a list?! ”

This sentence is almost shouted.

In an instant, the eyes of everyone in the room were attracted.

There was a myopic old professor who took off his glasses and squinted at Lu Shi,

"Chinese? So young......"

Another professor reacted and shouted, "Lu! Professor Lu of London Economics and Political Science! I didn't expect that Mr. Xiao would really invite you over. ”

Everyone rushed up and surrounded Lu Shituan.

Lu Shi was a little confused,

When he came back to his senses, he found himself shaking hands with the professors one by one.

Such a high-standard treatment is confusing.

George Bernard Shaw had long expected this, and said: "Lu, you gave that speech at Cambridge, but then did not accept the open invitation from Oxford and Cambridge, and you have become synonymous with loyalty in the University League of London. ”

Refusing the two schools of Niu and Jian, but it's really awesome!

Lu Shi had no choice but to socialize with these professors for a while, and then turned everyone's attention back to the list.

"Gentlemen, this is the preliminary list for the Nobel Prize in Literature?"

The crowd nodded their heads,

"That's right."

"Tsk......"

Lu Shi was speechless and looked through the list at the same time.

This list of twenty people per page, more than twenty-five pages,

So, at least five hundred people.

The first quarter of the list is typed in lead, and the last three-quarters are handwritten in ink.

Lu Shi suddenly found that his name was written by hand.

Next to the name is a long list of works:

"The Mystery of Roger",

"Yes! Prime Minister",

Roman Holiday,

Answers,

……

, drama, poetry, you name it.

Miraculously, there are even monographs like "Guns, Germs, and Steel", which have little to do with literature.

In addition to Lu Shi, there is also Professor James, an acquaintance of Cambridge, who is also a handwritten name.

Lu Shi asked puzzledly: "Why are some of these names typed on a typewriter, and some ......?"

In the middle of speaking, the door was suddenly pushed open,

Outside the door, there was a clerk who leaned in and said, "Sir, there is another telegram from Sweden." ”

George Bernard Shaw immediately reached out and took it.

At the same time, someone handed a pen to Lu Shi and said, "Professor Lu take note." ”

Lu Shi took the pen in a daze,

"Remember what?"

The man pointed to the list, then nodded in the direction of George Bernard Shaw.

I only heard George Bernard Shaw read: "The new Mr. Theodor Monson, the representative works "History of Rome", "Roman Chronicle", "History of Roman Minting", "Encyclopedia of Latin Inscriptions", parentheses, "Encyclopedia of Latin Inscriptions" edited by Mr. Monsen, not only has important historical value, but also has high artistic value......"

Lu Shi wrote hard in his hand,

At the same time, 10,000 grass and mud horses galloped through in my heart,

I didn't expect the first Nobel Prize in Literature to be so irregular, and nominations can be added at any time.

(End of chapter)