In order to create "The Rise of Great Powers", Lu Shi spent another week in Paris.

Of course, during this time, he did not dare to give a lecture at the University of Paris again, for fear of being rushed by those young men with strong blood.

In this way, it was held until mid-January, and the first issue was published.

……

Paris railway station.

Dirt Dirt –

The train's whistle sounded.

Lu Shi was carrying his luggage and saying goodbye to a group of French friends.

By his side, Gu Hongming was also there.

As for Cai Yuanpei and Jiang Guoliang,

The two have already taken the lead in returning to China with the Chinese manuscript of "The Rise of a Great Power".

According to the original history, they will take the lead in establishing the China Education Association in Shanghai this year.

Cai Yuanpei served as president,

Jiang Guoliang is the director of the patriotic girls' school.

But because he was inspired by "The Rise of a Great Power", Jiang Guoliang decided to go straight to RB, participate in the editorial work of "Xinmin Cong Bao", and try to write about the disadvantages of the times.

Before leaving, he also said that he already had a manuscript, and even the name had been thought of-

"On the Rise and Fall of China".

This is true in history, but it has been brought forward.

Because "Xinmin Cong Bao" was founded by Liang Qichao in RB Yokohama in February 1902, Jiang Guoliang was originally only the editor-in-chief.

Now, in the past, he actually became one of the founders.

Lu Shi said goodbye to everyone,

"Guys, don't send it anymore."

Friends are a little reluctant.

Especially Dumas,

"Professor Lu, are you really not thinking about it anymore? How nice it was to stay in Paris......"

Lu Shi shook his head desperately,

"No, no, no."

"Alas......"

Dumas sighed sullenly.

Although he regretted it, he also understood the difference between Paris and London.

The University of Paris is indeed very good,

Can you beat Cambridge and Oxford?

When both universities invited Lu Shi, wasn't it still the fate of being sternly rejected?

Dumas said: "It's a pity. ”

Poincaré thought for a moment and asked, "Professor Lu, in that case, you are here to be a corresponding member of the Académie Française, right?" There is no need to be resident, just letters and telegrams. ”

The gold content of the corresponding academician is not low at all,

It was not until 1997 that the first Chinese academician appeared at the Académie Française, which shows the difficulty of obtaining it.

Lu Shi nodded,

"That's fine."

Poincaré rejoiced,

"The addition of academicians is in December every year, and we will inform you in advance when the time comes."

Lu Shi bowed,

"Thank you."

Poincaré was slightly embarrassed,

He felt that it was the Collège de France that should really be thanked.

When recruiting land, there is actually a suspicion of rubbing traffic.

Of course, this is not chilling,

From the Nobel Prize in Literature to the Jules Verne Prize, everybody does this.

You have to rub it.

Of course, Lu Shi also understands the doorway, and he tacitly understands it.

He changed the subject,

"As for 'The Rise of a Great Power,' Mr. Herzel and I predicted that sales might not be high, and that we wouldn't sell more than 50,000 copies in a year."

Several French people couldn't help but look at each other,

Listen up!

Is this human talk?

If 50,000 copies a year is not high, then other writers simply don't have to live.

In fact, "The Rise of Great Powers" is a relatively easy historical reading.

It coexists with both popular and professional:

People who don't study history can buy the right to join in the fun, and they can also gain something;

Historians can read it as a monograph.

But after all, it's a history book, and it's normal to sell it.

Lu Shi is also not obsessed with sales,

"It's okay, anyway, my main source of income right now isn't royalties."

It's even less human.

Everyone present felt that he was in Versailles.

Verne waved his hand,

"Alright, let's go! If you don't leave, we writers will be humiliated by you. ”

As soon as the words fell,

"Hahahaha!"

The rest laughed.

Laughter echoed all around,

Even the snow on the branches of the trees was affected and fell,

In the sun, the snow shimmered softly, pedestrians stepped on it, and there was a creaking sound under their feet.

They were attracted by the laughter and cast their eyes curiously,

Soon, someone recognized Lu Shi,

"Is it Lu?"

"I want his autograph."

"Ah, when you say that, I ...... too"

……

Pedestrians are on the move.

Verne winked his eyes at Lu Shi and quipped: "Look at you, I said you should go, right?" ”

Lu Shi is also afraid of being surrounded by fans, resulting in not being able to catch the train.

"Well, folks, leave it at that."

After speaking, he took his luggage and walked into the station gate with Gu Hongming.

Unexpectedly, Clemenceau followed,

He looked very hesitant when he wanted to speak and stopped.

Lu Shi chuckled,

"Mr. Clemenceau, I saw that you were a little unruly just now, don't you have something to communicate with me? It doesn't matter, just say what you have to say, I know everything, and I can't say anything. ”

Clemenceau no longer hesitated and asked, "Lu, about "The Rise of a Great Power", are all the things in it true? ”

Lu Shi was a little surprised,

"Why do you ask?"

Clemenceau sighed deeply and said, "Regarding the "American Chapter", I broke out in a cold sweat when I saw the part of the westward expansion. ”

WESTWARD MOVEMENT, GOLD RUSH, GOLD RUSH.

On the surface, it is a spontaneous act of the people,

After the discovery of gold by gold prospector John Sutter, businesses in California began to trade sand with customers for goods and capture business opportunities.

But the real driver is the U.S. government,

Its ultimate goal is to completely digest the "barbaric" California after the rise of the gold rush.

In order to achieve this goal, the U.S. government, through support and guidance, allowed the cowboys to go westward to cut through obstacles, and even implemented a certain degree of planned economy, trying to adjust and coordinate the supply of goods when California was short of goods.

Of course, there is a ceiling to this means,

There are still countless people who die on the road or fall into the hell of bankruptcy.

Lu Shi is puzzled,

"Is there anything wrong with the westward expansion?"

Clemenceau was helpless,

"In the process of gold panning, countless people have died without dignity, is this the inevitability of the rise of great powers?"

Land Hours: ???

complained in my heart,

This old brother is also interesting,

Why not talk about those slaves in the cotton fields?

It's obviously even more undignified, hey!

Perhaps sensing Lu Shi's thoughts, Clemenceau said: "I mean, does the rise of the country really need to be cannon fodder? ”

"Tsk......"

Lu Shi was staggered.

The other side is worthy of being a left-wing in the old revolutionary base area, and it is indeed quite far-sighted, and what he thinks is a very popular topic even in modern times.

Lu Shi muttered: "The two are not opposites, but there are many difficulties. ”

"yes......"

Clemenceau sighed.

In "The Rise of Great Powers", Lu Shi said:

“

'Wealth came and went like a tidal wave, and the profligacy of the nobles did not bring much benefit to the common people. ’

”

Counting colonies, Britain is undoubtedly the largest country in human history, which can be described as a "big country".

However, it is not difficult to know from the vast amount of literature and historical materials that when Britain rose, the working conditions and living conditions of workers were ridiculously poor.

Needless to say, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

And Germany and Japan are still engaged in feudalism, and there are seedlings of Songjun politics.

Lu Shi's evaluation of this kind of country in the book is:

"Its rise is also vigorous, and its death is also sudden."

Clemenceau fell into deep thought,

"Perhaps, France is the only human beacon......"

Lu Shi interrupted: "Mr. Clemenceau, let's not put gold on our faces. France does preach freedom, equality, and fraternity, but it also likes to jump sideways repeatedly. Like when Maximilian Robespierre was in power. ”

One sentence made Clemenceau speechless.

Robespierre was a statesman during the French Revolution and the de facto supreme leader during the Jacobin dictatorship.

At that time, the main concern of the citizens of Paris was whether they would be able to see the sun the next day.

Clemenceau spreads his hands,

"I thought everyone was competing. Unexpectedly, the essence is worse than bad. ”

Lu Shi laughed,

"Not so ~not so much~"

It can only be said that Clemenceau has never seen the real comparison, and at the same time knows nothing about the comparison.

He slowly protruded a breath of turbidity,

"Professor Lu, I want to thank you for your advice."

"Ah......h

Lu Shi rubbed his eyebrows,

"I didn't say anything."

Clemenceau said, "You didn't say anything, but you said everything!" I know! ”

Lu Shi: "......"

What the hell does this guy understand!?

He was very worried now,

When Clemenceau comes to power, will he launch some ultra-leftist policies, and then throw the pot out, saying that he was recommended by Professor Lu.

"Hiss......"

When the land is one head and two large,

"Mr. Clemenceau, I really don't have ......"

Before the words fell, Clemenceau directly interrupted: "Professor Lu doesn't need to be modest! I know! I know everything! ”

As he spoke, he came up and patted Lu Shi on the shoulder,

"Thank you."

He saluted Lu Shi, and then showed a resolute expression, and said, "I will follow through to the end." ”

After saying that, he left straight away,

Only Lu Shi was left alone, and the wind was messy.

Gu Hongming came up and said in a low voice: "Lu Shi, I can understand every French word of the conversation between the two of you, but I don't understand it very well. What did Mr. Clemenceau really understand? ”

Lu Shi: "......"

"How do I know?"

What else does Gu Hongming have to say,

suddenly

Dirt Dirt –

The train's whistle sounded a second time.

There are less than fifteen minutes to go.

In the waiting hall, the crowd was bustling and noisy.

Lu Shi said: "Get in the car and talk." ”

Then he picked up the suitcases of the two of them.

At this time, someone at the gate suddenly shouted: "Mr. Hu! Mr. Hu! ”

is obviously calling Gu Hongming.

He immediately turned back,

I saw the waiter at the Ritz Hotel running quickly, panting and handing over a telegram.

Gu Hongming glanced at it, his face was shocked,

"So fast?"

Lu Shi asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Gu Hongming handed over the telegram,

"See for yourself."

The telegram was in English,

Lu Shi finished reading it at a glance.

It turned out that the Qing court had ordered the restoration of the Jingshi University Hall and appointed Zhang Baixi, the secretary of the Ministry of Officials, as the minister of management.

Zhang Baixi is lively and flexible,

In light of the times, he decided to set up an accelerated course first, set up a Shixue Hall and a Normal Hall, and start recruiting students as soon as possible, striving to reopen the university hall within the year.

Gu Hongming couldn't help but smile bitterly,

"It seems that we are going to part ways in Calais, you go to London, I go to Foshan. It's just that I don't know if the university hall will be able to pay my salary this time. ”

The Qing court was corrupt and did not invest enough in the university halls.

Lu Shi smiled,

"Tighten your belt and get by~"

Gu Hongming was helpless,

"The main reason is that the inability to pay money will affect the enthusiasm of new teachers, and those old pedants who study the subset of classics and history do not mind money. As a result, it made the University Hall as smoky as the Guozijian, which was really annoying. ”

Lu Shi smiled and did not pick up.

Historically, the Guozijian Committee was abolished in 1905, and the imperial examination system was swept into the trash at the same time.

Since then, the university hall has become the highest official institution.

Whether in terms of function or academic system, the inheritance relationship between the University Hall and the Guozijian is traceable, so many people believe that the University Hall is the orthodox successor of Taixue.

Lu Shi comforted the other party: "In a few years, maybe there will be no Guozijian~"

Gu Hongming stroked his beard,

"Possibly."

The two entered the pit station while chatting,

He continued: "I can't stand this old bone, I have been tossing on the ship for more than thirty days. It's better to go to London, counting one night in Calais, it's only two days. It's a pity I have to go back. ”

……

Two days later, early in the morning.

St. Petersburg, Russia,

Catherine Palace, master bedroom.

The curtains were closed, and the sunlight could not enter the house at all.

Ornate chandeliers hang from the ceiling, shedding soft light that adds a mystical atmosphere to the room.

In the middle of the bedroom is a large bed with balls made of quilts.

Suddenly

Brush –

The quilt was lifted,

Inside, Nicholas II's slightly haggard face is revealed.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he didn't sleep well at first glance.

The maid of the palace approached,

"Your Majesty?"

Nicholas II let out a weak "um", looked around and asked: "Why did the fire in the fireplace go out?" ”

The palace maid bowed slightly,

"The room is a little ventilated, so I don't dare to use it for a long time."

In fact, it doesn't matter if there is an open fire or not,

Peter the Great was extremely extravagant, and when building this palace for Catherine, he took into account various circumstances.

In the palace, the fire channels under the floor tiles of each main room are densely packed, and as long as the palace people put firewood or charcoal into the furnace cavity at the outdoor operating port, the heat source generated by the charcoal fire can spread along the fire path and be discharged from the underground smoke outlet.

Nicholas II stretched,

His gaze fell on a book on the bedside table—

"The Hunt".

That's the French version.

It's exciting, it's addictive,

The only bad thing is that it's easy to can't sleep after reading, and after going to bed, I can't help but think about the plot over and over again, and it's all night when I think about it.

Next to "Hunting", there is also a full set of books at the time of landing,

There are even two board games, "The Lord of the Rings" and "Monopoly".

The Chinese say:

"Know yourself and know your opponent, and you will not be defeated in a hundred battles."

Nicholas II decided that in order to deal with Lu Shi, it was necessary to study all Lu Shi's works thoroughly.

As a result, he just read books day and night.

There is also a notebook next to the books and board games, open,

There are several lines of Russian written on it,

"Is Animal Farm a reflection of me!?"

"Is Animal Farm a reflection of me!?"

"Is Animal Farm a reflection of me!?"

……

The content is all the same.

Moreover, each stroke is obviously written with great effort, especially at the corners of the letters, the depth of the pen seems to be able to penetrate the back of the paper.

Just by looking at these words, you can guess how the writer gritted his teeth at that time.

Nicholas II muttered:

"Is it me who is mapping......"

It's been such a long time, and I didn't figure it out.

He retracted his gaze and said to the palace maid, "Bring me a glass of water, don't be too hot." ”

However, the palace maid did not react,

“……”

His Majesty the Tsar couldn't help frowning and looked over.

Who would have thought that the palace maid was also looking at the bedside table, staring intently at the notebook, her eyes glazed, and even her mouth opened wide in surprise.

Nicholas II wanted to scold his mother.

He cleared his throat,

"Ahem, ahem, ahem......"

The palace maid came back to her senses and knelt on her knees in a panic,

"Your Majesty."

Nicholas II waved his hand,

"Go, get me a glass of warm water."

The palace maid quickly got up and poured a glass of water on the dining table next to her.

I don't know if it's an illusion,

Since the events of "Animal Farm", His Majesty the Tsar seems to have become less irritable and irritable, and his attitude towards his subordinates has changed a lot.

The palace maid thought about what she didn't have, and someone outside suddenly announced: "Your Majesty, Lord Werther wants to see you." ”

Nicholas II said: "Let him in." ”

The door opens,

Sergei Witt pushed the door in, bowed and saluted,

"Your Majesty, Lu Shi has a new book again."

Nicholas II was instantly excited,

"Yes...... Is it? Fast! Bring it to me! Let me read his new ...... Ahem...... I mean, let me see what ridiculous tricks his leaky little brain can come up with. ”

Werther walked over to the bed and handed over "The Rise of Great Powers".

Also in French.

Tsarism is the most famous autocracy in Europe,

But when it comes to mentorship, many tsars must have modestly stated: "We all learned from the Bourbons." ”

So, the tsars all knew French,

The same is true of their counterparts in Germany and England,

Who made the Sun King the idol of all the emperors of Europe?

Nicholas II opened the book,

"The English Chapter? Huh-huh...... Britain is a big country, I'll admit it. It seems that this Lu Shi is not completely......"

Werther glanced at the full set of works on the bedside table, and almost didn't laugh out loud,

He quickly looked away and tried to hold back.

Nicholas II read greedily,

Battle of Greyland,

Glorious Revolution,

Industrial Revolution

Triangular trade,

……

Famous historical terms are displayed in front of you and are explained very thoroughly.

I don't know how long it took,

"Whew~"

Nicholas II squinted and let out a long breath,

"That's so well written...... Although it is rubbish, it is also somewhat insightful. It seems that Britain's hegemony is not accidental. ”

Witte said respectfully: "Your Majesty thinks the main reason for Britain's success? ”

Nicholas II fell into deep thought,

For a long time, he said, "colonization and trade, of course. It's very clear on it. ”

He reads:

“

'The plains of North America and Russia are our cornfields; Chicago and Odessa are our breadbaskets; Canada and the Baltic Sea are our forest farms; Australia and West Asia have our shepherds; The western steppes of Argentina and North America have our herds; Peru shipped its silver ......'

”

Reading and reading, Nicholas II sneered,

"Global trade, it's really cool."

Witte continued, "Why did Your Majesty say that?" ”

Nicholas II sighed, revealing an expression of "children cannot be taught",

"You've heard of penguins, right?"

"Ah......h

Werther was a little confused,

"Those Norwegians claim to have seen strange animals on the southernmost continent, but it's hard to say whether it's true or not."

Nicholas II spread his hands,

"Let's say the penguins are real. At this time, a French merchant wanted to sell wine, and he certainly did not make money selling it from Notre-Dame to the Louvre. But if he sells the wine to the penguins, the penguin who has not drunk the wine will definitely pay a large sum. The merchant pocketed the penguin's money, then took the drunk penguin back to Paris and sold it to the zoo, making Paris money again. ”

Victor:???

Confused.

It took him half a minute to understand that His Majesty the Tsar was alluding to triangular trade,

"Your Majesty, this irony ...... Senior! His Majesty's sarcasm and humor have reached a height that is difficult for ordinary people to reach. ”

Nicholas II looked proud,

"There's no need to be a sycophant!"

That being said,

But anyone can see that His Majesty the Tsar is very useful to sycophants and has almost no immunity.

Unconsciously, the corner of his eye was aimed at the book "Chaowen Dao",

In fact, I learned the satire of "Animal Farm".

Witte cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, you said before that Lu Shi's book must be sent to you for review before it can be confirmed whether it will be published or not. Is this "The Rise of Great Powers" okay? ”

Nicholas II spread his hands,

"Wait, I haven't finished reading it yet~"

He was curious about what Lu Shi said about Russia, so he skipped the previous chapter and turned straight back.

After France, no;

After Spain, no;

After Germany, there was still none.

Even the United States and RB gave an extremely detailed introduction, but there was no Russia.

Nicholas II was a little confused, and turned it over again,

Of course, it turned out to be nothing!

There is no mention of Russia in "The Rise of Great Powers......

It's not that it didn't mention, but it just served as a backdrop in the story of the rise of other countries.

All in all, there is no separate chapter on Russia in the book,

What does this mean?

Is Russia not a big country?

Or did Russia not rise?

Nicholas II's face was extremely ugly,

"Lu Shi, bastard! Dare to declare a personal vendetta! ”

"Goo......

Werther swallowed.

Before he sent the book, he had actually roughly flipped through it, and knew that there was no "Russian Chapter" in it.

But at such a time, it must not add fuel to the fire.

He could only pretend to be confused and asked, "Your Majesty, what does Lu Shi say about my country in the book?" ”

Nicholas II was furious: "Didn't say anything. But it is precisely because he didn't say anything that he said everything! No, the book must be sealed now, immediately, immediately...... Hmmm......"

Before he could finish the word "ban", he suddenly paused.

After a moment, he changed his smile,

"It is said that Tolstoy and Lu Shi had a good relationship. Can you ask him to write a letter to Lu Shi and ask Lu Shi to add "Russia Chapter" to "The Rise of a Great Power"? ”

After the incident of "Chaowen Dao", His Majesty the Tsar has a long memory after all.

(End of chapter)