By 1847, Symonds' life was actually very difficult. More and more Royal Navy officers who had supported him began to criticize him and began to despise him. And with the advancement of science and technology, academics were increasingly able to use experience.
Scientifically verified facts slap him in the face.
This makes Simmonds feel like sitting on a volcano, enduring the burning of lava under his butt day after day. This is uncomfortable, but Simmonds is not willing to admit defeat. He is a traditional British stubborn, even if he is a thousand people.
He also resolutely refused to admit his mistake or admit defeat.
But Symonds' time is really running out, and the Admiralty Committee has little patience with him. If it weren't for the fact that he still has some high-prestige supporters, it would be hard to expel him directly. Otherwise, the Navy
The Ministry had already told him to pack up and get out.
Even so, Symonds's job as chief designer is actually over. The Admiralty no longer trusts him and no longer gives him any battleship design tasks. Instead, it delegates the design work to the assistant chief designer. In fact, it is forced
He resigned voluntarily.
But Simmonds was not willing to just get out in despair. He felt that he could still save something, and Li Xiao's sudden appearance gave Simmonds hope. Even without the encouragement of old Adlerberg, he
He will also aim at Li Xiao and fire.
why?
The reason is very simple, pick the persimmons soft and pinch them!
In Symonds' view, Li Xiao is undoubtedly a soft persimmon. First of all, Li Xiao is Russian. This means that he will not have supporters in the UK, even if those who oppose him are out of anti-Russian needs.
I won’t speak for Li Xiao either.
Secondly, Li Xiao was unknown before. He had no experience in shipbuilding and had never attended a professional college. He was born like a shooting star. He looked beautiful, but Simonds felt that Li Xiao was a rootless duckweed. As long as he focused
Attacking Li Xiao's qualifications can completely question all his conclusions.
In the end, Li Xiao rose rapidly, wrote many professional articles, and won praises from many professional experts. If he could defeat such a foreign academic school, then all of Li Xiao's reputation would be added to Simonds.
.At that time, the position under his butt would be secure!
Symonds felt that Li Xiao was the angel sent by God to save his career. As long as he ate this angel with all his skin and bones, he could still be the chief designer for at least ten years.
Under the influence of many factors, Symonds fired at Li Xiao without hesitation. He attacked Li Xiao for not having experience in designing ships, attacking Li Xiao for not having the qualifications to design ships, and attacking Li Xiao for being a vulgar Russian polar bear.
Anyway, this guy scolded me very unpleasantly, and he was also very domineering and bossy, as if he was lecturing a primary school student.
Then, poor Simonds hit the wall. Objectively speaking, the disadvantages listed by Simonds were indeed very detrimental to Li Xiao. At the beginning of the debate, they were indeed very detrimental to Li Xiao, but as the debate continued to deepen,
When Simonds got rid of his title and the so-called experience bonus and was completely refuted by Li Xiao, the chief designer was like a phoenix with no feathers, worse than a chicken.
The only regret is that these debates mainly took place in British publications. After a month or two of the debate, Li Xiao's reputation in the UK has greatly increased, and he is quite a bit of a folk scientist and folk academic expert. But these reputations
Very little information was sent back to Russia. The closed and conservative Russian Admiralty did not realize the value of Li Xiao's debate with Symonds at all.
Those supporters of Menshikov, the most conservative old diehards in the Russian Navy, refuse to believe that there is a Russian petty figure who is more powerful than the chief designer of British warships. They blindly believe that foreign moons are rounder, and they are superstitious that foreign authorities are more professional.
So it's dumbfounding that when Li Xiao won a great victory in the UK, he was ridiculed, ridiculed and despised in Russia.
"Have you heard that a small company commander of the 748th Naval Infantry Regiment went out of his way to provoke the chief architect of the British Royal Navy!"
"Haha, this is the funniest joke I have ever heard. Who gave that idiot the courage and confidence to be so arrogant!"
"How can you not be crazy? I am a grand duke of a noble family in heaven, so naturally I am superior to others and do not take the world in my eyes."
"Oh, it's that bastard Grand Duke! I mean, he's too troublesome, right? He caused trouble all over the city before, and now he's making trouble abroad again. This guy is really a troublemaker!"
"I don't know if he's a troublemaker or not. Anyway, this kid is really annoying. Can't anyone treat him? He's really annoying!"
"Come on, I heard that boy has hit a brick wall this time. If you think about the level of the chief designer of the Royal Navy, there are no embroidered pillows like his that can compare. I think three times five divided by two will be enough."
If you can make him look disgraced, you can only run away with your tail between your legs!"
"Haha, you are absolutely right. I heard from my brother-in-law at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the chief designer of the Royal Navy has the upper hand and that bastard is about to be finished!"
It must be said that Menshikov has been running the Admiralty for more than 20 years. He has no other skills, but he is quite good at forming cliques. Under the management of the old eunuch, the Admiralty is full of conservatives and moths.
Previously, because of Li Xiao's relationship, Grand Duke Constantine had the upper hand, which greatly damaged their interests.
At this time, the wind is like rain, and all kinds of rumors about how unbearable and embarrassed Li Xiao are are widely spread.
"Your Excellency, you just don't care?"
Nikolai Milyutin heard many similar rumors when he walked into the Admiralty Building, which made him look very unhappy.
Although he doesn't like Li Xiao, he doesn't like the British even more. I can't see what the point of these people's laughter is. Are you so happy and happy that our Russian Grand Duke lost to the British? Which end of the world are you on?
?
"Why do you care?" Archduke Constantine asked calmly without raising his eyelids.
Nikolay Milyutin frowned and said: "That William Simmonds not only attacked Archduke Andrei Konstantinovich, but also criticized your naval innovation plan. He is an enemy no matter what...
…”
Grand Duke Constantine's face suddenly turned ugly. He was very angry when he mentioned this. His reform here was very lively, but who would have thought that a British guy thousands of miles away would suddenly point at him and start scolding him?
, is that guy crazy?
[I’m doing nothing to promote steamships in Russia!]
Grand Duke Constantine felt that he had been implicated by Li Xiao. He cursed angrily: "It's all that bastard Andre who is causing trouble. If he hadn't provoked the British guy, would the British guy have caused trouble? Now trouble is coming.
I feel comfortable living with him, but it affects my innovation plan. This bastard did it on purpose. I think he is my biggest enemy!"