The next day, Li Yu came to Tongwen Hall to congratulate Ding Haoliang.
Ding Haoliang was not surprised at all: "It's natural for you to take first place."
He took out a document from the desk and said, "Originally, I wanted to use these questions, but if I really do this, I'm afraid only you can do it, and everyone else will get a zero score."
Li Yu asked curiously: "What test paper?"
“It was a test question sent from Europe,” Ding Haoliang explained. “I once thought of using test questions from European or American universities, but I found that I couldn’t explain it clearly to them. They didn’t even think that this level of mathematics was meaningful.
"
Li Yu looked at it and saw that the test questions were written in English and the title was University of Edinburgh.
The difficulty of the questions is relatively in line with what a university should have. The last big geometry question is probably equivalent to the difficulty of about 20 mathematics questions in the later college entrance examination.
Ding Haoliang asked with a smile: "How about it? How many points can you get on this test paper?"
"Of course it's a perfect score."
Indeed, if there was a 22nd big question, Li Yu might lose a few points, but the difficulty of the test paper in front of him still couldn't stop him.
Ding Haoliang laughed loudly: "I knew it! Don't worry, you will have more freedom in the university from now on. You don't need to take some courses, but you still have to take the exam."
Li Yu said gratefully: "Thank you very much, Professor Xi."
"Besides, I have something else I want to show you."
Ding Haoliang took out a newspaper and handed it to Li Yu.
It was still the Times, which published a reward information.
Li Yu was a little stunned when he saw it, "Is this?"
Ding Liang said: "It was written in the newspaper that the King of Sweden and Norway and the Royal Academy of Sciences are offering bounties to the world for several mathematical problems."
"I know, but is the first N-body question..."
Ding Haoliang spread his hands: "I can't understand the specific questions, but the newspaper stated that you can get 2,500 crowns for answering the questions, and you will get a medal personally awarded by the king. It looks pretty good, and I was wondering if you could give it a try."
Of course Li Yu could understand it, but the N-body problem should have been studied ten years ago. Could it be that there was a slight confusion in time?
So Li Yu asked: "Is it possible that no one has studied the three-body problem yet?"
"Three-body? The newspaper seems to be talking about all situations exceeding 2, not just three-body."
Li Yu felt a little strange and asked from a different angle: "There is a mathematician in France named Poincaré. Are there any of his works in the book list purchased by the Capital University this time?"
Ding Taoliang said: "Yes, his theory is very advanced, and several of his latest books in the mathematical physics book list are."
"Great, I'm going to go and verify it quickly!"
Li Yu was about to leave in a hurry, but as soon as he went out, he ran into a senior official wearing a patchwork uniform. Li Yu quickly apologized.
Ding Haoliang didn't understand why and said loudly: "Li Yu, why are you in such a hurry?"
"Li Yu?!" When the official heard this, he immediately stopped him, "Wait a minute!"
Ding Haoliang also saw the official and came over to greet him: "Master Guan Xue, why are you here?"
The official who came was none other than Zhang Baixi.
Zhang Baixi said: "Today is the birthday of the prince. I originally wanted to come to the Prime Minister's Office to congratulate him, but he was not there. Anyway, you are close to the Wenguan, so I came to take a look."
Ding Haoliang immediately introduced to Li Yu: "Don't leave, the Minister of Management and Education is in front of you, Mr. Zhang Baixi."
When Li Yu heard Zhang Baixi's name, he really couldn't leave.
Strictly speaking, Zhang Baixi is the third president of Peking University and the first president since the official enrollment in 1902.
"Hello, Principal Zhang!" Li Yu blurted out.
Zhang Baixi smiled slightly: "You are the first one to call me principal. I like this title. I didn't expect that the first place in the new subject examination is so young and energetic. It is really a blessing for me in the university."
"The principal is ridiculous," Li Yu said.
"I have read all your papers later. You are indeed excellent in Western studies, but why are you so far behind in terms of classics and meaning?"
Zhang Baixi asked Li Yu's pain point in one sentence, and Li Yu said awkwardly: "Western learning is extremely complicated and naturally takes a lot of time, so I spend relatively less time on the meaning of the classics."
Zhang Baixi could find no fault with this answer, and added: "Fortunately, there will still be time to make amends in the future, and we cannot fall behind too much in this regard."
"Thank you principal for your teaching." Li Yu said.
One of Zhang Baixi's entourage walked in and said to Zhang Baixi: "Sir, I asked, Prince Qing did not come to the Prime Minister's Yamen today for business. Instead, he has been preparing for his birthday at home."
"I understand." Zhang Baixi sighed helplessly, this Prince Qing! Why is he so used to Cixi?
These royal masters have been beaten for so many years, haven't they woken up yet?
After thinking about it again, it felt right, since the gun didn't fall on their heads anyway.
Zhang Baixi greeted Ding Haoliang: "In that case, why not go together to congratulate Prince Qing."
Ding Haoliang knew these Chinese officialdom rules, and rumors everywhere in Beijing were spreading that Ronglu was in poor health, and that the next chief military and aircraft minister was most likely to be Yi Kuang.
Nowadays, there is an endless stream of people giving gifts to Yikuang. Now it may cost only a few hundred taels of silver. But in the future, when he becomes the Minister of Military and Aircraft, it may cost several thousand taels of silver, and he may not even have the hundreds of taels of silver to manage things now.
.
Ding Haoliang said: "In that case, I'm going to get some silver coins." Ding Haoliang still likes to use foreign silver coins.
But Zhang Baixi said: "No need, we will go directly."
"Go directly?" Ding Yuliang asked in surprise, "It seems inappropriate not to give money."
Zhang Baixi smiled and said: "It's appropriate, why isn't it appropriate? I really don't want to give you money!"
Ding Hailiang was confused again. He really couldn't figure out how the Chinese officialdom worked. Isn't it appropriate to give money?
"But……"
Zhang Baixi said: "It doesn't matter, we just don't give money, we still have to give gifts."
He took out a folding fan, opened it and wrote four words on it: "The breeze is coming slowly", and then said: "I will give him this fan."
Li Yu couldn't help but laugh, Principal Zhang is so funny! It's October now, and the weather is starting to get colder. Isn't it just to give Yikuang a fan to help him calm down? And the words "The breeze is coming" are very similar to Yikuang's.
Greed for money and acceptance of bribes are so obvious.
Zhang Baixi also wanted to use this to warn Yi Kuang, but the effect was unknown.
Ding Haoliang didn't understand the meaning, but he also thought about finding a gift, so he picked up his German fountain pen in the office. That was it, and it was also expensive.
Zhang Baixi said to Li Yu: "Classmate Li Yu, are you going? I heard that Prince Qing and his son have a good relationship with you."
"Go, of course." Li Yu said.
"Then you also prepare gifts?"
Li Yu thought for a while, "I'll go empty-handed."
Zhang Baixi didn't expect that Li Yu was bolder than him, so he repeated what Ding Haoliang said just now: "I'm afraid it's not appropriate?"
Li Yu also said: "It's appropriate, why not? I can give Prince Qing ten free lessons in the future, and the money will be money in the future! Isn't it equivalent to giving him money now if I don't ask him to pay for the lessons anymore?"
Ding Haoliang was immediately delighted: "Wonderful, I didn't expect you already have financial ideas."
Li Yu really didn't need to be afraid. This time he helped Zai Zhen grow up in Europe. How could Yi Kuang have the nerve to ask for money from him?
The few people set off immediately, took a carriage and headed to Prince Qing's Mansion.
As soon as they arrived at the gate, several people were stopped by the guard. The guard stretched out his hand and said, "Rules."
Zhang Baixi pretended to be confused: "What are the rules?"
The guard looked Zhang Baixi up and down and said, "Don't you know? You have to pay 100 taels of silver before entering today."
"May I ask if this money is considered a birthday gift?"
The guard was a little impatient: "The meeting gift is of course not a birthday gift! If the birthday gift is only 100 taels, go back and forth as soon as possible!"
"So, if I want to see Prince Qing, I must at least pay you money first." Zhang Baixi asked again.
"It's all said to be a rule. Seeing as you are also a Beijing official, don't you understand this?"
The guard refused to let go.
Zhang Baixi was not angry at all, and pointed to Li Yu behind him: "He is now the number one outstanding student in the Capital Academy of High School. He has to pay money if he enters?"
All dynasties have treated the No. 1 scholar or Jinshi with great respect, and having them come to your home is a blessing.
"High school? Capital University? Never heard of it!" The guard looked at Li Yu and recognized him, "It turns out to be Mr. Li."
But then he shook his head and said: "No, Mr. Li no longer lives in the palace. So if you don't pay the money today, you can't enter."
What a pimple!
Zhang Baixi felt disgusted and was just about to ask the guard to pass on a message before leaving, when two people came behind him.
"It's easy to handle. Here are 500 taels of silver. Let the five of us go in."
Several people looked back and saw that it was Yuan Shikai and Yang Shiqi who came.
Yang Shiqi handed over a five hundred tael banknote. When he came a few months ago, the doorman didn't take his money.
As soon as he saw the bank guard, he immediately put on a smile and said respectfully: "You guys, please come in."
Yuan Shikai knew who Zhang Baixi was, and he had just asked Yang Shiqi to pay the money on his behalf.
Yang Shiqi originally wanted to join Yi Kuang's disciples, but was ruthlessly rejected. Now he has become Yuan Shikai's confidant.
Yang Shiqi is very good at external communication and mediation, and he is smart and tactful.
Yuan Shikai smiled and said: "Master Zhang is a man of pure integrity, so naturally he can't see these dirty things."
Zhang Baixi still had a good attitude towards Yuan Shikai. He knew that although Yuan Shikai was also a man who was very good at making money, Yuan Shikai could at least do things, and was far from a person like Yi Kuang who was only greedy for money and could not do anything.
"Thank you Master Yuan. Beiyang has accumulated more than half of Zhili's money and food, and he has also trained a good soldier."
Although Zhang Baixi is upright, he is also a smart person. He expresses both praise and criticism in his words.
Yuan Shikai said: "Everyone is working for the imperial court, Mr. Zhang is here to educate the country's plan; as for me, military strategists are also the country's plan, and we are mutually beneficial to each other. I also saw Mr. Li Yuxiao with you just now. He is kind to me in Beiyang."
, so my little help is nothing."
When Li Yu heard this, he pulled him in. As expected, Yuan Shikai really helped him as he said at first. But in fact, he wanted to win over Li Yu and give him a few more favors.
Yang Shiqi looked at Li Yu: "It turns out that you are Li Yu, you are disrespectful and disrespectful."
Li Yu cupped his hands and said, "It's not worth mentioning."
Today's Prince Qing's Mansion was really lively. Yi Kuang specially called a theater troupe to celebrate his birthday, and Li Yu saw Yang Xiaolou from a distance. Since the last time Cixi listened to Yang Xiaolou's records, she liked him very much.
Naturally, Yikuang also knew about Cixi's preferences, so he immediately forgot about Yang Xiaolou's rebellious behavior, solemnly invited the Tongqing Troupe to come to the mansion to perform operas, and offered three times the price.
After several lessons from Tan Xinpei and Jia Honglin, Yang Xiaolou's character has become much more restrained. After all, he is still young.
Many officials from the court came, including two ministers, five ministers, and half the court officials came to wish me birthday.
These people are also willing to spend a lot of money, and the list of gift gifts is only 2,000 taels. A Taoist priest in Hebei wanted to be promoted to an official, and even directly gave him 18,000 taels.
No wonder people say that Yi Kuang is the real "nemesis of the Qing Dynasty". Some people even suspected that he had secretly communicated with the revolutionaries long ago. He did not go against many political measures and almost tried to push the Qing Dynasty.
Walk towards the edge of the cliff.
Anyway, the current Qing Dynasty is doomed, and it will be no different if someone else replaces it.
But if, just if, the Qing Dynasty can seize Yikuang's home, maybe it can hold on for a few more years.
Because this guy is truly the most corrupt person in the Qing Dynasty. It’s a pity that we, Zhongtang and the adults are carrying the blame of being the most corrupt person in the Qing Dynasty until the TV series a hundred years later.