British writer

Chapter 257 No one understands France better than Lu Shi

the next day.

Collège de France.

When Lu Shi got up, it was already bright.

He opened the curtains,

The snow had stopped yesterday evening. Despite this, the world still seemed to have stopped, and a flawless white scene spread before our eyes.

The branches are piled with snow,

The sun shines down from the clouds and reflects on the snow, shining brightly.

Someone knocked on the door outside,

"Mr. Lu."

Spoken in Chinese.

Lu Shi walked over to open the door and found that it was Cai Yuanpei. He asked curiously: "Brother Heqing, why are you the only one?"

Cai Yuanpei said "Uh..."

"Mr. Gu is tired from the journey and is resting in the carriage with his eyes closed. As for watching the clouds... He is watching the clouds..."

He looked a little hesitant, as if he was hesitating whether to tell the truth.

Lu Shi couldn't help but be curious,

"If you have anything to say, just say it."

Cai Yuanpei gritted his teeth and made up his mind, then said: "Okay, then I'll tell you straight. This morning, Guan Yun and I were waiting for Mr. Gu in the hotel lobby. Who would have thought that seeing three French men being sent to the hospital... …vomit!"

Why are you still vomiting?

Lu Shi hurriedly took half a step back, only to find that the other party was just retching and seemed to have nothing left to vomit.

He asked: "What's going on?"

Cai Yuanpei finally regained his composure, and then wrote a Chinese character on the palm of his hand with his finger——

state.

Lu Shi:? ? ?

"What's the meaning?"

Cai Yuanpei said: "When the three men were sent to the hospital, they were in this interconnected state. Guanyun couldn't accept it and vomited on the spot. Just now, the carriage bumped on the road, and now he ran to vomit again."

Lu Shi reacted for two seconds.

Subsequently,

"Fuck me!"

He was shocked.

Sure enough, France has Nantong!

Thanks to Cai Yuanpei's imagination, he was able to use the word "zhou" like this, which is amazing.

Lu Shi suddenly felt a little cold and shuddered.

"No, I will give the speech for two or three more days and then I have to go back."

Cai Yuanpei was a little surprised.

My heart said,

Mr. Lu is worthy of being a master who has stayed in Europe for so long. His expression remained unchanged despite the collapse of Mount Tai, and he only shivered slightly.

Don’t ordinary people vomit when they hear such perverted things?

Unknowingly, Cai Yuanpei looked at Lu Shi with reverence in his eyes.

The eyes even flickered.

Lu Shi: "..."

He took another half step back,

"Brother Heqing, why are you looking at me like that?"

Cai Yuanpei held up his hands in a disguised manner and said, "No, no, I just appreciate Mr. Lu more and more, like the Yellow River flooding out of control."

Lu Shi looked at the other party cautiously,

After the wonderful use of "state", he always felt that there was something in Cai Yuanpei's words,

For example,

"unstoppable\

,"Speaking of "one shot", it sounds weird.

Fortunately, Jiang Guoliang appeared at this time and eased the embarrassment at the scene.

He looked at the state of the two of them and immediately noticed something strange.

"He Qing, you...you said...you told your husband? Oh...you weren't allowed to say it, wasn't it? It's just the two of us suffering that kind of crime, so why bother dragging your husband into it."

As he said that, he turned to Lu Shi,

"Sir, you didn't vomit, did you?"

Lu Shi suddenly realized,

It turns out that the normal reaction is to vomit. No wonder Cai Yuanpei looked at him so strangely just now.

He waved his hand,

"I'm lucky I didn't have breakfast yet."

Jiang Guoliang had the air of a gentleman, so he did not doubt his presence and said, "That's not bad."

He stopped gossiping and got down to business.

"Sir, what do you think about yesterday's request to compile textbooks?"

Lu Shi turned around and glanced at the desk.

There is actually a partial draft there, but whether it should be released or not still requires some consideration.

After all, the Qing court and Europe were different.

"well……"

Lu Shi sighed,

“Not everything can be published or published.”

Jiang Guoliang was a little anxious.

"Sir, He Qing and I will do our best!"

Cai Yuanpei couldn't help but frown, but in the end he didn't say anything to refute. He bowed to Lu Shi and said, "As Guanyun said, Mr. Lu, we will do our best."

Although he is naughty and wise, he still pursues education.

Of course, there must be a prerequisite for the realization of pursuit——

Does not endanger personal safety.

Lu Shi nodded,

"Okay, now that you say so..."

He went back and got the manuscript,

"Let's go. Let's go to the University of Paris. After you listen to my speech today, if you think it's okay, I'll show it to you."

The three of them went out together and walked towards the carriage.

Gu Hongming was waiting in the car. When he saw them, he said hello and asked: "Have you already agreed?"

Jiang Guoliang nodded,

"The gentleman has already started writing. However, when I glanced at it from a distance, it seemed to be in English. Moreover, it seemed that the letters were not handwritten, but rather printed."

Gu Hongming raised his lips,

"That one was typed on a typewriter!"

Jiang Guoliang was surprised,

"'Typing'!? How to type?"

Gu Hongming showed an expression of "children cannot be taught" and said to Lu Shi: "Look at them, they are so rare and strange!"

Then, he acted like an elder and scolded Cai Yuanpei and Jiang Guoliang.

"You two...sigh...I don't know what to say about you! You are so young, but your health is not as good as that of an old man like me. You are still acclimated to living in such a good hotel, and you have been vomiting since morning. "

Lu Shi listened and almost couldn't help laughing.

He quickly looked away.

Cai and Jiang rolled their eyes and complained crazily about Old Man Gu.

Gu Hongming was unhappy,

"Look, you still don't listen."

Therefore, the rest of the journey was under Mr. Gu’s sincere and thoughtful education.

“!@#￥%…”

I finally got to the University of Paris with great difficulty.

The four of them got off the carriage and went straight to the large classroom of Mingfa Building.

The house was crowded and lively,

The students were sitting or standing, some gathered together for a heated discussion, and some sat alone in the corner and concentrated on organizing notes.

Unexpectedly, Clemenceau was not there,

In the past, he and several of his legal colleagues would sit in the last row.

Dumas came up to meet him;

"Professor Lu, your lectures are very popular in the School of Liberal Arts. More and more students are coming day by day."

Lu Shi joked: "The main credit is the renovation of the school building and dormitories. Without this, the students would not be so generous."

Then he asked: "Where is Mr. Clemenceau?"

Dumas lowered his voice;

"You know, George is the head of the Aurora Newspaper, so he has to go to the news scene sometimes. This morning, a big scandal broke out at the Ritz Hotel, saying that he had an affair with Duchess Delacour. It’s about the husband.”

Lu Shi: "..."

I didn't know how to talk, so I just kept silent.

Dumas would be wrong,

"How about we wait for him? It shouldn't take long to finish processing over there."

Lu Shi waved his hands repeatedly,

"That's not necessary. Just keep the speech as planned."

After that, he walked onto the podium.

The classroom fell silent instantly, and the students' eyes all focused on Lu Shi.

Lu Shi took a breath,

"Today, we don't talk about literature or translation, but about history."

As soon as these words came out, there was a slight commotion below.

Some even sighed with regret.

There is no way, most of the people present are not studying history, and they don't know the value of Lu Shi, the "founder of modern history".

As for those French people who study history...

"hehe."

I don’t know who chuckled lightly,

"Professor Lu's historical perspective is very interesting. He actually thinks that the rise of France is related to the fertility of the Capetian and Bourbon families."

Lu Shi was stunned for a long time.

Then he remembered that when he first visited France, he was stopped by Lucien Favre outside the station.

At that time, the two had exchanges.

Lu Shi gave a different perspective:

The Capetian and Bourbon families are more fertile and can easily give birth to boys.

This makes France the only country among the major European kingdoms that has had an orthodox heir for a long time and has almost never had an heir.

This point is very important for the aristocratic consultative system in Europe.

Of course, this view is still somewhat difficult for ordinary people to accept.

Being able to have children, is this considered an advantage?

An atmosphere of dissatisfaction spread all around.

Someone below said: "Professor Lu, let's talk about literature. We can't understand you when you talk about history!"

Lu Shi chuckled,

"In that case..."

He turned around and wrote a string of French words on the blackboard:

La Révolution Franaise,

The French Revolution.

Lu Shi threw down the chalk and then said: "Regarding this historical event, I think everyone here should not have any feelings, right?"

For a time, the students were talking a lot.

Finally someone couldn't help it,

"Professor Lu, you don't want to say, 'No one knows France better than you', right?"

Lu Shi waved his hand,

"I'm not so arrogant. But I think there are many ways to analyze historical events, and you can't just start with historical data. According to the facts, it may not be 100% correct."

The French listened to the Chinese explain the French Revolution,

It's so outrageous to think about this.

Some people started to leave.

That's how it is at the University of Paris, students are free.

But more people chose to stay,

Not all of them wanted to listen to the speech, but many of them were prepared to refute Lu Shi.

Lu Shi also gave lectures in London Political and Economics. Faced with this situation, he had his own way of dealing with it.

He said:

‘The French Revolution destroyed Western customs and morals and could lead all of Europe to tyranny. Therefore, Britain would rather have no reform than the French Revolution. ’

Upon hearing this, the students could not sit still.

Curses were heard everywhere.

Lu Shi raised the corners of his mouth,

This is what young people are good at. They are full of passion and are the easiest to be exploited... ahem... to provoke.

He pressed down with both hands,

"Everyone! What I just said was not what I said, but what the British historian Mr. Burke wrote in his book "The French Revolution". Of course, I don't agree with his view... um..."

As he spoke, he suddenly paused slightly.

He thought of the "zhou" incident in the morning,

"I don't completely disagree. The point about 'destroying Western customs and morals' is partially correct."

The students below began to curse again.

Lu Shi quickly returned to the topic.

"What I want to talk about today is a comprehensive analysis of the French Revolution."

After saying that, I went back to climbing on the blackboard and wrote two big words:

cause.

He asked, "Is there anyone I can talk to?"

The people present were all French and college students, so naturally they could talk about everything.

Immediately someone stood up,

"Because Louis XVI mobilized his troops in an attempt to dissolve Parliament."

As a result, as soon as he finished speaking, there was no need for Lu Shi to refute, and someone next to him complained: "You said it too generally! Why did Louis XVI dissolve Parliament? This is the most important thing!"

The man immediately said: "Isn't it because...well..."

Lu Shi coughed lightly,

"Okay, let me tell you. Regarding this, the first thing to talk about is the Three-Level Conference and how the system of the Three-Level Conference cannot continue to operate."

The so-called "three levels\

,"The Catholic clergy constituted the first estate;

The nobility formed the second estate;

Other citizens, such as farmers and urban commoners, formed the third estate.

Undoubtedly, the former two are the privileged class in a dominant position, while the latter are in a dominated position.

However, with the development of the economy, the third estate has become stronger and stronger.

In France, the title of nobility is open, allowing some capable and wealthy third estates to move up. In addition, the nobles themselves can also invest in business, mining, and real estate, causing the boundaries between the second and third estates to become blurred. .

After Lu Shi finished the introduction, he spread his hands.

"So Louis XVI discovered that he was surrounded by traitors."

This is interesting to say,

The students couldn't help laughing.

Below, Gu Hongming was struggling to translate for two young people,

Jiang Guoliang suddenly said: "Speaking of which, during the previous dynasty, was there also a situation where the third level was growing stronger?"

Gu Hongming and Cai Yuanpei were both stunned.

Later, Cai Yuanpei smiled bitterly and said,

"Isn't this point of view mentioned in "The Fifteenth Year of Wanli"?"

Gu Hongming echoed in a low voice: "That's why I said that book is the most suitable teaching material."

Jiang Guoliang frowned,

"Reflection is important. But what's wrong with learning from foreigners and learning skills?"

Cai Yuanpei nodded,

"It's like learning from France's constitutional monarchy."

Gu Hongming sneered,

"Hmph! It's the Kang Party's point of view again! If you ask me, he is just an advocate of the Jacobins!"

Interestingly, the Jacobins were a faction in the French Revolution.

Cai Yuanpei was somewhat dissatisfied, but did not express it directly.

On the contrary, Jiang Guoliang said bluntly: "Mr. Gu, what you said is wrong. If there had been no Sino-Japanese War, we could still pretend to be strong, but what is the reality? We can't do it without reform..."

Gu Hongming was ready to refute again,

Cai Yuanpei said quickly: "Stop talking now! Listen to Professor Lu's speech."

Among the three, Gu Hongming is the only one who understands French.

As a result, after this discussion, when I came back to my senses, I found that Lu Shi was already making a concluding speech.

Gu Hongming glared at the two young men with dissatisfaction before continuing to translate.

Just listen to what Lu Shi said: "In short, the king thought that the second estate was still obedient, so he put the tax increase proposal to the three-level meeting for discussion. The result? The third estate won with a slight advantage of seventeen votes, and the tax increase bill was not Can pass."

Everyone knows what happened next.

Louis XVI went back on his word and forced a tax increase.

The representatives of the Third Estate responded by announcing the establishment of the National Assembly, which was later renamed the Constituent Assembly.

Louis XVI was not so stupid that he realized that the move of the Third Estate would endanger his rule, so he mobilized the army in an attempt to force the disbandment.

Thus, the vigorous revolution began.

Lu Shi shrugged.

"Now, do you understand?"

The students below were confused.

Although I have studied history, this is not what the textbook says!

It was after listening to Lu Shi's explanation that they realized that there were hidden connections among seemingly isolated things.

Some people say: "Is this modern history?"

Lu Shi said nonchalantly: "That was a name given by others. I just shared my method of studying history."

He continued: "Of course, in addition to economics, there are also cultural factors. In the 17th and 18th centuries, along with the Enlightenment, people began to believe that the order of the universe could be grasped through reason. This made the divine right of kings... "

At this time, a student raised his hand.

Lu Shi chuckled,

"Yes, there has been progress. Just now I stood up and spoke, but now I know it's time to raise my hand."

The crowd burst into laughter again,

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Lu Shi said, "Okay, you get up and talk."

The student stood up and

"Professor Lu, why did the Second Estate betray Louis XVI?"

Lu Shi replied: "It's very simple, because of their class... Let me give you some data. You know that in France at that time, you could sell your official position and get a title, right?"

The student nodded,

"I know. Moreover, as the finances are in crisis, the price of knighthood is getting higher and higher."

Lu Shi said: "That's right. Between 1700 and 1789, France added about 50,000 new nobles. Do you think these new nobles are the second or third estate?"

As soon as this was said, the students present fell into silence.

Afterwards, there was a lot of discussion,

"It stands to reason that nobility must be the second level."

"But Professor Lu said that they are from the third level and are promoted to the third level by selling their official positions and getting titles."

"I still think that nobility is nobility."

…

They disagree.

But most people believe that the new nobility should belong to the third estate.

Lu Shi didn't expect that such a simple issue could be discussed for so long.

These people from the liberal arts college really don’t study political economics at all.

At this time, someone below spoke again,

"Of course it's the third level."

Everyone followed the sound,

Clemenceau arrived at the scene at some unknown time.

However, his face was not very good, with an inexplicable livid look, as if he had just vomited.

Lu Shi said hello,

"Mr. Clemenceau, you are here."

The students present also recognized this great philanthropist who took the lead in donating money to renovate the school building and dormitory, and took the initiative to say hello.

Clemenceau said: "To look at a person's rank, you should not look at his title, 'noble', 'citizen', 'king'... these are not important. What should be looked at is his money and power. Where did it come from.”

Only then did the students suddenly realize,

A nobleman can betray the king, but it is difficult to betray his own pocket.

Of course, there are also people who betray their money bags,

But rarely.

"So it's the third level..."

The students suddenly understood.

Lu Shi continued: "Okay, let's continue the topic we just talked about. Regarding the Enlightenment, a large number of enlightened figures such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Diderot emerged, and ideas such as natural human rights also emerged. It came into being and is becoming more and more popular..."

He finished telling the background of the French Revolution bit by bit.

The people in the audience looked at each other,

Although I know that Lu Shi’s historical research methods are comprehensive, analytical, and interdisciplinary,

However, when they were actually there and being explained by Lu Shi bit by bit, they were still shocked.

What's more, Lu Shi was talking about the French Revolution!

Even the French themselves can’t explain it so thoroughly!

This time it really became a prophecy.

nobody,

Compared with Lu,

understand better,

France!

Lu Shi continued: "Let's talk about the process, ending, and of course the subsequent impact of the incident. Let's talk about the process first..."