The second volume is full of glory and splendor in the capital, and the spirit is full of vitality in the foggy city. Chapter 198: Vernacular (Part 3)
Subtitle of this chapter: What can I do to save you, my master?
"National Standard Chinese Characters" is the abbreviation of International Standard Chinese Characters, also known as Yuan Style Characters. This is because it is a standardized Chinese character scheme formulated and promoted by Mr. Yuan Yanshu since 1921.
In August of the same year, Zhao Yuanren arrived at Harvard University. Upon seeing the Yuan proposal presented by Tang Yongtong, he was so overwhelmed that he immediately set off for England to seek Yuan's advice without even wasting a single day. From then on, Yuan and Zhao not only became close friends, but also comrades in promoting the development of the national standard for Chinese characters worldwide.
——Excerpt from "SCP Encyclopedia Entry - National Standard Chinese Characters"》
"International standard Chinese characters..." Wu Mi lost his voice, and everyone was speechless.
The three mahjong masters and Mr. Huang had already seen Yuan Yanshu's tone before, and the first three were even somewhat accustomed to it. However, the three Harvard masters all thought of the word "arrogance" in their hearts.
Master Wu actually felt that he had nothing to say to such a fool.
However, Master Yuan saw that no one was talking, so he immediately gasped: "Brother Yu Seng, I have read your article "On the New Culture Movement"..."
Wu Mi's "On the New Culture Movement" was published in the March 1921 issue of the aforementioned " Quarterly ", and coincidentally, it was a competition with "Wives and Concubines".
Because of this article, Master Wu became an important member of the anti-New Culture Movement. Of course, he was also severely criticized by the New Culture Movement supporters in the United States.
The most famous of these was Qiu Changwei (1898-1956), styled Yiwu, a native of Zhijiang, Hunan. It was around this time that he wrote a rebuttal, "Answer to Mr. Wu Mi," and in June, Wu Mi wrote another rebuttal, "Answer to Mr. Qiu Changwei."
This Qiu Yiwu is indeed worth mentioning.
He first entered the world-renowned Hunan Provincial No. 1 Normal School in 1914. In the same year, the No. 4 Normal School where Tianmo's descendant studied was merged into the No. 1 Normal School, and they became classmates, and the two actually knew each other.
I don't know whether Qiu was lucky or unlucky. Not long after, he transferred to Helian School.He attended Yale-China School (a church school in China run by Yale University missionaries).
In 1919, he was sponsored by Zhang Xueji, commander-in-chief of the Xiangxi Law Protection Army, to study abroad in the United States. Like He Lian, he attended Pomona College in California on a part-time basis. He received his bachelor's degree in 1923. That same autumn, he entered Columbia University's graduate school to continue his studies in political science. He received his doctorate in political science from Columbia University in 1928. After returning to China, he became a key civil servant of the Guangxi clique.
Well, speaking of Zhang Xueji, he was also a well-known figure in the Republic of China. In 1902, on the recommendation of Xiong Xiling, he entered the Japanese Army Academy, where he met Tiequan Wudi and, of course, joined the Tongmenghui. In August 1917, the Guangzhou Protection of the Constitution Military Government was established. Upon hearing the news, Zhang immediately responded and was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Xiangxi Protection of the Constitution Army and awarded the rank of Lieutenant General.
Unfortunately, at the end of last year, he was surrounded by the local armed forces "Divine Soldiers" bribed by Hubei Governor Wang Zhanyuan while on the march. He was stabbed forty-seven times and died heroically... And there was a guard beside him named Shen Congwen.
Well, speaking of Shen Congwen, well... if I continue, there will be no end to it.
Yuan Yan took a puff of his cigarette, shook his head, and said, "Actually, my friend, this 'brilliant article' of yours is simply about how genuine Western culture and China's quintessence complement and enhance each other. Therefore, we must promote Westernization while preserving Chinese quintessence. Neither should be neglected. Only by integrating the two can we eliminate the dross and retain the essence..."
After hearing this, Master Wu's expression finally softened a little, because Master Yuan had given a good summary of his article "On the New Culture Movement".
In fact, new intellectuals like him were not completely opposed to Western culture. They just believed that "if the national essence is lost, the country will no longer be a country."
Therefore, Mr. Lu Xun, who was as famous as Mr. Hongjian, later called the Xueheng School a fake antique.
I only heard Mr. Hongjian, who later became as famous as Mr. Lu Xun, say: "Brother Yu Seng's statement that 'Chinese and Western learning complement each other' is indeed a step forward from the Qing Dynasty's Westernization Movement's statement that 'Chinese learning is the essence, Western learning is the application.' However..."
“This is a scholar’s opinion!”
Yuan Yan suddenly pointed at Huang Zongyi and said, "My nephew comes from a military background and is a local tyrant. If he were to follow the example of Emperor Gaozu of Han, slaying a white snake and composing 'The Great Wind'..."
When Master Huang heard this, he was shocked. How did he become a gangster...What about Liu Bang?
"Uncle, I..."
He had barely opened his mouth when his uncle glared at him. Even without activating the "Eye of Nothingness" abilities, those eyes, as deep as an ancient well, made Huang Zongyi swallow the next words.
"Suppose, let me say suppose..." Master Yuan continued, "Suppose Huang Shuzhi wanted to establish his own country in today's world..."
He pointed at Luo Puxiang and said, "Lord Luo is the Minister of Agriculture when he is at home, and the Ambassador when he is abroad."
He pointed at Yang Jingbang and said, "Mr. Yang is able to be the Minister of Medicine, and now he is the Minister of Health."
He pointed at Lu Yan and said, "Mr. Lu can take charge of business and intelligence affairs."
Finally, he looked at his nephew meaningfully, pointed at himself and said arrogantly: "I am not bragging, brother, but Yuan is the author of the book and finally the Marquis of He..."
Wen Zhonghou is Xiao He, who is "the first in terms of merit". In addition to chasing Han Xin on a bicycle under the moonlight, he also made Guanzhong a stable rear base for the Han army. Otherwise, how could the old rogue Liu Bang defeat the King of Western Chu?
"The Confucian patriarch of the Han Dynasty—Ji Sijun!"
The successor to Ji was Shusun Tong.
The title of Confucian Master of the Han Dynasty was given by Sima Qian, and the evaluation of Shusun Tong in "Records of the Grand Historian" is quite positive, saying that he "does not care about trivial matters for the sake of greater justice."
But another great historian named Sima, Sima Guang, who broke the jar, had nothing good to say about him - "Shusun Sheng's talent is small."
Well, this is the difference between Han Confucianism and Song Confucianism.
So when he said that he was Shusun Tong, it was not a good thing to say, and everyone naturally looked puzzled.
"Hahaha..." Our Master Yuan couldn't help but burst into laughter when he saw that everyone was confused.
When the three mahjong masters heard his laughter, their spirits perked up and they asked in unison, "Brother Hongjian, why are you laughing so loudly?"
Yuan Yan suddenly looked at the three poker partners with great appreciation. They were indeed old friends and their cooperation was a tacit understanding.
"I'm just laughing at you all... you're just too naive!"
"Brother Hongjian..."
When he saw Wu Mi about to speak, he immediately raised his hand to stop him, and said in a very serious tone: "Brother, I regard you as good friends, so I will tell you a few words from my heart. Of course, whether you listen or not is up to you."
In fact, his next words were mainly directed to the three Harvard geniuses. If he still couldn't convince them, then there would be nothing else to do.
Our Master Yuan took two puffs of his cigar, blew out a big smoke ring, and then said, "What exactly are these vernacular Chinese and the New Culture Movement?"
A gleam of brilliance suddenly flashed in his eyes, and he looked around at this group of Seris young elites in their twenties, causing these people to sit up straight subconsciously.
"It's actually a dispute between my generation and our predecessors over the orthodoxy!"
"The dispute over the orthodox doctrine..." Everyone looked at each other, still confused, only Chen Yinke's expression changed.
"Oh, it seems like Brother Heshou has realized something." Yuan Yan suddenly noticed this detail and winked at him, "Brother, do you understand?"
Master Chen pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said , "I still need Brother Hongjian's guidance."
"Okay! Then I'll tell you about this stupidity." Master Yuan stood up and said calmly, "Brother Yu Seng said in his 'On the New Culture Movement' that the New Culture Movement was only intended to destroy the Confucian orthodoxy. That's only half right..."
On May 4, 1958, Wu Mi wrote in his diary: "Students held a commemorative meeting for the May Fourth Movement on the playground. The meaning of the May Fourth Movement has now been completely changed. No one in the future will know the truth of history. People who experienced the May Fourth Movement are not allowed to talk about it, cannot talk about it, and dare not talk about it. Where is history? Where is the truth?..."
Saying things like "Where is history? Where is truth?" can only mean that Master Wu is a corrupt scholar who has not read all the books.
Why does a certain major Eastern country consistently publicize the May Fourth Movement in a high-profile manner, and why does an organization with 80 million members regard itself as the successor of the New Culture Movement? It is because they want to monopolize the thousands of years of Taoist tradition of Seres.
"In reality, the New Culture Movement aimed to establish a new orthodoxy! Then, you might ask, what's the point of such an illusory orthodoxy?"
Our Master Yuan sneered and said, "If the Daoist tradition is useless, then why did Father Euro retrieve the ancient Greek classics from Allah and launch a Renaissance movement ?"
"If orthodoxy is useless, then why does America always mention the 'May Flowers' and 'Founding Fathers'?"
"On the other hand, when Europe had the Renaissance, it wanted to trample the Catholic Church under its feet. When America had the Mayflower and the Founding Fathers, it wanted to break away from England."
"Then if we consider the New Culture Movement as China's Renaissance, vernacular Chinese as the Mayflower that saved all people, and me... that me as the spiritual father of America, then we naturally have to overthrow the Confucian school!"
"Brother, I think you all should understand what I'm saying. The New Culture Movement wasn't just an academic debate, it was a struggle for orthodoxy..."
"This dispute over the orthodoxy..." Yuan Yan suddenly glanced at everyone with a cold gaze, and said in a cold voice: "If you are not friends, then you are enemies!"
“…”
Of course, these eight words did not have much impact on Master Yuan’s poker partners and nephew. With their level of skill, they could not get involved in the New Culture Movement.
The faces of the three Harvard geniuses were gloomy and uncertain, and they were all lost in thought.
Among them, Tang Yongtong returned to normal after a little hesitation. For a "dull scholar" like him, he was more concerned about his own academic studies.
Chen Yinke was not so bad. He was not too deeply involved in the Xueheng faction in the future. He even advised Wu Mi to close the Xueheng magazine, which was always losing money. After all, no one liked to read purely classical Chinese or academic things at that time.
Only Master Wu had a gloomy expression on his face, and his expression was the most struggling.
After a long while, he finally raised his head, his eyes gleaming with the resolute light of a martyr. He said, "Hongjian... Mr. Hongjian, regardless of whether this is a dispute over the orthodox doctrine or not, I still believe that the culture you, New Culture, have chosen to spread is heresy and a threat to national chaos. As long as this Wu is still breathing..."
"Hahaha ..." Yuan Yan suddenly laughed out loud again, "Brother Yu Seng is too serious, too serious. This is just a joke..."
In fact, he sighed in his heart. It seemed that Wu Yuseng was stubborn and he could not win his favor.
However, he did not think it was a big pity. In his opinion, the three Harvard geniuses were just three scholars. Even if they could be won over, they would only be cheering for themselves in China.
Of course, he still felt a little regretful. After all, having the three Harvard geniuses as his younger brothers would be a great honor to tell others about it!
Since you don't give me face, I won't stop you from being a scumbag.
A wise man like Master Wu naturally knew that a wise man like Master Yuan would never use such words to "joke", so his face flushed and he said unhappily: "Why do you have to act like this..."
"Wait!" Yuan Yan's eyes suddenly lit up with surprise. He carefully examined Wu Mi's face and asked, "Brother Yu Seng, do you have any happy events coming to your house recently?"
"Hmm?" His thoughts were so jumpy that most people, including Master Wu, couldn't keep up.
Master Yuan asked without hesitation, "Brother Yu Seng, may I ask how old you are?"
Wu Mi replied subconsciously, "Twenty-eight."
"As expected, the 'Ma Yi' says that at the age of twenty-eight, one should look at the center of the forehead. My dear, your forehead is pink with a hint of red, which clearly indicates the movement of the Red Luan Star, indicating that there will be happy events."
Master Yuan, who had instantly transformed into a fortune teller, smiled and bowed, saying, "It seems that I, Brother, must first congratulate Brother Yu Seng. He will surely find a beautiful woman on his return!"
"This..." Wu Mi looked back at Tang Yongtong and Chen Yinke, who were equally shocked, and said suspiciously, "Brother Hongjian, could it be that you have heard some news from somewhere and are teasing me again?"
In November 1918, Wu Mi, who was studying at Harvard, suddenly received a letter from Chen Liexun, a Tsinghua classmate studying in the United States, who wanted to introduce his sister Chen Xinyi to Wu Mi as his wife.
The letter said that Ms. Chen graduated from the Zhejiang Women's Normal School in Hangzhou, was 24 years old, and was a primary school teacher in Dinghai County, Zhejiang Province.
In his letter, Chen Liexun explicitly pointed out that, as a woman of the new intellectual generation, his sister was very ambitious and particularly strict in choosing a husband. However, she had heard him talk about Wu Mi many times at home, and later read his poems and essays in "Yizhi Magazine" and "Tsinghua Weekly." Especially seeing Wu Mi's photo in "Tsinghua Weekly," she felt a deep admiration for him and expressed her willingness to marry Wu and serve him for the rest of her life.
After receiving the letter, Wu Mi was moved and immediately replied to express his approval. Several of his friends also knew about this, so he asked this question.
Yuan Yan immediately revealed an expression of being insulted and hurt, and said very aggrievedly: "Brother Yu Seng, you are wrong. How could I joke about such a thing?"
Master Wu said with a mixture of laughter and tears, "Brother Hongjian, just now you were talking about the New Culture Movement, the overthrow of the Confucian school, and the struggle for orthodoxy. Why are you bringing up this feudal superstition now?"
Our Master Yuan blinked and said, "Brother Yu Seng, there's nothing wrong with that. Confucius, a Confucian, didn't talk about strange things, so a non-Confucian like me naturally has to talk about them."
Wu Mi shook his head and said, "Okay, Brother Hongjian..."
“Ding…ding!”
At this moment, the floor clock in the smoking room rang. Everyone looked and saw that it was already ten o'clock in the evening.
The three Harvard geniuses looked at each other and stood up.
Master Wu said, "It's already so late. We have troubled Brother Hongjian for a long time. It's time for us to take our leave..."
"Is that so..." Yuan Yan suddenly glanced at the clock and nodded, "Then I'll have the driver take you back to the hotel. But I still have something to say!"
"Brother Hongjian, please speak."
The fortune teller pointed at Wu Mi's eyebrows and said, "Brother Yu Seng, your facial features are fine, but your longevity palace is not well-developed. Not only will your later years be worrying, but your eyebrows are also messy and unruly. You will definitely have romantic troubles in the next few years."
"Brother, I have something to say to you. Brother Wang Yuseng, please remember it. That is..."
"Blind dates are risky, and marriage requires caution!"
Mr. Yuan was good at physiognomy, and his words were always right, and his skills were superb.
Once upon a time in New York, Yuan Gong had warned Wu Mi of Jingyang about marriage, and his words had come true.
Because Yuan Gong had fair skin and a big body, people at that time called him, "white food, linen clothes."
——Excerpt from "A New Account of Tales of the Republic of China: Miraculous Chapters"
