British writer

Five days later.

Dirty dirty——

The train from Calais to Paris is about to arrive.

Lu Shi, Tolstoy, Verne, Poincaré, Roland,

Five people sat in a box and played "Monopoly".

Tolstoy was amazed.

"I don't know why, but I obviously hate landlords and capitalists the most, but once I start playing this game, I can't help but want to kill other players. It's so addictive."

Roland chuckled,

"Toon, you want to kill people, but you never succeed."

"Ah this..."

Tolstoy couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

Lu Shi changed the topic at the right time and said: "Toon, do you think Monopoly or Landlord is better?"

Tolstoy thought for a while,

"Fighting Landlords."

Sure enough, short, flat, and fast are popular in every era and every country.

It's hard to believe that the short drama "Crooked Dragon King" became a hit in Europe and the United States.

After a few minutes,

Dirty dirty——

The train whistle sounded again.

Tolstoy raised his hand, threw the few remaining banknotes back to the "Monopoly" bank, and said: "We will arrive at the station soon. No more playing~ no more~"

He let it slip and even lost his real estate card.

The other four looked at each other.

Tolstoy waved his hand and said: "Don't look at me like that. When I get to Paris, I have to change trains, so now I want to close my eyes and relax."

"puff!"

Lu Shi burst out laughing,

"Okay, okay, let's play like this, right?"

He also threw away his banknotes and real estate card, and said, "I'll take the number one spot. No one objects, right?"

Everyone laughed wildly when they heard this,

"Ha ha ha ha!"

After a long time, Tolstoy stopped smiling and said in a low voice: "Lu, you are here in Paris to be a judge for the Jules Verne Award. The subject of science fiction has just entered the scene, so you must be careful and careful. Be more cautious.”

Lu Shi and Verne nodded together.

Tolstoy was relieved;

He has no doubt that science fiction will become a big category in the future.

At this time, the train began to slow down.

Tolstoy stood up;

"Let's organize..."

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Roland,

"Toon, can you...can you show me the medal? Nobel medal."

Everyone then remembered that Roland was a little fan of Tolstoy and had even written to Tolstoy as a fan before.

Poincaré smiled kindly,

"Yeah, take it out and let us take a closer look."

Tolstoy would not have objected.

He took out a blue down box from the suitcase and slowly opened it.

Under the soft sunlight, the medals sparkled, as if they had a mysterious power.

Nobel's profile is engraved on the front of the medal. The carving is exquisite, his gaze is deep and firm, and even his wrinkles and beard appear lifelike.

Roland murmured:

"Mr. Nobel's face remains vivid even after the baptism of time."

Verne said: "It's really charming."

Lu Shi raised the corners of his mouth,

"The charm of medals is general, but the key is the solemnity and honor they symbolize."

Especially the background of the first Nobel Prize in Literature,

Tolstoy was almost "held up" to the podium by the entire literary circle, and his honor was even greater.

Roland turned the medal over again,

An olive branch is printed on the back, symbolizing peace and knowledge.

Each leaf is delicate and delicate, as if it can convey the breath of nature.

Roland returned the medal,

"Thank you, Toon."

Tolstoy nodded and touched the medal lightly with his fingers.

"I can feel its coldness and delicacy. This touch seems to create a wonderful connection between me and it."

As he spoke, he raised his head,

"In the future, the Nobel Prize will become one of the most important awards in the world."

Poincaré asked: "Why do you say that? Is it the reason for the large bonus?"

Tolstoy spread his hands,

"It is important to have a large bonus. But what is more important is publicity. Even though the Swedish Academy was severely slapped in the face by Lu this time, it also brought the entire literary circle into the picture, making everyone recognize this award."

The others nodded,

A blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise.

In Western parlance, "If it does not kill you, it will make you stronger."

Tolstoy put the medal back in the suitcase,

Waiting for the train to stop, several people got off the train one by one and walked to the station.

Tolstoy is going to buy a copy of "Mirror" and read it when he is about to change trains.

Roland volunteered to run errands.

As a result, he ran back panting not long after,

"Look...look at this!"

What he held in his hand was not the Mirror but the German Historical Magazine.

Because Paris Station is one of the train stations with the most international transfers, it is not unusual to be able to buy foreign magazines and newspapers.

Tolstoy took it,

Looking at the cover, he couldn't help but say "Huh?", very confused.

"how?"

The other three people moved up to look at the cover.

At first reaction, they all thought they saw "The Yellow Peril".

Because the picture on the cover is almost exactly the same in composition.

But when you look at it a second time, you will notice the difference.

In "The Yellow Peril", the angel symbolizing the Germanic nation holds a shining sword and warns the patron saints of the European powers:

The "yellow peril" has arrived.

Europe (France, Germany, Italy, etc.) looks uneasy.

The background of the entire oil painting is very depressing.

heavily clouded,

city ​​burning,

Catastrophe is coming.

This cover is completely different.

The angels of Germany open their arms in a hugging posture, and the anthropomorphic images of other European countries also smile on their faces. The meaning of openness and welcome does not need to be explained in words.

There is also an inscription from William II on the screen:

“Embrace civilization.”

From the "yellow peril theory" to "embracing civilization", this shift is too fast!

Several people were silent,

"..."

"..."

"..."

I don’t know how long it took, but Verne couldn’t help but whisper: “Awesome! So awesome!”

He looked at Lu Shi,

"Professor Lu, is this your masterpiece?"

Lu Shi smiled and nodded,

"Um."

Everyone was in awe.

In the United States, Lu Shi was able to eliminate the impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act as much as possible;

In Germany, Lu Shi was able to turn "The Yellow Peril" around.

Such influence is really beyond the reach of ordinary literati.

And, not just influence,

You still have to be able to deceive.

Especially the kind that can be deceived.

Lu Shi suggested: "Don't look at the cover. Let's turn back and look at the text corresponding to the cover."

Verne said: "It seems to be called "Five Thousand Years Up and Down"."

He flipped through a few pages, then whispered softly:

——

Five thousand years?

When you see this phrase, your first reaction may be, "It takes ten thousand years."

But in fact, "Shangxia" refers to "B.C. and A.D."

That adds up to a total of five thousand years.

And this time is the time when Chinese civilization exists.

——

Lu Shi muttered: "It seems that this was written by Professor Monson."

Tolstoy was curious,

"How do you know it was written by him?"

Lu Shi replied: "He and I were on the same cruise ship and discussed it when we met in Gothenburg."

Tolstoy suddenly realized,

"The day 'Why should he compare with Towong!?'"

Lu Shi was stunned for a moment, then laughed,

I didn’t expect that the old man Tolstoy could also joke.

He waved his hand,

"Let's keep looking forward."

Verne continued reading,

——

Among the ancient civilizations in the world, the continuity of the development of Chinese civilization is very prominent.

The most direct evidence is Chinese characters.

To speak Chinese characters, you must first speak Latin.

The ethnic groups who invented the concept of words generally use words that directly access the concept of meaning.

Once the surrounding ethnic groups understand the concept of writing, they rarely invent it on their own. Instead, they use the invented writing to record the language of their own group.

…

——

What follows is very professional.

Lu Shi looked at it and felt that Mengsen was more deceptive than himself.

Monson first talked about history;

Later, starting from the long and unbroken civilization, it was proved that the Chinese were not a "yellow peril".

At the end of the article, he even quoted Napoleon:

"When a male lion is asleep, flies dare to go to its head and scream a few times. But when the lion is awakened, the world will tremble."

When Lu Shi listened to Verne's reading, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart,

The historical process is really interesting.

"Napoleon the Great tried to use the lion as a metaphor for China, saying that when the sleeping lion wakes up, the world should be shocked."

This quote actually comes from "Notes from the Canghun Room" written by Hu Shi, a master of modern literature.

As for whether Napoleon's original words describe China...

It can only be said that the lion is the king of beasts, and France happened to be the overlord of Europe, and Napoleon was the emperor of the First French Empire.

Well, it's all a coincidence.

Unexpectedly,

Because of Lu Shi's confusion, Mengsen started without Hu Shi citing it first.

Tolstoy patted Lu Shi on the shoulder,

"Lu, you are more successful than me."

Lu Shi shook his head,

"Toon, you..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Tolstoy.

"I can only win the Nobel Prize for Literature by writing a novel. And what about you? You actually made Emperor William change his tune. This is really... really..."

Tolstoy stuttered a bit, seemingly unable to find the right words.

Poincaré said for him:

"great."

Tolstoy nodded repeatedly and said: "Yes. The word 'great' is indeed appropriate. Those who can fight for living space for their compatriots overseas are great people."

Lu Shi: "..."

Can't refute.

Frankly speaking, he was just trying his best, and he didn't want to make a name for himself at the time.

Perhaps, this is the consciousness of being a time traveler.

Poincaré asked: "Did Emperor William propose this 'Yellow Peril' theory?"

Lu Shi shook his head and glanced at Tolstoy.

Tolstoy looked as usual and said: "It's not Emperor William. It is generally believed that the originator of the 'Yellow Peril' theory was the Russian Bakunin. He wrote a book advocating the 'Yellow Peril' theory, called "State System and Anarchy" State of Government.”

Roland chewed on the title of the book,

"That Bakunin? Mikhail Bakunin? The founder of anarchism?"

Tolstoy nodded,

"The Tsar called it 'Bakuninism.'"

Roland couldn't understand.

There is no doubt that in feudal Russia, those who advocated anarchism were definitely advanced;

But how could Bakunin judge people based on their ethnicity?

Lu Shi saw Roland's doubts,

He smiled and said: "People are all contradictory."

Roland sighed and asked: "What about after Bakunin?"

Tolstoy had only heard of Bakunin and did not know many details.

He looked at Lu Shi.

Lu Shi understood and continued: "Bakunin created based on what he saw in China during his escape. He believed that China was a 'huge danger'. I can even recite some of the original texts..."

The other four people showed admiration,

However, Lu Shi's knowledge and knowledge could no longer surprise them.

They waited quietly.

Lu Shi memorized a section of it.

"

‘China has a population of 400 million. They inhabited the Empire so densely that more and more of them were now emigrating in an irresistible and massive emigration... Such was the danger that almost inevitably threatened us from the East. It is wrong to look down upon the Chinese. ’

"

Poincaré said: "Looking at this paragraph alone, the logic seems to be smooth."

Indeed, this paragraph sounds like a "China threat theory" at best.

Far from the "yellow peril" theory.

"Tsk..."

Lu Shi couldn't help but be speechless.

"What about this section?"

He continued to recite:

"

'Combining this discipline and familiarity with new weapons and tactics with the Chinese people's barbarism, lack of humane concepts, lack of freedom-loving instincts, and habits of slave-like obedience, etc., and then considering that China's huge population has to Looking for a way out...'

"

Before he finished speaking, Verne cursed in a low voice: "Bullshit!"

Lu Shi looked over,

"how?"

Verne glanced at Tolstoy, and then whispered: "What do you mean by 'no freedom-loving instinct and slave-like obedience'? Why didn't he say that Russia was still feudal serfdom before?"

Russian serfdom reform not long ago——

1861.

The history textbooks make it very clear.

Lu Shi glanced at Verne,

My heart said,

Why does this old man look even more angry than me?

Verne continued: "Furthermore, the point of 'no sense of humanity' is outrageous. Don't you Chinese say that 'when the granary is full, people will naturally abide by the law'?"

Lu Shi was a little confused after hearing this.

It took him a long time to react and said: "'With a solid warehouse, you know etiquette, and with enough food and clothing, you know honor and disgrace'?"

Verne nodded,

"Yes, yes! That's it!"

Lu Shi was speechless,

The foreigners I know well don’t know what’s going on. One or two of them all like to quote ancient Chinese sayings.

However, few are quoted correctly.

He continued to explain: "The meaning of this sentence is that when the warehouse is full, the people will understand what etiquette is; when food and clothing are abundant, the people will recognize honor and shame."

Verne nodded,

"This is really philosophical. We French people used to poop in the fireplace when we didn't have enough to eat."

This example is too interesting.

Lu Shi said: "Well, Mr. Verne, there is no need for that."

Roland and Poincaré echoed,

"No need to."

Verne said awkwardly: "That's what I meant. Bakunin asked a bunch of hungry peasants to talk about humanitarianism. Isn't that nonsense? It's even more ridiculous to come up with the 'yellow peril theory' based on this!"

Verne was very excited,

Roland quickly patted him on the back and said, "Mr. Verne, don't make yourself angry. After all, there are more than seventy people..."

Verne rolled his eyes at Roland,

Then, he looked at Tolstoy as if he remembered something,

"Mr. Tolstoy, it seems that the 'Yellow Peril' theory is not popular among Russian people."

Tolstoy nodded,

"As Lu just said, 'You can know etiquette if you have enough food and clothing; you can know honor and disgrace if you have enough food and clothing.' Although the 'Yellow Peril' theory is not etiquette, as a trend of thought and an doctrine, only those who have enough to eat are worthy of accepting it. A bunch of hungry peasants in Russia, how can they have time to care about foreigners?"

This is true.

Lu Shi spread his hands,

"So, from a certain perspective, the root of the 'Yellow Peril' theory does lie in Kaiser Wilhelm."

William II wrote to Tsar Nicholas II,

What "set out to conquer the East\

,"What "If you really want to engage in conquest, why not start with China?\

,"What "vast land is waiting there\

,"…

It makes people angry just thinking about it.

Tolstoy asked: "Lu, why do you think so?"

Lu Shi spread his hands,

"In the final analysis, Bakunin is just a scholar. He has no power, no money, and no influence. What crucial role can he play?"

Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, the other four people looked at Lu Shi with extremely strange eyes.

Stare——×4

It made Lu Shi's skin crawl all over.

"Gu..."

He swallowed stiffly and asked, "Um...did I say something wrong?"

Tolstoy looked directly at him,

"Lu, aren't you a scholar?"

"Ah this..."

Lu Shi can't be punished.

Poincaré on the side joked: "Professor Lu is indeed a scholar, but he is powerful, rich and powerful!"

Lu Shi waved his hands repeatedly,

"No, I have no right!"

Poincaré laughed again,

"Look, you don't deny that you are rich and powerful."

Lu Shi: "..."

Decided not to speak anymore.

Tolstoy patted Lu Shi on the shoulder and said, "It would be great if one day I could become a 'scholar' like you."

After saying that, he took a deep breath and looked at the clock tower of the Paris train station.

"I have to go."

Roland said "Huh?"

"Toon, I haven't bought you the Mirror yet~ Wait... I'll help you carry your luggage."

He was about to take action,

Tolstoy stopped him,

"I can just do it myself."

After saying that, he waved goodbye to a few people, then picked up his luggage and walked towards the waiting hall.

After a while, Tolstoy's back disappeared.

The other four people stood there without moving for a long time.

Finally, Roland took the lead to speak,

"I think Toon is already a great scholar...a great writer. Although his words are difficult for farmers to understand, they can inspire and inspire writers throughout Europe, especially Russian writers."

These words reminded Lu Shi of Gorky, whom he had met once before.

That "people's writer" was deeply influenced by Tolstoy.

Lu Shi took a deep breath,

"Let's go."

He turned to Verne,

"Am I still living at the Collège de France?"

Verne nodded,

"Yes, 'a scholar'."

Lu Shi: "..."

"Mr. Verne, can you please stop calling me that."

Verne still nodded,

"Okay, 'One Scholar'. Got it, 'One Scholar'."

Lu Shi was irritable,

"Damn French!"