The Rise of the Writers of the Republic of China

The first day Einstein and Le Corbusier came to Shenyang were spent eating, drinking and having fun. After all, the journey was exhausting, so I had to spend time to rest, listen to Peking opera, go shopping on the street, attend dinner parties, and by the way, I also took time to accept newspaper interviews.

The next day, everyone went to visit Northeastern University, and Zhang Xueliang, as the principal, personally led a team to welcome them.

Zhang Shizhao, Liang Suming, Luo Wenqian, Feng Zuxun, Liu Xianzhou and others are all professors at Northeastern University. As for Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin, they resigned last summer because Lin Huiyin was going back to Tianjin to have a baby.

Zhang Xueliang glanced at Zhou Hexuan with a complicated expression, then shook hands with Einstein enthusiastically and said, "Welcome, welcome to Northeast China!"

Zhou Hexuan introduced: "This is Mr. Zhang Xueliang, commander-in-chief of the three provinces in Northeast China, and he is also the president of Northeastern University."

"Hello." Einstein was not interested in Zhang Xueliang. In his opinion, he was just a local warlord leader.

Zhang Xueliang was a little embarrassed by Einstein's neutral tone, and quickly introduced others: "This is Professor Sun Guofeng, Dean of the School of Science, Northeastern University."

"Hello, Mr. Einstein." Sun Guofeng stepped forward and shook hands.

Einstein asked with a smile, "You speak American English, did you study in America?"

Sun Guofeng said: "I am a Doctor of Science from Cornell University in the United States."

"I've visited there, and it's a good school," Einstein said.

After Zhang Xueliang introduced the deans of the four major colleges of literature, science, engineering, and law, he began to introduce Zhang Shizhao, Liang Suming and others.

There is no need for Zhou Hexuan to do translation at all. From Zhang Xueliang to Liang Suming, no matter whether they have been abroad or not, they are all fluent in English. In particular, Rowan spoke with a standard London accent, and he talked with Einstein very enthusiastically.

What Zhou Hexuan was most interested in was Zhang Shizhao, an old man who had been criticized a few years ago because he strongly opposed the New Culture Movement, and he was a feudal old stubborn in the eyes of progressive youth.

But such a stubborn old man has always been a staunch revolutionary.

In the late Qing Dynasty, Zhang Shizhao scolded Kang Youwei in newspapers, and the influence of his articles was comparable to that of Zou Rong's "Revolutionary Army". In the 1920s, Zhang Shizhao's thoughts began to lean towards communism. He once raised 20,000 yuan and gave it to Taizu. Part of the money was used to support students studying in France, and the other part was used for revolutionary activities in Hunan. When Mr. Zhou founded the Communist Youth League in Europe, Zhang Shizhao helped transport the printing presses needed for publicity from France to Germany.

Zhang Shizhao was the chief justice of the Beiyang government and the president of Beiping Agricultural University. Why is he now reduced to an ordinary professor at Northeastern University? In addition to being wanted by the Nanjing government, because of his strong opposition to the New Culture Movement and the order to disband the Women's Normal University, he offended countless progressive young people and students, and his reputation in the education field has long been bad.

In fact, Zhang Shizhao just couldn't understand the comprehensive Westernization. He advocated that "the new opportunities should not be delayed, and the old virtues should not be forgotten... The old and the new are in harmony, and they are in harmony." It is a pity that this method of retaining traditional culture and accepting Western culture was not suitable for the radical ideological environment at that time.

Five years ago, Zhang Shizhao and Hu Shi, two "enemies" who were so good at fighting with each other, took a group photo at the dinner of the aftermath meeting.

Zhang Shizhao wrote the only vernacular poem in his life on the back of the photo, which was specially used to ridicule Hu Shi: "Your surname is Hu / My surname is Zhang / What new literature do you talk about / I still speak my old accent / If you don't attack me, I won't refute / Sitting side by side, each has its own heart/Thirty or fifty years from now/This photo is good as a literary commemoration/Haha/I will write a crooked poem in vernacular for you/Finally Lao Zhang surrendered."

Hu Shi immediately replied with a poem of Qijue: "But it is not the first to open up the atmosphere. I like Gong Sheng's words the most. I am also a person who once opened up the atmosphere. I hope that the long-term relatives will not be contemptuous."

The two wrote poems and gave each other gifts, and talked happily, creating a harmonious scene.

After they went back, Zhang Shizhao continued to write articles and cursed the vernacular, and Hu Shi fought back and denounced the old stubborn.

Zhang Xueliang took Einstein and Corbusier to visit the campus, and then divided into two teams. Einstein went to the Faculty of Science to give lectures, and Le Corbusier went to the Faculty of Engineering to give lectures. The arrival of the two masters made the students of Northeastern University very happy. Not to mention that the aisles of the classrooms are full, even the windows of the classrooms are full of people.

Only now did Zhou Hexuan have time to communicate with his old friends. He smiled and said to Liang Suming, "Brother Shouming, goodbye to Peking, long time no see."

Liang Suming said: "Every time we meet, Mingcheng impresses me."

"Hahaha, brother Shou Ming is still the same." Zhou Hexuan laughed.

Zhang Shizhao didn't go to listen to the speech to join in the fun, he walked over and cupped his fists and said, "Mr. Zhou, I've always wanted to visit when I was in Tianjin, and I finally met today."

Zhang Shizhao was thin and short, wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses and a big gray padded jacket with his hands folded in his sleeves. He had no so-called mastery demeanor at all, just like an ordinary retired old man.

"Mr. Xingyan, I have long admired your name!" Zhou Hexuan hurriedly saluted.

The three of them chatted about trivial matters, and talked about Zhou Hexuan's popularity in Europe and America, and the topic gradually turned to the current war between warlords.

"There is going to be another war. I came to the Northeast to escape the war." Liang Suming said helplessly. He was still the principal of a middle school in Guangdong early last year.

Zhang Shizhao shook his head and said, "Only when China is completely smashed can those military chiefs survive."

Liang Suming said with emotion: "I don't know when China will be stable. The situation in the Northeast is getting worse and worse. There is no place for peace anywhere."

Zhang Shizhao was wanted by the Kuomintang as a red element. He said angrily: "The ugly face of the Nanjing National Government has been completely exposed, and Hu Shizhi is still naive, thinking that he can reason with the Kuomintang. Now it's all right. You don’t even dare to stay in China, you just go overseas.”

Zhang Shizhao's tone was gloating and teasing, but also concealed a bit of sadness and regret.

Back then, during the May 4th Movement, he was the leader of the die-hard conservatives, and Hu Shi was the vanguard of the New Culture Movement. The two had scolded each other in newspapers for several years. But now, one was wanted and hid in the Northeast, and the other was forced to leave China, all thanks to the Nanjing Nationalist Government.

Zhou Hexuan didn't know what to say. No one could stop Lao Jiang from going to war with the local warlords.

Hu Ruoyu, Zhang Xueliang's adjutant, suddenly appeared, walked up to Zhou Hexuan and said in a low voice, "Mr. Zhou, the Commander invites you to the principal's office."

"Lead the way." Zhou Hexuan said.

Hu Ruoyu led Zhou Hexuan quickly to the principal's office, he opened the door and said, "Please, Mr. Zhou."

Zhou Hexuan walked in, Zhang Xueliang stood alone inside, watching Zhou Hexuan hesitate to speak, it seemed difficult to speak.