When the scholarship list was announced, the campus was filled with congratulations, mostly from students congratulating each other.
Where does joy come from?
Although the scholarship is small, it is proof of his hard work and study! It is of course a cause for celebration.
In fact, the scholarships in the Ming Dynasty are more like a kind of encouragement than financial aid. The purpose of using scholarships is to urge college students to concentrate on their studies. After all, every year there are always some students who cannot get scholarships.
The state provides funds for them to go to school, not to let them waste time and national wealth, so scholarships are a kind of incentive.
"Congratulations, congratulations!"
He had just taken a few steps when Kang Youwei, a classmate, responded with a smile when he was congratulated by his classmate.
Li Cunfu and Kang Youwei were both from Guangdong. Li Cunfu put his arm around Kang Youwei's shoulder and said:
"There will be a gathering for international students in Nanyuan this weekend. You can come and join us!"
He put his arm around Tian Feng's shoulder and said,
"Old Tian, I heard that the Consul General will also be here to attend. We can make some good friends!"
The Consul General also sent someone to participate. Suddenly Kang Youwei became interested and said:
"Consul General? But is it Mr. Kuisai who just took office?"
The "Mr. Kuizhai" mentioned by Kang Youwei is Zhang Peilun, the newly appointed Consul General.
"If it's not him, then who else could it be?"
Li Cunfu said with a smile.
"I heard that our diplomatic level with the Ming Dynasty will soon be upgraded to ambassadorial level, and Mr. Zhang will be the first ambassador to the Ming Dynasty..."
Kang Youwei didn't care about the ambassador or not. When he passed through Xuzhou, he heard his fellow townsmen mention Governor Li. No, it should be that the emperor trusted Zhang Peilun very much. Now that he was appointed as the ambassador to Ming, it must be a prelude to an important position!
After all, the Ming Dynasty... is not an ordinary power!
"Mr. Zhang is going to the Ming Dynasty to win its support so that he can negotiate with the great powers to regain the sovereignty of the country. Once he succeeds, Mr. Zhang will return to the country to report. If you and I can win Mr. Zhang's favor, why should we worry about not being able to be used by the court in the future?"
"Ah! Brother Li is right. We go abroad to study for the benefit of our country. We cannot miss this opportunity!"
For traditional Chinese scholars, learning literary and martial arts and selling them to the emperor is a lifelong pursuit for many of them. They naturally do not feel any discomfort when talking about these topics. After all... getting promoted and making money is a human duty.
"Hehe, Tian Zikui, I remember when the emperor issued an order to start a rebellion last year, you said that the emperor was a traitor. How come you are serving the court now? Which court is yours?"
Tian Feng was immediately embarrassed when his past was exposed:
"Alas, I was blinded by greed that day. Although Tian has received the grace of the Qing Dynasty, he is still a Han Chinese. How could he forget his roots?"
Why did Tian Feng change so quickly?
At the end of last year, his father, who had been in mourning for thirteen years, finally returned to serve as an official in the new dynasty. As a son, he naturally transformed himself into a loyal minister of the new dynasty.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
…
On a weekend evening, in the restaurant of Nanhe University, music was in the air. While the band was playing, more than a hundred Chinese international students from various schools in Nanyuan were chatting there, holding wine glasses or plates. Occasionally, they would look towards the entrance.
That Mr. Zhang hasn't arrived yet.
Although they didn't arrive, it was a rare gathering for these international students. They talked with each other, made friends with each other, and left each other their contact addresses.
Among them, there were several young men in military uniforms. Their upright postures were very eye-catching. Without even looking, one could tell that they must be international students from the Artillery School.
In the past ten years, the cooperation between Xuzhou and Daming has gone from secret to public, and all aspects of cooperation are well known. Why did Xuzhou send a telegram last year? To put it bluntly, it was the young officers who returned from studying abroad in Daming who forced the emperor to abdicate.
At present, these young officers are also the stars of the party. Everyone wants to make friends with them. Even if it is just a one-time encounter, it can be regarded as a good relationship. After all, the domestic reforms are driven by young officers. It is normal for these people to be reused after returning to China.
Just as people were chatting with these foreign students from the Artillery School like stars surrounding the moon, there was suddenly a commotion at the door.
"Master Zhang is here!"
People turned their eyes towards the door, and saw a man in casual clothes walking side by side with the principal, talking and laughing. No one knew what they were talking about. Behind them was a lieutenant colonel. When they arrived in front of the group of international students, the principal said:
"Youqiao, since you are here, let me say a few words to you all."
Looking at those neatly dressed and energetic students, Zhang Peilun said with emotion:
"I think everyone knows about the dramatic changes in China. In the past, China was controlled by the Qing Dynasty. All industries were not prosperous, industry was not strong, and commerce was not prosperous. The country was bullied by the great powers. Today, China has regained its orthodoxy. If we want to find a way to enrich the country and strengthen the army, we must seek knowledge from the world. I have nothing to say to you all today. You young talents are the future of China. I hope that you can study hard in the Ming Dynasty, learn professional knowledge and serve China; and protect the reputation of the country during your studies..."
Looking at the students in front of him, Zhang Peilun knew that nearly half of them were self-funded students. He first gave them some encouragement and then added.
"The country is just being built and is going through a difficult time. Although the court intends to send more students abroad, it is extremely financially constrained. However, the emperor has reminded me in person that although the court is facing many difficulties, the students abroad have needs, so how can the court ignore you? Therefore, in the future, international students can receive a living allowance of 4 yuan per month while studying at the university. I hope everyone will understand the court's difficulties and that the financial support it can provide is not much. Anyway, thank you for your hard work."
As soon as Zhang Peilun finished speaking, there was a chorus of joy all around. 4 yuan a month may not seem like much, but their monthly food expenses at school are about 2 yuan. 4 yuan can basically cover their living expenses for a month, which means they don't have to worry about their livelihood anymore!
“It’s not hard!”
"We are grateful to the court for thinking of us..."
The international students responded one after another, and what they said was sincere. They were truly grateful. All the higher education institutions in the Ming Dynasty provided scholarships, and they usually could support their studies by working part-time on weekends and holidays. Now that the court provided living subsidies, they naturally no longer needed to work part-time and only needed to concentrate on their studies in the future. How could they not be grateful?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
