latelenovela Chapter 264 Academy of Sciences
Chapter 264 Academy of Sciences
"Good, good! That's good! We should thank His Majesty. Although Pingping is gone, the court gave us fifty taels of silver as compensation, and the county government also gave us a lot of rice and flour."
"Moreover, we'll receive two taels of salary every month from now on, which will be enough for the two of us to live on!"
"It's just a pity that Pingping left us too early, without ever getting married or leaving behind any children. Our Yang family line will end soon. After we die, there won't even be anyone to burn paper money for us!" Aunt Yang sobbed again as she spoke.
Grandpa Yang let out a long sigh and took two puffs of his pipe. He originally had two sons, but the eldest drowned in the river when he was ten. Now that his younger son was also dead, the Yang family had no hope left.
"Grandpa, Grandma, I'm back. Let me take care of you from now on!" Xiang Peng patted Grandma Wang's hand reassuringly.
"Child, you'll still need someone to take care of you in the future!" Aunt Yang wiped away her tears and forced a smile.
"Grandpa, Grandma! I only broke one leg, the rest of me is fine. I will have children in the future, and when they grow up, they will take care of you."
"Thank you! Pengzi, you're such a good kid!"
"Your Uncle Yang and I have discussed it. While we still have a few years left, we'd like to adopt a child from our clan to be Pingping's son. What do you think?"
"Hmm! That's a good idea!" Xiang Peng thought for a moment and nodded.
"You must choose a child with a good character. He doesn't need to be exceptionally intelligent. As long as he is honest, obedient, and filial, that's enough."
“Great! We’ll definitely choose a well-behaved child. You can help us make the selection. We’ll also need your help in looking after the child with us,” Aunt Yang said happily.
"Don't worry, as long as I'm still here, I will definitely help you and help Pingping raise this child!" Xiang Peng nodded and glanced at Yang Ping's portrait before speaking.
"Auntie, these are all Xiaoping's things. I brought them back from Japan, and I'm giving them to you now as a keepsake!"
Xiang Peng opened the large bag, inside which was a set of Yang Ping's new military uniform, a pair of slightly worn cloth shoes, and a military dagger—a spoil of war.
"Auntie, this is Yang Ping's military medal!" Xiang Peng finally took out a small, bright red box.
. . . . . .
"Bang! Damn it, I knew they were going to cause trouble!" Shen Lian slammed his hand on the imperial desk.
He had just received news that trouble had broken out in both the Southern Frontier and the Northern Desert. The princes and nobles of both regions had raised their banners in rebellion, openly defying Shen Lian's rule.
"With their limited strength, these people wouldn't dare to be so bold. It goes without saying they have someone backing them!"
"British, Russian! Heh heh!" Shen Lian sneered.
Shen Lian, who came from the modern era, naturally knew that Britain, that troublemaker, had been keeping an eye on the southern border; it would be strange if they didn't cause trouble.
Tsarist Russia had a mess to deal with at home, yet it still stirred up trouble. It's only because the current environment doesn't allow it that it wouldn't have hesitated to teach them a lesson.
"Tell Zhang Da Kui and his men to prepare to act! They must be decisive and not give those people any chance to breathe. Capture as many prisoners as possible; we'll be short-handed for railway construction later!"
"Since they've jumped out, let's just wipe them all out in one fell swoop. There'll be no need for princes or nobles on the grasslands anymore. The court will arrange for people to follow up and firmly control the grasslands." Shen Lian clenched his fist!
"Pay attention to ethnic policies and appease the ordinary herders. Allocate pastures for them and distribute some of the confiscated cattle and sheep to them. As long as they don't have the support of the people, these people can't cause any trouble!" Shen Lian instructed again.
Since Shen Lian was wary of the Russians, he naturally couldn't have been unprepared. He hadn't brought any cavalry with him when he went to war against Japan. Of the five cavalry divisions, except for the 1st Cavalry Division which was transferred into the pass, the other four divisions had long been secretly deployed on the border, specifically for today's preparations.
These people on the grasslands had an unusual relationship with the Manchu Qing dynasty, so their rebelliousness was to his surprise.
They didn't send troops out to attack; they were just waiting for an excuse!
These Mongols had been ruled by the Manchus for over two hundred years, and now only a little over two million people remained on the vast grasslands. Their military strength was negligible. Shen Lian didn't even consider their remaining cavalry, armed with bows and swords, a threat.
What worried him more was how to govern the region after he took it over. There would definitely be a large-scale immigration program in the future, as this place would not only be his territory, but also his forward base for future attacks against Tsarist Russia.
Shen Lian will definitely find an opportunity to reclaim Beihai, which has been Chinese territory since ancient times.
Push Tsarist Russia back to Europe, so they won't keep eyeing the lands in Northeast China. Let those gray beasts fight the Europeans to the death.
As for the southern border, there's nothing we can do! Shen Lian ordered five thousand troops each to be drawn from Sichuan and Yunnan to prepare for the expedition.
The General Staff immediately dispatched a staff group to Sichuan and Yunnan to assist in the training and command of troops in combat. At the same time, a batch of weapons and ammunition was prepared for them to accompany the troops.
This is just a preliminary arrangement. The Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and the actual deployment of troops will definitely have to wait until the spring.
On the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, Shen Lian received a group of scientists from the Royal Academy of Sciences at the palace and hosted a banquet for them.
Tesla led a group of scientists into the palace. These people had never seen such a magnificent palace before, and they couldn't help but look around in amazement.
The emperor ordered that these people be treated well, and the eunuchs leading the group did not reprimand them.
The group sat down in the Qianqing Palace, where a dining table had already been set out. A moment later, Shen Lian came out with Nie Xiaoqian and his son, Shen Junze.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" The group of scientists hurriedly knelt down to pay their respects.
"My lords, there's no need for such formalities. Please rise!" Shen Lian waved his hand with a smile.
His Royal Academy of Sciences now has a research team of over a thousand people and hundreds of laboratories. Its scale continues to expand.
Shen Lian deeply understands the importance of science and technology to the country, and is willing to spend a huge amount of money to build the Academy of Sciences into the best scientific sanctuary in the world.
These people not only received high salaries, but Shen Lian also provided them with free housing. Servants also took care of their daily needs.
They also specially arranged for renowned doctors to be stationed there to provide medical care and health treatment to these people at any time.
Moreover, for every research project that Shen Lian deemed promising, he would receive a substantial research grant, ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan.
The Military Intelligence Division, now renamed the CIA, even established a special military unit to protect the safety of these individuals.
For example, Tesla, which has the highest level of protection, has a team of ten people dedicated to protecting him and his family.
Such treatment is unprecedented in the world, which deeply moved all the scientists. They worked tirelessly day and night, hoping to produce results as soon as possible to repay His Majesty's great kindness.