Chapter 39: Lu Shi: ???

Strike,

then subdue.

That's how Lu Shi does it.

He looked at the group of students listening attentively, feeling quite pleased inside, but maintaining a calm and composed demeanor on his face.

He said, "You must have all read the series of articles I wrote, so you must know the beginning of the series: Inca Emperor Atahualpa led 168 Wari warriors to capture the Spanish King Charles I..."

The students in the square all thought they misheard.

Solomon said, "Professor Lu misspoke, right?"

Nikolich shook his head, "No, Professor Lu just mentioned the 'Wari warriors,' which is a term translated directly from Quechua, meaning 'slingers.' How could he use such a rare term unintentionally?"

Solomon was shocked, "You know about this too?"

Nikolich replied impatiently, "Don't forget I'm Spanish, I'm better at researching that period of history than you."

The two whispered to each other.

And not just them, other students were also discussing,

But no one dared to question Lu Shi.

Lu Shi chuckled, "I see you all have something on your minds, why not speak up? Where did that spirit of questioning authority just go?"

The students chuckled,

The atmosphere in the square became even more lively.

Someone asked, "Professor Lu, shouldn't it be the Spanish conquering the Inca Empire? Your articles have analyzed how geography and environment propelled European development, making European civilization more advanced than others."

Lu Shi nodded, then shook his head again,

"Any argument inclined towards absolutism is bound to have problems."

With this statement, the students were once again puzzled.

Lu Shi's articles were filled with geographical determinism, but his tone just now was akin to denying his own views in the articles.

Querlen couldn't accept it,

"Professor Lu, do you know what you're saying?"

Shaw hurriedly intervened, "Rudolf! Calm down!"

Querlen said seriously, "Shaw, don't forget my purpose in coming to London, it's to rely on Professor Lu's wisdom and erudition to refine geopolitical theories. But now, he's actually retracting himself. What am I supposed to do?"

Querlen turned to Lu Shi,

"Professor Lu, please explain your point clearly!"

The pressure surged,

The air seemed thick with asphalt, making it difficult to breathe.

Watching the debate between the two professors, the students below were both nervous and excited.

Lu Shi said, "You all know there was a dynasty in China called the Ming Dynasty, right? I mentioned it in my articles."

Nikolich said, "You also talked about the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang. Because of his decision, Zheng He's voyages to the Western Seas were short-lived, and the Ming Dynasty failed to conduct large-scale maritime trade and colonization in Southeast Asia."

Lu Shi nodded,

"Yes! So now I ask a question: What if Zhu Yuanzhang wasn't an extremely conservative self-sufficient farmer, but a ruler inclined towards maritime trade?"

This question left everyone stumped.

Lu Shi continued, "If you don't know about the Ming Dynasty, it's okay, let me give you another familiar example... um... the Carolingian Dynasty. If the Carolingian Dynasty hadn't split but continued, would Europe have been unified?"

The Carolingian Dynasty was a feudal dynasty that ruled the Frankish Kingdom from the 8th to the 10th century, named after its family's common name, Carolingian,

The dynasty eventually disintegrated due to the emperor's death.

Gradually, some people understood what Lu Shi was trying to convey.

If human history is a curve, then geography and ecology are the ruler of this curve,

But the curve is not smooth, instead, there are abrupt points, these points are "historical figures" and "historical events," they also play important roles in history.

So it's not just about the impact of the ruler on the curve, but also about the complexity of the curve itself.

Lu Shi said, "Discussing the development of human civilization is fine, but we must never rush to conclusions. Why start discussing the proposition of 'why European civilization is superior to others' now? In my opinion, one hundred and fifty years later, China may still have the chance to unite the Eurasian continent and dominate the world~"

History is a marathon between civilizations,

Short-term eruptions may attract attention, but who will ultimately take the lead remains uncertain.

But, China...

Thinking that that distant eastern country would dominate the Eurasian continent, the students couldn't believe it.

Lu Shi didn't intend to convince them, he continued, "So, do you understand what I mean now?"

The students nodded together,

But the problem was, although they understood, they were confused by Lu Shi himself.

The grand civilization articles published in The Manchester Guardian were clearly written by Lu Shi, and he even earned the title of "Founding Father of New Historiography" because of those articles,

In this case, why would he refute himself?

A weird silence fell over the square,

"..."

"..."

"..."

The students couldn't help but look at each other.

Lu Shi sighed,

"It seems you still don't understand. What did I mention at the beginning of the lecture?"

The story of Gauss?

Everyone was puzzled.

At this moment, Querlen suddenly clapped his hands hard and said, "I understand! Professor Lu first mentioned a concept, 'modern historiography.'"

The students also realized.

Professor Lu first refuted himself to shift everyone's focus away from the conclusions of the articles and to emphasize the broad and flexible perspective of historiography.

Shaw beside him said, "It's not that simple. Haven't you forgotten that Professor Lu also criticized the behavior of 'carrying authority against authority'? So, students, you must question Professor Lu's articles more, the more you question, the happier he will be."

Could it be understood like this too?

Lu Shi was dumbfounded.

But the students took Shaw's words seriously,

"I didn't expect Professor Lu to be so serious, actually refuting himself to guide us, his own students."

"Yeah, someone who can write those articles, how could their academic level be low?"

"Professor Lu is a Chinese student, he must have endured many prejudices along the way. In this situation, he can still set aside past grievances and guide us, British students, we must repay him well."

"The best way to repay is to study hard and question his articles."

"That's right, question rigorously!"

...

Lu Shi: ???

He looked at Shaw,

"Mr. Chancellor, you..."

He stopped halfway through his words, because he really didn't know how to explain.

But Shaw smiled brightly,

"Professor Lu, no need to thank me. If you can make these kids feel your earnest intentions, I'm satisfied."

A myriad of thoughts rushed through Lu Shi's mind, but all he could do was smile helplessly,

"Thank you, Mr. Chancellor."

Shaw waved his hand, "No need to thank me. Really, no need."

His face was filled with sincerity.