Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

Field nodded and agreed to Liu Ye's request.

However, a middle school is not Liu Ye’s goal. Liu Ye’s real goal is to establish a university in Shandong, a university that is large enough to influence the future direction of China!

Liu Ye has already started preparations.

It was not a question of land, nor a question of teachers, nor a question of money, but a question of choosing the president. Since he was going to run the university, Liu Ye was determined to build it into a world-class university, a real university, at least not one that would belong to the Imperial University of Peking or Tsinghua University in later generations.

However, if one wanted to establish a prestigious university, the selection of a president was paramount. Choosing an American as president? The pressure domestically would be too great, given the enormous influence the university would have. A Chinese candidate would need to possess both exceptional knowledge and broad-mindedness; neither was indispensable. Furthermore, they would need to understand various Western disciplines. Such talent was incredibly difficult to find. At the very least, Liu Ye didn't have such talent at his disposal. Neither Guo Songtao nor Zhang Chunping possessed the caliber of a political scientist, much less a scholar, much less an educator. They were far from the ideal.

Fortunately, Xue Fucheng had recommended candidates to him when he went to the United States, and he also invited two people to come at the same time. However, the wars in the south were too frequent, and it was not so easy to go north to the capital.

The people Xue Fucheng recommended to Liu Ye were the famous Yung Wing and Feng Guifen. Xue Fucheng had a profound family background in learning and a wide circle of friends. He had a close relationship with the two people. As soon as a letter arrived, the two people readily agreed to choose a day to go north to meet Liu Ye, the flying general.

Now it has been almost half a year, and the two people are finally coming!

Yung Wing was the first Chinese student to study in the United States. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University. He had stayed in the United States for several years and studied in a top-notch institution like Yale. Naturally, he was very familiar with Western disciplines and was not rigidly biased. He would be a ready-made candidate for president!

As for Feng Guifen, Liu Ye didn't know much about her, but he knew that this person had left a significant mark in modern history. Moreover, since he was recommended by Xue Fucheng, he must be someone familiar with Western affairs, and in his impression, he should be a very powerful figure.

Liu Ye, whether Yung Wing or Feng Guifen, was a household name. Over the past two or three years, this young man's name had spread throughout the land. Zeng Guofan to the south, Liu Ye to the north, both simultaneously supported the crumbling Qing dynasty. Zeng Guofan to the south was a master of Neo-Confucianism, humble, tolerant, self-protective, and careful about his reputation. But Liu Ye, on the other hand, was different. Within two or three years, he had fought nearly every powerful official in the court. His unruly demeanor not only gave the Manchu elite a headache, but also made the Han Chinese break into a cold sweat. What on earth was this brat up to? If he continued this way, he'd probably never achieve a high position in his life. He was too arrogant. Now, he could gain a foothold by relying on the appreciation of the Monk Prince and Prince Gong, but later on, those two wouldn't be able to protect him forever.

He has made countless enemies in the government and the country, and his future fate is difficult to predict.

However, this cannot conceal the appreciation and admiration of Liu Ye by the enlightened gentry of the Han nationality. This is the case with Yung Wing and Feng Guifen. Originally, both of them wanted to meet Zeng Guofan and join him as his staff. It was a letter from Xue Fucheng half a year ago that changed their minds. Since Liu Ye had such a grand ideal and was young and promising, why not lend him a helping hand? Although Zeng Guofan was also respectful to the wise, he was already very old after all. The setting sun in the west cannot be compared with the rising sun in the east.

Moreover, in his words, Xue Fucheng highly praised Liu Ye, saying that Liu Ye was the most enlightened official in the court. He was not only proficient in military affairs, but also in Western learning and was well versed in foreign affairs. In the future, the person who could resist foreign humiliation and strengthen China would be none other than this person.

Yung Wing and Feng Guifen were deeply attracted to each other. After staying in Jiangsu for a while, they headed north together to Shandong. Not only the two of them, Feng Guifen also invited her good friend Tang Tingshu to go north with them!

When Liu Ye in the prefectural office heard the news that Yung Wing, Feng Guifen and Tang Tingshu had arrived, he couldn't help but jump up from his chair. Great! He had been waiting for a long time and finally his capable assistant had arrived!

Each of these three individuals was a distinguished figure of their time. Yung Wing was an educator and diplomat, Feng Guifen was a writer and thinker, and Tang Tingshu was Li Hongzhang's right-hand man, a figure on par with Sheng Xuanhuai.

"Yu Ting, come quickly, follow me out to greet the distinguished guests. Haha, now that the three of them are here, our affairs will be much easier!"

Liu Ye shouted at Ding Ruchang as he walked out.

Ding Ruchang was a little puzzled. Who was this person? He was so excited that he could come to China even more than Field and others!

Of course, Ding Ruchang couldn't figure it out. He didn't know who the three people were. After all, although they were talented, they were not famous all over the world. Only Feng Guifen was more famous for her talent, but for a military man like Ding Ruchang, he naturally didn't know her.

No matter how capable Field and others are, they are still Americans after all. They are not Chinese, and people of different races must have different hearts. We can only make use of their talents, but cannot rely on them as confidants. However, these three people are capable people with great ambitions. As long as they are handled properly, they will truly become Liu Ye's right-hand men and become the leading figures in developing Westernization and introducing Western learning!

Liu Ye quickly ran to the gate of the prefectural yamen and shouted, "Excuse me, who is Mr. Yung Wing, who is Mr. Lin Yi, and who is Mr. Jian Shi? I, Liu Ye, am late in welcoming you. Please forgive me!"

The three of them looked at each other. Although Feng Guifen was the oldest, Yung Wing was the first person Xue Fucheng recommended to Liu Ye, so it was natural for him to answer.

Yung Wing stepped forward and replied, "My student, Yung Wing, greets Governor Liu. This is Mr. Feng Linyi, and this is Mr. Tang Jianhui."

Liu Ye bowed again and said, "Mr. Chunfu, I don't deserve the title of Futai. I am only a small prefect now. I am sorry to have invited three of you to come here. Please follow me to the yamen to rest."

"Yu Ting, lead the way!"

Liu Ye shouted.

Ding Ruchang's expression tensed. My goodness, these three people are so proud of themselves. Lord Liu has never been so humble even in front of the King of Monks. Even in front of Hebita, he would punish the other party if he wanted to. But he chose these three scholars!