British writer

The next day, noon.

When Lu Shi got up, Natsume Soseki had already woken up and was sitting in an armchair not far away, opening letters.

Lu Shi rubbed his eyes,

"So early?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft cry of "meow~" came from under the bed.

We jumped on the bed.

Lu Shi petted the cat and said, "I didn't bring you food from the United States."

We use our brains to arch the back of our hands when we land,

"Hululu~"

Lu Shi yawned and asked, "Natsume, what's the matter?"

Natsume Soseki pursed his lips.

After hesitating for a moment, he said: "I think I'd better let you take a look."

With that said, he stuffed the letter back into the envelope and handed it over.

Lu Shi was a little confused.

"Isn't this letter addressed to you?"

He glanced at the envelope and found that it was written in a straight envelope.

The recipient's name is written in the middle of the envelope from top to bottom in neat, large fonts, and the sender's name is at the bottom left.

Natsume Soseki collected,

Zhenggang Zigui delivered.

Lu Shi took out the letter inside and started reading.

——

Natsume-kun:

When I met Professor Lu the day before yesterday, I realized that there is heaven outside the world and there are people outside the world.

He is also the successor of the Confucian sage. Although he has insight into Japan, he also has misunderstandings. This is the so-called "a dragon gives birth to nine sons. If they do not become a dragon, each has his own interests."

However, the messy branches do not affect the accuracy of the context. It would be a great blessing if Japan could get Professor Lu's writings like "The Insignificant Year 1587".

I just don't know if this is possible?

This is a sincere question from my heart, I don’t want to express my displeasure, and I hope you can forgive me.

Praise Qiu'an.

——

Lu Shi was speechless and thought to himself that the Japanese are really interesting.

On the surface, this letter was written to Natsume Soseki, but the content was exactly the same as his own. It was obvious that he wanted Natsume Soseki to read it to him.

For such a small thought, he went through such a big circle.

Lu Shi chuckled and couldn't help but mutter:

"

"A dragon gives birth to nine sons. If they don't become dragons, each has his own interests." ’

"

This is so true.

The Confucian etiquette of the sage Confucius has developed into such a weird form in Japan, which is really outrageous.

Natsume Soseki touched his nose awkwardly.

"Lu, look at this..."

Lu Shi waved his hand,

"It doesn't matter."

He took a piece of paper and wrote on it, "The Nature of Japanese Civilization."

Natsume Soseki looked at it and whispered: "Lu, I don't think a civilization has its own nature. The differences between people should be distinguished by individuals, not groups."

This point of view is very modern and sharp.

Lu Shi said: "I agree too. For example, Germans are rigorous, French people are romantic... Are they strict because the trains are often late? Or are they romantic when peeing on the street?"

Natsume Soseki was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

"Hahaha!"

After coming to London, he had indeed heard too many similar complaints from Europeans from all walks of life.

He shook his head to dispel his laughter,

"and you?"

Lu Shi spread his hands and replied: "But it is precisely because of the common characteristics that a group can have boundaries with other groups and be considered to be different civilizations. It is true that individuals have differences, but 'the messy branches do not affect the accuracy of the context.'"

These are the original words in Zhenggang Zigui's letter.

Natsume Soseki: "..."

"I still don't understand."

Lu Shi said with a smile: "You said that all people are different beings with different wills. From a materialistic perspective, this is certainly correct. But people are the sum of social relationships, and it is not appropriate to separate individuals from the entire society. ."

As he spoke, he lowered his head and thought,

"There is a saying...'Smart idealism is closer to smart materialism than stupid materialism'."

Natsume Soseki was surprised,

"Why haven't I heard this sentence before?"

"Ah this..."

Lu Shi was speechless, and then he remembered that the Russian hunk had not yet taken over.

He waved his hand and changed the topic,

"To take a step back, when I use this title, I am actually referencing previous works."

"Is it the work of predecessors?"

Natsume Soseki fell into memories,

After a moment, a name rushed into my mind——

Koizumi Yakumo.

This writer once wrote "Japan and the Japanese", and "The Nature of Japanese Civilization" is the title of the first chapter of the book.

Natsume Soseki was surprised,

"Lu, you are really knowledgeable and knowledgeable."

He was surprised by Lu Shi's reading volume, and even more surprised by Lu Shi's memory.

In Japan, "Japan and the Japanese" is the least popular among the unpopular, even more unpopular than "Floating Cloud" by Futeye Ting Si Mi.

Natsume Soseki said: "Do you like this book?"

Lu Shi did not deny it.

"I agree with some of those sentiments."

Natsume Soseki had a complicated expression on his face. After enduring it for a long time, he still couldn't hold it back and asked in a low voice: "Lu, you know that Koizumi Yakumo is not Japanese, right?"

Koizumi Yakumo is of mixed race, her father is Irish and her mother is Greek.

However,

The father marries another person, the mother remarries;

Father doesn't care, mother doesn't love.

He became an orphan at the age of seven. He lost his sight in his left eye due to a fight with his classmates at school. He dropped out of school and entered the society at the age of sixteen, earning a living at the bottom of the family. He was homeless for most of his life.

Later, he went to Japan to work. During this period, he fell in love with the Japanese customs and customs at first sight, so he became a Japanese citizen in his 40s and changed his name.

Koizumi Yakumo was reborn.

With such a background, it’s no wonder Natsume Soseki doesn’t approve of it.

He sighed: "It is said that Koizumi Yakumo is extremely emotional and capricious. When he wants to get along with someone, he wants to get rid of his heart and soul; once he falls out, he will ignore the other person. All his early friends have gradually alienated him, and he His sister corresponded with him, and he often handed back empty envelopes."

Lu Shi was a little surprised,

Even he didn't know this part. Why would the unsociable Natsume Soseki know it?

Perhaps sensing Riku Toki's doubts, Natsume Soseki said: "Riku, you know that Koizumi Yakumo is the author of ghost stories, right?"

Lu Shi nodded,

"Well, "Ghost Story" and "From the East"~"

Natsume Soseki continued to explain: "The ghosts created by Koizumi Yakumo are willful, egoistic, moody, unwilling to be bound by morality or even emotion. They first love people, and then kill and eat people later. It is very unreasonable."

Lu Shi understood,

"You think those ghosts are a reflection of his soul."

Natsume Soseki said cautiously: "'Soul' is not, I think, it is a reflection of his experience and inner heart. In short, I don't agree...not just me, most Japanese people probably don't agree with the ghosts he created." .Those are not Japanese ghosts."

After a moment of silence, he concluded,

"Although Koizumi Yakumo lives in Japan, he doesn't understand Japan."

Lu Shi: "..."

Inexplicably, I felt that I was a little convinced.

Mainly because Natsume Soseki is so reasonable!

He coughed awkwardly,

"Ghost? Is this the only reason?"

Natsume Soseki shook his head repeatedly.

"How could it be? The main reason is that the content he wrote is outrageous. Let's not talk about his description of Japan, but some of his views, such as, 'In the future, wealth will be the source of weakness.' How outrageous is this~"

"Pfft! Cough cough cough..."

Lu Shi laughed out loud and quickly covered it up with a cough.

Even if Natsume Soseki had 10,000 brains, he would not be able to imagine the transformation from Showa man to Heisei waste to Reiwa fierce man.

It can only be said that Koizumi Yakumo understands.

Natsume Soseki poured water for Riku Toki,

"It's been a long journey and you're coughing like this, so don't get sick."

Lu Shi took a sip of water and suppressed his smile.

He said: "Do you still remember the content of "Japan and the Japanese"? What is written in the first chapter "The Nature of Japanese Civilization"?"

Natsume Soseki stroked his beard and recalled,

"When I think about it... it seems to be... um... something like the 'Adoption of Western Civilization'. After all, when this book was written, Japan was still under the control of the British. Later, in order to balance Russia and the United States, The Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between Japan and Britain was signed.”

Lu Shi said "hmm" and said, "Wen Erhua."

Natsume Soseki nodded,

"Yes, it is this 'culture and transformation'. Koizumi Yakumo believes that it is very difficult for Great Britain to reorganize Japanese thinking. In the eyes of the Japanese, there are some things that are worth their lives, and the price of civilization is very high. Big, but ineffective.”

Lu Shi asked back: "Then do you agree with this point of view?"

Natsume Soseki was stunned by this question.

You really need to think about this issue carefully.

Lu Shi didn't need an answer,

He said: "I just mentioned that Koizumi Yakumo is a ghost writer, so let me tell you a ghost story too?"

Natsume Soseki chuckled,

"I'm afraid it's not a ghost story, but a fable, right? It's okay, just tell it."

Lu Shi recounted: "A soldier performed a mission, then returned to the barracks safely and completed the handover. After everything was done, he suddenly fell to the ground. Afterwards, doctors discovered that he had been dead for two hours."

Natsume Soseki was speechless for a while.

I thought Lu Shi would tell some fable~

Unexpectedly, it was really a ghost story.

He complained: "Your story is too pointless...well..."

As a result, before he could finish the word "boring", he remembered the origin of this story——

The Sino-Japanese War.

This was a fake story fabricated by Japan when promoting the war.

It really looked like nonsense. Natsume Soseki's first reaction was that only people with a wet brain would believe it.

However, the Japanese just believe that

Because in the propaganda, the military department added the words "with infinite loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor" and "the sacred mission entrusted to him by His Majesty the Emperor."

In the eyes of the Japanese, the emperor is the son of God!

Therefore, they also appear to be gods, lunatics and fools.

Lu Shi said: "There are several chapters in Koizumi Yakumo's book, "Some Thoughts on Ancestor Worship", "The Religion of Loyalty", and "The Concept of Preexistence of the Soul". They are quite well written and have merit. place."

Natsume Soseki could no longer refute.

He suddenly remembered something and asked curiously: "Lu, there is a chapter in the book, "The Future of the Far East", which also talks about China. What do you think?"

Lu Shi thought for a while and said: "Koizumi Yakumo has already given the answer in the book, 'The hundreds of trillions of people in Ina that never change have been surrendered to foreigners several times, and the result is just like a clump of reeds, plundered. A few breezes.'"

Natsume Soseki himself was an anti-war activist, so he fully recognized it.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly,

"Koizumi Yakumo said that the Japanese are the Greeks of the East. If this is true, then wouldn't China be the Rome of the East?"

Lu Shi was stunned and couldn't help laughing.

This roommate of mine is indeed no longer the serious person he used to be, and his jokes are slippery.

He patted the other party on the shoulder,

"You're pretty good at studying European history."

Natsume Soseki waved his hand,

"Not as good as you, the 'founder of new history'."

This brother is getting more and more humorous.

Lu Shi laughed again.

Natsume Soseki stopped talking about the topic of China and Japan, and instead said: "So, if you really want to write, are you going to learn from... um... pay homage to Koizumi Yakumo's "Japan and the Japanese", and use the same writing method? "

The word "tribute" is used as if Koizumi Yakumo is already dead.

He obviously has three more years to live.

Lu Shi shook his head,

"No. I do quote him, but not much."

In his mind, there are many excellent books about Japan, but none of them stand alone.

"Chrysanthemum and the Sword\

,"This book has passed through Lu Shi's mind many times, and its shortcomings are obvious. In short, it can be summed up in two words:

One-sided.

There are too many procedural errors in it.

But the advantages of this book are also obvious.

Its author, Ruth Benedict, has extremely profound writing skills in historical papers, and the text is extremely readable, even higher than "The Fifteen Years of Wanli".

Using this writing method can ensure legibility, thereby increasing sales and topicality.

"Japan and the Japanese\

,"I have already discussed this book with Natsume Soseki. The shortcoming is that the writing is obscure.

As for the advantage, it is the author himself,

As a European, Koizumi Yakumo has integrated into Japan, so his works are outstanding in erudition and equality.

He truly puts himself on an equal footing to understand a country and contributes his practical experience.

"History of Japan\

,"The author is Taro Sakamoto,

As an academic monograph, it is authoritative and comprehensive.

However, because it was written during World War II, the modern history part loses objectivity. In addition, the content is very boring, making people want to sleep when reading it, and not many people can finish it.

…

If you really want to write about Japan thoroughly and sell it well, you must consider multiple books.

There is a saying:

""The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" has a glimpse; "The Way of the Bushi" has a general understanding; "The Book of Hidden Leaf" has reached its peak; and "History of Japan" will tell you."

This is proof.

Lu Shi slowly picked up the pen and pondered for a moment. He felt that the beginning of "The Chrysanthemum and the Knife" must be the most eye-catching.

He writes hard and fast.

Natsume Soseki was reading aside,

"The chrysanthemum is the emblem of the Japanese royal family, representing gentleness and humility; the sword is the symbol of Bushido culture, representing martial arts and aggression. These two things carry the spiritual core of the Japanese. They are polite, but arrogant; they are extremely stubborn. , but very fickle; they are loyal and generous, but also rebellious and full of resentment..."

As he read, Natsume Soseki suddenly broke into a cold sweat.

Chrysanthemum and the Sword……

This summary is really accurate.

Lu Shi was about to go back when he heard a knock on the door.

"land!"

It seemed to be Wodehouse's voice.

Natsume Soseki said "Huh?" and said: "Lu, Sir came to see you this morning, but seeing that you were sleeping, he left first. He said he was going to Buckingham Palace to return to life, so he could be alone."

Lu Shi said clearly: "So he is back from the palace."

Saying that, he went over to open the door.

Wodehouse stood at the door;

"Lu, I just met with His Majesty the King. He is very satisfied with the results of our trip to the United States. He hopes that you will get the Mirror to take action as soon as possible and publish the global university rankings early next year. The official will let the Royal Publishing House Endorsed by the Bureau and the Privy Council.”

Lu Shi nodded,

"no problem."

Wodehouse lowered his voice and said: "Then there is the matter of awarding medals. The Order of the British Empire has been designed, and you can be awarded the medal on New Year's Day next year."

Lu Shi was already bearish on this.

As for Edward VII, the king of unconstrained ideas, thank God for not making any more tricks.

He asked: "Is there anything else?"

Wodehouse took out a telegram and handed it over.

"Sent from Mr. Goodman."