After the Sino-Japanese War, Ito Hirobumi traveled to China. When he traveled to Wuchang, he had contact with some of the high-ranking officials and nobles in Wuchang City, and Zhang Zhidong was one of the objects of Ito Hirobumi's contact.
At that time, one of Zhang Zhidong's staff was Gu Hongming, and as a guest, Ito Hirobumi was a guest, and Gu Hongming very politely gave Ito Hirobumi a copy of the Chinese Analects, which was translated into English.
Ito Hirobumi has a certain understanding of Gu Hongming, a "conservative", so I want to ridicule Gu Hongming, I heard that Master Gu is a master who has studied in China and the West, and I want to ask you for advice, the teachings of Confucius can prevail for more than two thousand years, but I don't know if it can work in the 19th century today?
In this regard, Gu Hongming immediately replied that the truth taught by Confucius is like the multiplication recipe, a thousand years ago, we knew that three times three gets nine, and now in the 19th century, three times three still gets nine, and there is no three times three to get eight.
Ito Hirobumi listened to Gu Hongming's words and was momentarily stunned there, silent. This debate shows Gu Hongming's clear thinking and the ability to look at ancient and modern Chinese and foreign talents.