Xiao Yao?

What did he want with Chu Jiubian?

Qin Xiao flipped the note over and scanned it. Seeing that there was nothing else written, he asked: “Do you need to keep this?”

“No.”

Qin Xiao crumpled the note into a ball and tossed it into the trash bin next to the table.

The contents of the bins were disposed of by designated personnel, so it was perfectly fine to directly throw things away without worrying that they would be seen by others.

Qin Xiao would naturally still burn the truly important messages, such as those sent by Qin Chaoyang.

Chu Jiubian blinked at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao picked up his teacup and took a sip, asking casually: “Will you accept the appointment tomorrow?”

“……” Chu Jiubian looked at the teacup in his hand, and then back up at him.

Qin Xiao met his gaze, and after a pause, realized that his own teacup was still on the other side of the table, and the one in his hand was…..

“Someone bring the Young Master a fresh cup of tea,” he called.

Not long after, a palace servant brought out another teacup and refilled the one next to Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao couldn’t be bothered to change it out, so he had them take away the cup he had initially drunk from and leave Chu Jiubian’s former cup behind.

Chu Jiubian was somewhat surprised.

In this era, scions of prominent families should pay great attention to such things. Let alone sharing a cup of tea with someone, even when eating at a banquet, food was served separately. Only family banquets involved sharing food around the table.

And even at family banquets, there were provisions such as “if you share your food, you’ll never eat your fill,” emphasizing the importance of etiquette.

He’d thought Qin Xiao would feel uncomfortable after drinking from his teacup, but he didn’t seem to react at all.

But then he realized.

Qin Xiao came from a military family and had spent his childhood years in military camps, so he was naturally more carefree than those scholars.

Chu Jiubian didn’t take the minor incident seriously, and replied to the other party’s previous question: “Since the Xiao family head invited me, of course I’ll go.”

He had met Xiao Yao once before, and had even chatted with him at the auction.

His impression of the man at that time was that he was “cunning.” And that like Minister Xiao, he was good at acting and putting on a performance, habitually presenting a kind, genial appearance to others.

But in reality, all of the Xiao family members were quite treacherous.

“He didn’t say where to meet,” Qin Xiao noted.

“I suppose someone will come pick me up after my shift tomorrow. You and His Majesty won’t need to wait on me for dinner.” Then Chu Jiubian asked nonchalantly: “Would you like to come along?”

Qin Xiao chuckled and said: “He only invited you. What would it look like if I came along?”

“That’s true.” After asking this question, Chu Jiubian also felt that it would be a little odd.

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes to the teacup in his hand, gently stroking the rim with his fingertip.

Chu Jiubian stared at his finger for a moment. When he came back to his senses, he felt that the atmosphere in the room was a little strange.

“Isn’t Jiannan-wang arriving tomorrow?” he asked as a conversation starter.

Qin Xiao’s finger paused. He looked up and said: “The day after tomorrow is a routine day off. He’s eager to claim credit, so he’ll likely get back before morning court tomorrow.”

When morning court began, the city gates would have just opened.

If Bai Lihai returned then, he would have to first go back to the palace to see the Empress Dowager, then wash up and change his clothes. It would be too much of a rush to attend morning court.

Why not risk being a little tired today to get back before the city gates closed, then have a good night’s rest?

That evening, the Empress Dowager and the Xiao family could also take the opportunity to speak with Bai Lihai about the next day’s court session, so that he could perform better for his first appearance.

“Then many people won’t be able to sleep tonight,” Chu Jiubian said.

In Hexi Prefecture, the praises for Jiannan-wang were many and varied. Many scholars and writers wrote poems and prose to applaud him, and the common people also spread word of his kindness. News such as this reached the capital daily, and also spread to more distant prefectures.

Before long, the reputation of Jiannan-wang Bai Lihai was no longer limited to just the capital city.

Under these circumstances, the Xiao family would definitely use tomorrow’s morning court session to grant Jiannan-wang special privileges, ensuring that he could attend court and participate in politics in the future.

When Deputy Minister of Works Xiao Wendao previously brought this matter up in court, few people spoke up. Everyone was waiting to see how Qin Xiao would respond.

It had been Chu Jiubian who pushed back.

Times had changed. The reason all of the major powers had remained silent during the court session was because Jiannan-wang had not yet returned. His reputation and achievements had not yet been realized, and even the Xiao family themselves were unsure. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been rendered speechless by Chu Jiubian’s rebuttal.

But now he had indeed built the dams and gained much fame and popular support.

In this situation, if the Xiao family talked up his merits again, Qin Xiao would have to consider public opinion, and wouldn’t be able to unilaterally refuse Jiannan-wang’s request to serve as an official in court.

Other forces naturally didn’t want to see this outcome, so they would definitely try their best to put a stop to it.

In this chess game, all of the power groups aside from the Xiao family would stand with Qin Xiao.

Even Su Sheng, the loyal and upright Minister of Revenue, would not tolerate the Xiao family’s rise to power.

Not for any other reason than his young daughter, Su Xi’er, who had almost died unjustly.

Those in court had initially failed to realize that Xiao Huaiguan had instructed Zhao Qianhe to kidnap Su Xi’er, but they would figure it out eventually.

With Su Sheng’s intelligence, he must have known long ago that the Xiao family was behind it.

He and the Xiao family were practically mortal enemies, so how could he just stand by and watch their power grow?

For this reason, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian could rest easy at tomorrow’s court session. They could simply observe the debate between the others, and ultimately let the matter drop without making a bigger deal of it.

The request for Jiannan-wang to serve in court would be rejected on the grounds of it “not being in accordance with etiquette,” and with the supplement of a different reward, no one would be able to find fault with the Emperor or Qin Xiao.

“But this reward can’t be too ordinary,” Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Xiao sent him a sideways glance.

Chu Jiubian said meaningfully: “It must live up to the achievements and status of Jiannan-wang.”

Ideally, it would also make others envious.

In the Imperial Court, what people envied apart from power and wealth was something that was unique and irreplaceable.

But the National Treasury was depleted, and Qin Xiao didn’t necessarily have anything good in his possession. 

With so many places suffering disasters this year, the Imperial Court should also reduce or exempt taxes for the victims for one, or even two or three years, so that the common people could have the chance to recuperate and restore their livelihoods.

But this would mean that the court would lose nearly half its revenue. 

Chu Jiubian did the math.

It was only July now, and the grain tax to be collected in October would be only half the normal amount. By the end of the year, they would collect some money from the salt and iron industries, and the money from the official porcelain and silk manufacturing bureaus could be quite substantial.

But after so many rounds of embezzlement, by the time it reached the court, at least a third of it would be lost.

Therefore, the Imperial Examination system was still needed in order to replace those deeply-entrenched corrupt officials.

But organizing it would cost a lot of money, and the Imperial Court’s expenditures included military preparations, officials’ salaries, and various construction expenditures inside and outside the palace.

Furthermore, this year marked the ascension of a new emperor, and according to the laws of the Great Ning Dynasty, all vassal kings were required to come to the palace to offer New Year’s greetings. The palace repairs, as well as the food, clothing, and other necessities required to accommodate these people would incur a considerable expense.

After this ordeal, it was uncertain whether or not the National Treasury’s silver would even last until the New Year, much less fund the Imperial Examinations.

So they needed to make more money.

And they needed to do it openly and honestly.

The ice business wouldn’t last much longer, and the tinderbox business only yielded a pittance, negligible compared to the expenses.

Chu Jiubian needed to give Qin Xiao another way to make money.

He had actually wanted to try a certain method for a long time, but hadn’t said anything because his alliance with Qin Xiao was unstable.

Currently, he and Qin Xiao were in the same boat. And at least until the powerful families and vassal kings were eliminated, they wouldn’t separate.

So giving a new business to Qin Xiao wouldn’t be a big issue.

As for why he wasn’t giving the task to Situ Zhaoling, only the Imperial Court could do this type of business, and he didn’t want to harm Nanjiang because of his own selfish desires.

Qin Xiao simply looked into his eyes and was able to make a guess. He couldn’t help but ask: “What reward do you plan to bestow upon Jiannan-wang?”

“What do you mean me?” Chu Jiubian raised his eyebrows, deliberately ignoring the question.

Qin Xiao smiled and said: “Asking the Young Master to help me again.”

This guy was really shameless. The Regent was getting increasingly adept at asking for favors.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but admire the man’s mindset.

But he wasn’t willing to be taken advantage of, so he said: “Does My Lord intend to owe me another favor?”

“What does the Young Master want?” Qin Xiao asked.

The drought was of paramount importance, so even before Chu Jiubian stated his condition, Qin Xiao agreed.

However, giving this reward to Jiannan-wang wouldn’t have any impact on their own business transaction…..unless it also served a different purpose.

Chu Jiubian said: “What if I said that Jiannan-wang’s reward would shake up the court and the public and fill the National Treasury?”

Fill the National Treasury?

Lord Ning-wang, who was almost penniless again, suddenly felt the sense that “the more debts I have, the less they weigh on me.” He said decisively: “I’ll write you a letter of guarantee, Young Master.”

Chu Jiubian laughed.

It was a radiant, joyful laugh devoid of pretense or restraint.

Like the dawn breaking through the clouds, the rosy glow of sunset, the breeze stirring a tranquil blue lake.

Qin Xiao stared at him intently, and just as their eyes were about to meet, he subtly lowered his gaze.

“No need,” Chu Jiubian said with a smile. “This time, I need you to help me find a few experts.”

Qin Xiao: “Do you want them now?”

He had no shortage of skilled men under his command.

“The experts I’m referring to aren’t people with exceptional martial arts skills,” Chu Jiubian said. “I’ll write you a list tomorrow, and you can find them for me.”

The talents needed for the Imperial Examinations included teachers. He had previously thought of using more Believers to serve that role, but he only had a few slots available and it would be increasingly difficult to increase them later, so he couldn’t afford to waste them.

So asking Qin Xiao to help him was the simplest solution.

Ultimately, what he wanted weren’t exceptionally talented scholars or Confucian masters. What he needed were professionals who understood carpentry, agriculture, weaving, mathematics, and so on. They only needed to be trained for a month or two before they could teach newly-admitted students.

Afterward, those students could build workshops or be sent to places like the Ministry of Works for internships.

And these pre-trained teachers and scholars could then become the heads of various workshops, helping the court to make money and carry out construction.

As for the students who passed the exams purely through academic ability, they would be trained in a different way; they would be sent to local areas or various government offices to become officials.

Chu Jiubian intended to instruct these people himself, so there was no need for Qin Xiao to help him find candidates.

“Alright.” Qin Xiao agreed without hesitation.

He was aware of his own situation. He had few capable civil officials under his command, so the “experts” Chu Jiubian wanted him to find definitely wouldn’t be of that variety.

As long as it wasn’t that, he could find anyone for Chu Jiubian.

With his terms agreed to, Chu Jiubian dropped the element of mystery and said: “Didn’t you ask me before what I put in my stir-fry?”

Qin Xiao’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Chu Jiubian conjure up a porcelain jar the size of a palm.

The jar wasn’t large, resembling a rouge box used by women.

It was impossible to tell what was inside the unremarkable white jar.

Chu Jiubian placed it on the table and said: “Open it and take a look.”

Qin Xiao reached out and gingerly lifted the lid.

The contents were revealed: it was a jar of…..pure white sand the size of needlepoints?

But this was something used for stir-frying.

Chu Jiubian’s dishes lacked the bitter saltiness of coarse salt, but they still retained a salty taste.

So this stuff, could it be…..

Qin Xiao felt his heart pounding wildly.

If this was truly such a thing, then the revenue it could bring to the Imperial Court would be immeasurable!

Sitting right next to him, Chu Jiubian could see his reaction clearly.

His gaze slowly shifted from the raised veins on the backs of the other’s hands to his taut, handsome face.

This was a much stronger reaction than when he’d seen the ice.

As expected, a person like Qin Xiao had an eye for what held greater value.

Chu Jiubian smiled and said: “Taste it.”

Qin Xiao’s fingertips trembled slightly, but he didn’t move.

Chu Jiubian’s smile deepened, and he extended his hand.

Qin Xiao watched as the young man’s finger, which was almost porcelain-white, lightly touched the tiny grains.

When he turned his finger over, some white grains were stuck to his slightly pink fingertip.

Chu Jiubian raised his hand and slowly brought his finger to the man’s lips, softly pressing it against them.

It was warm and soft, quite different from the impression this man usually gave him.

Qin Xiao’s hand suddenly clenched around the porcelain lid, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

His throat bobbed as he looked up to meet the other’s smiling eyes.

The porcelain lid fell onto the table with a soft, crisp sound, and he grabbed Chu Jiubian’s wrist.

His palm was burning hot, but his grip was loose.

Chu Jiubian’s fingertip twitched slightly, nearly slipping between the man’s lips.

His scalding breath made his fingers tremble. Chu Jiubian abruptly clenched his fist, and Qin Xiao released his grip at the same time, allowing the young man to withdraw his hand.

Chu Jiubian glanced down at his fingertips.

Wait, why did he chicken out? He was completely baffled.

He turned his head to look at Qin Xiao and saw that his lips were pursed.

When Qin Xiao tasted a hint of saltiness on his tongue, his pupils contracted sharply.

It was salt! 

It was really salt!

His heart began to beat faster and harder, each beat slamming against his chest as if it wanted everyone to hear it.

It was just unknown what portion of his heart was beating because of this fine salt.

“How is it?” Chu Jiubian’s clear, cool voice rang out.

Qin Xiao turned his head to look at him.

Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

But neither did they look away.

After a long pause, Qin Xiao asked in a weighty voice: “How much do you have?”

“I have the method to refine it,” Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Xiao stood and bowed deeply in Chu Jiubian’s direction: “Qin Xiao thanks the Young Master.”

“I told you, as long as you treat me well, I’ll give you everything.”

After speaking these words, Chu Jiubian felt that they sounded a bit strange.

Qin Xiao straightened up, fixing his unfathomable gaze on him.

“What?” Chu Jiubian asked.

“It’s nothing.” Qin Xiao smiled, as if he had already adjusted his mindset.

He leaned back in his chair and closely examined the small jar of fine salt in his palm.

Chu Jiubian asked curiously: “Having second thoughts about giving this to Bai Lihai?”

Qin Xiao chuckled: “No, not really.”

The salt and iron trades were nominally controlled by the Imperial Court, but in reality, those powerful and wealthy families also profited handsomely from them.

But with fine salt available now, the market for coarse salt would be much more difficult.

The method for refining salt would be known only to Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao. They could use such excuses as “the method is difficult to learn” and send their own people to take over salt fields in various places and thoroughly clean up the ones that had been taken over by various forces.

Then, the departments responsible for transporting, selling, and monitoring salt could gradually be infiltrated by their own people.

Although embezzlement was inevitable and the profits had to be shared with the local nobles, they were nowhere near as greedy as the great families.

And being able to get the hands of those great families off the “official salt” trade was already the greatest benefit.

With this operation, fine salt would gradually replace coarse salt in the future, and Qin Xiao would truly have a firm grip on the official salt business.

The powerful families may have rich heritages, but losing a large sum of embezzled funds would be a considerable loss for them.

The idea was wonderful, but Qin Xiao didn’t actually have a large amount of people he could use.

Qin Xiao frowned, and his aura became somewhat fierce.

Chu Jiu felt that he seemed more like he was when they first met.

However, it didn’t take long for Qin Xiao’s brow to relax.

He closed the lid of the porcelain jar and placed it on the table, then said to Chu Jiubian: “You do it.”

“What?” Chu Jiubian was taken aback.

Qin Xiao slid the jar in front of him and said warmly: “Whether you need people or something else, I will give it all to you. Do as you please.”

Chu Jiubian certainly had his own thoughts on the matter of producing fine salt.

He and Qin Xiao didn’t have that many people at their disposal, so he didn’t plan to seize any salt fields right away.

His plan was to first purchase a batch of fine salt from the System Mall, then sell it at a high price to these wealthy individuals, as well as merchants and nobles from prosperous areas, and use that income to cultivate talents and hold the Imperial Examinations.

They had so many things to do, and each one required specialized talent, so the Imperial Examinations had to be the next thing on their list.

Once they had the manpower, whether it was occupying salt fields to control the salt trade, gradually assuming control of local areas, or even extending into the Six Ministries, it could all be done a little at a time.

However, Chu Jiubian had no intention of getting involved in the salt sales. Once he got involved with salt, he would be inextricably connected with the state.

He’d thought it would be good enough if Qin Xiao let him take charge of the Imperial Examinations, and really hadn’t expected him to pull this stunt.

Wasn’t Qin Xiao worried that with control of the salt trade, Chu Jiubian would become the next “wealthy and powerful noble?”

“Are you testing me?” he asked Qin Xiao suspiciously.

Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow: “What would I test you for?”

“Naturally to see how big my appetite is.”

Qin Xiao just smiled: “Even if you were to swallow up the entirety of Great Ning, this lord would accept it.”

Chu Jiubian: “……”

“Don’t worry,” Qin Xiao said solemnly, “I understand the concept of ‘if you doubt someone, don’t use them, and if you use someone, don’t doubt them.”

Nonsense.

He still vividly remembered the times Qin Xiao had doubted him before.

Chu Jiubian took out a piece of fruit candy and handed it to him: “If you eat this, I will…..”

Before he could even finish speaking, Qin Xiao grabbed the candy and put it in his mouth. He tasted it and asked: “What is this flavor?”

Chu Jiubian also put one in his mouth and mumbled: “Grape.”

“Grape?”

“It’s a fruit that should be found in the Western Regions.” Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at him. “I love eating them.”

Qin Xiao nodded: “Then we’ll conquer the Western Regions so that Grand Tutor Chu can eat his fill.”

Chu Jiubian gave a light scoff: “Will you use the meager sum in your National Treasury to wage war?”

Qin Xiao: “Then I’ll have to trouble you with this, Young Master.”

Suddenly, the sound of the palace servants paying their respects rang out. It was Bai Lihong.

The study door was already open. Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao looked over to see the young boy walk in with a piece of paper in his hand and a troubled look on his face.

Eunuch Hong followed behind him, holding a brush and inkstone.

There was a crunch, and then another.

Chu Jiubian glanced at Qin Xiao and saw him quickly chew the candy in his mouth and swallow it.

He didn’t want the child to see.

Chu Jiubian then crunch-crunched his own candy and put the jar of salt away, intending to give it to Jiannan-wang at court the next day.

Since they were already quite familiar with each other, the three of them didn’t exchange formalities in private.

As soon as Bai Lihong came in, he ran between the two adults on his short legs, then got on his tiptoes to spread the paper in his hand on the table between them.

The two moved their teacups aside to make room.

“Jiujiu, I can’t figure this out.” Bai Lihong didn’t notice that the two adults had been eating candy behind his back. He clung to the edge of the table with his two little hands and looked at Qin Xiao with pleading eyes, as pitiful as could be.

Qin Xiao looked down to see that the paper contained a math problem, one that many students were unable to solve: “The monks of the ancient temple eat steamed buns.”

He glanced at Hong Fu, who smiled and placed the brush down on the table.

Hong Fu’s smile remained unchanged.

Clearly, he had been the one to give Bai Lihong this problem.

Chu Jiubian also looked over to read the problem.

It was a very simple one. There were one hundred monks in the temple, including both senior and junior monks, and a total of one hundred steamed buns. If one senior monk ate three buns and three junior monks each shared one bun between them, how many senior and junior monks were there in the temple?

Wasn’t this just a variation of the “chickens and rabbits in the same cage” problem?

And it looked even simpler than that.

However, arithmetic in this era was still only at the stage where multiplication tables had been created, and more variations had yet to be developed.

Many adults would have to do some writing to solve these problems, much less a young kid.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but send Eunuch Hong a look.

Although he was the Grand Tutor, it was actually Qin Xiao and Eunuch Hong who taught the young emperor on a daily basis.

Chu Jiubian had witnessed Hong Fu’s talents firsthand. And when the System drew Hong Fu’s card before, it had said that he was both civil and martial, so he should be much more proficient than Chu Jiubian when it came to academic subjects.

It seemed the other party was quite adept at “tiger parenting.”

For a child as young as Bai Lihong, it was already quite impressive that he could write large characters legibly. However, because he had a photographic memory and had already memorized the entire Analects of Confucius, Hong Fu had begun teaching him to interpret the text these days.

Chu Jiubian found this pace of progress absurd.

In his opinion, for a three-year-old who hadn’t even attended kindergarten yet, being able to recite a couple of ancient poems already made him a smart kid.

It seemed that today, Hong Fu intended to teach him mathematics as well.

Qin Xiao glanced at the problem and asked Bai Lihong: “How did you calculate it?”

As soon as he opened his mouth, a sweet aroma wafted out.

The child sniffed: “What’s that smell?”

Qin Xiao reached up and covered his mouth: “How did you calculate it?”

The child’s attention was drawn back, and he answered obediently: “First I assumed there were ten senior monks and ten junior monks, which was wrong, and then I assumed there were twenty of each, but it was still wrong.”

So he was just guessing.

Chu Jiubian sipped his tea, trying to mask the taste in his mouth.

“You know how to use the assumption method. Very good.” Qin Xiao’s words of encouragement caused the child’s eyes to light up. Then he continued, “However, you are making the wrong assumptions. You should start by assuming that there are one hundred monks…..”

He picked up a brush and wrote down the solution process as he explained it.

The child listened intently, and quickly understood it.

In the end, he calculated the result himself: “So there are twenty-five senior monks and seventy-five junior monks!”

“Correct.”

Even though he understood, Bai Lihong frowned and said: “But this is such a hassle, Jiujiu! Instead of calculating the number of people, why not just call all of the monks out and count them one by one?”

The three adults in the room laughed.

Qin Xiao explained: “The problem you solved just now only included one hundred monks, so counting them seems easy. But what if there were a thousand, ten thousand, or even a million? How would you count them then?”

The child blinked, looking pensive.

“You are now the emperor, Your Majesty, and you must keep the millions of people in Great Ning in your heart.” Qin Xiao looked at the child’s innocent face and said gently, “Your Majesty’s concerns involve millions of people – whether they can eat steamed buns, and how many they can eat, is something that Your Majesty needs to know.”

“So what you need to learn is not the problem itself, but the method of solving it.”

Chu Jiubian’s heart stirred, and he involuntarily looked up at Qin Xiao.

Bai Lihong asked in confusion: “But I have Jiujiu, and Xiansheng, and Hong-gonggong, and lots and lots of other people. Everyone will help me calculate the accounts.”

Qin Xiao didn’t want to teach the child to be too pragmatic, so he didn’t say something like “anyone could deceive you.” He said instead: “No matter who calculates the accounts, they may make mistakes, and a small mistake may cost countless lives. So Your Majesty must also make calculations as a last resort for the common people.”

“But Jiujiu, I’ve never even met those people. Why should they rely on me?” Bai Lihong said a bit dejectedly, “Besides, I’m still young, and I have to rely on Jiujiu and lots of other people…..”

He felt very useless.

Everyone said that the emperor was very powerful, but he couldn’t do anything right now and had to rely on others for everything.

Qin Xiao: “Right now, you have many people helping you and protecting you, but there will come a day where we won’t be able to. At that time, it will be Your Majesty who protects us.”

Bai Lihong’s eyes widened in surprise, and he exclaimed: “I can protect you too?”

“Of course.”

“Then I have to become super powerful!” The child clenched his little fists. “I’ll protect Jiujiu too!”

Then he looked at Chu Jiubian: “And Xiansheng too.”

Then he turned to Hong Fu: “And Hong-gonggong too.”

“And I need to protect Granny too…..” He then started to walk out, as if intending to make this declaration to everyone he cared about.

Chu Jiubian was charmed.

Qin Xiao grabbed the child’s arm and pulled him back, saying: “No need to tell them one by one. Just remember them in your heart.”

Bai Lihong nodded obediently.

“Did you understand the problem just now?” Qin Xiao asked.

The child nodded emphatically: “I did.”

“Then I’ll give you another one.” Qin Xiao picked up the brush and turned the paper over to write a new one on the back.

This problem was a bit more complicated than the previous one; it was a true case of the “chickens and rabbits in the same cage.”

There were chickens and rabbits in the same cage. If there were 35 heads and 94 feet, how many chickens and rabbits were there?

The child frowned and calculated for a while using the method Qin Xiao had taught him. But the more he calculated, the more confused he became, and his initially confident expression crumbled.

“Jiujiu, I can’t do it.” His big, limpid eyes filled with tears.

Qin Xiao took his sleeve and wiped them away, though his technique was very rough and crude.

Chu Jiubian felt a pang of embarrassment at the sight, so he quickly cut in and wiped the child’s face with a handkerchief, saying: “Xiansheng has a solution to this problem. Would Your Majesty like to learn it?”

“En.” The child nodded, his eyes red.

Since everyone around was a confidant, Chu Jiubian simply picked him up and let him sit on his lap.

Eunuch Hong was taken aback. But seeing as Qin Xiao showed no reaction, he composed himself and listened to Chu Jiubian’s solution.

The methods of immortals were no different from those of ordinary mortals.

“Let’s assume there are ‘A’ rabbits. Then there are thirty-five minus ‘A’ chickens…..”

He taught him the equation directly. It may seem complicated to someone who had never encountered this kind of formula before, but once he understood it, he would find it easier than other methods.

Qin Xiao and Hong Fu were increasingly impressed as they listened to his explanation.

Qin Xiao then applied this method to the previous problem involving junior and senior monks, and it worked immediately.

The reason Bai Lihong was unable to solve it was because after making his initial assumptions, he went astray when calculating the differences later. But the method taught by Chu Jiubian could be used universally, without having to think about what to subtract or what not to subtract.

“Xiansheng, I think I’ve got it!” The little boy happily hugged Chu Jiubian’s arm.

Then Qin Xiao said: “I’ll give you another one.”

“Okay!”

Just as a math class was progressing inside the palace, a group of soldiers suddenly rushed in from outside the Imperial City gates.

Clad in armor with swords at their waists, they ran all the way to the busy Shenwu Street, loudly warning the people and vendors on both sides: “His Highness Jiannan-wang has returned to the city. All unauthorized persons must leave!”

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T/N: I tried the math problems myself and found out that I’m dumber than a three-year-old. Math has always been my worst subject…..

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Chapter 34 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 36