nucmednet Chapter 359 Arithmetic
Chapter 359 Arithmetic
Shi Wanxia smiled gently, not taking Wang Shuyue's provocation to heart. This poem, "Ascending the Heights," is the best seven-character regulated verse in ancient and modern times. Apart from Cui Hao's "Yellow Crane Tower," no one in the world can rival it today.
He then gently patted Shuyun's arm to reassure her.
“Young Master Wang, although this poem is not my own work, I have studied many poems, all of which were passed down from my ancestors.”
"I have no intention of showing off in front of you all. If we were to compare poetry, I would certainly be no match for you."
"Today's main purpose is to fulfill His Majesty's request to select suitable talents to serve the country. If Prince Wang is interested in this, here's a question I have here."
"I'll pose a question and see who among you can answer it!"
The young men and women present looked at each other, puzzled. They couldn't understand what question could possibly stump them.
Wang Shuyue was quite unconvinced; this girl was honest and dared to admit it.
"Then please give us a question, young lady! We are well-read and can easily solve simple arithmetic problems."
Shi Wanxia admired their current confident demeanor, wondering if they could maintain that composure in a moment.
Shi Wanxia stood in the center of the hall, her light blue dress making her skin look like porcelain.
She slightly raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping over everyone present, a faint smile playing on her lips.
The flickering candlelight in the hall illuminated her delicate face, adding to her mystique.
"A chicken and a rabbit are in the same cage. There are 60 heads and 200 legs in one cage. How many chickens and rabbits are there?"
Her voice was clear and melodious, yet it stunned everyone present.
Wang Shuyue frowned, and snapped his folding fan shut. "What's so difficult about that?"
He said arrogantly, "It's just the number of livestock; let me calculate it."
The hall fell silent immediately, with only the soft scratching of the brush on the paper.
Shi Wanxia pursed her lips slightly, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over the two girls sitting in the corner—Wang Shiwan and Cui Yashu.
Unlike the others, they did not rush to calculate, but instead gazed thoughtfully at the teacups on the table, as if deducing something in their minds.
"this..."
A moment later, fine beads of sweat appeared on Wang Shuyue's forehead. "Why is this number so difficult to calculate?"
Young Master Li, standing beside him, scratched his head and said, "Chickens have two legs, rabbits have four legs, so if they were all chickens, they would have one hundred and twenty legs."
"If they were all rabbits, there would be 240 feet. Now there are 200 feet, somewhere in between..."
His voice grew softer and softer, clearly indicating he was in trouble.
Seeing this, Shi Wanxia's eyes flashed with a sly glint. This math problem, which would be equivalent to a fourth-grade math problem in modern times, had left these well-read ancient scholars completely stumped.
Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly saw Cui Yashu gracefully stand up.
"Miss Shi, I have a solution. Would you mind giving it a try?"
Cui Yashu's voice was soft, yet every word was clear.
Shi Wanxia's eyes lit up: "Miss Cui, please go ahead."
Cui Yashu walked slowly to the center of the hall, gesturing in the air with her slender fingers: "If you make the chickens and rabbits in the cage raise both feet, then the remaining feet touching the ground will all be rabbit feet."
“The total number of feet is two hundred, minus the number of feet raised is one hundred and twenty, leaving eight feet.”
"Each rabbit has two legs, so there are forty rabbits and twenty chickens."
There was an uproar in the hall.
Wang Shuyue's eyes widened, and the folding fan in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud".
Shi Wanxia couldn't help but clap her hands in praise: "Wonderful! Miss Cui's 'leg-lifting technique' is truly exquisite!"
Just then, Wang Shiwan gracefully rose and curtsied to everyone: "Miss Wanxia, I have another answer."
Shi Wanxia looked at the gentle and refined young lady with delight: "Miss Wang, please speak."
Wang Shiwan took out a piece of plain paper from her sleeve, which was covered with delicate handwriting: "Let the chicken be A and the rabbit be B."
According to the question, A plus B equals sixty; two A plus four B equals two hundred.
"From the first equation, we can deduce that A equals sixty minus B. Substituting this into the second equation..."
Her voice flowed like a clear spring, reasoning logically and clearly.
Everyone present listened intently, and even the usually arrogant Wang Shuyue couldn't help but move closer.
"...solving the equations, we get B equals forty, and A equals twenty. Therefore, there are twenty chickens and forty rabbits."
After Wang Shiwan finished speaking, she gently placed the plain paper on the table.
Shi Wanxia looked at Wang Shiwan in surprise. This was clearly the method for solving a system of two linear equations in modern algebra! She couldn't help but ask, "Miss Wang, where did you learn this method of setting up A and B numbers?"
Wang Shiwan raised her eyes, her eyes sparkling with wisdom: "My father once served as the Vice Minister of Revenue, and he often had to calculate taxes from various regions."
“He once taught me some methods of calculation, saying he learned them from merchants from the Western Regions.”
"When I have nothing to do, I figure out how to use it myself."
Shi Wanxia sighed inwardly, marveling at the intelligence of such a woman in ancient times.
She turned to the crowd and said in a clear voice, "Miss Cui's 'leg-lifting method' is vivid and lifelike, and Miss Wang's 'algebraic method' is rigorous and precise. Both are excellent solutions."
"Having witnessed the brilliance of these two talented women today, I am filled with admiration."
Wang Shuyue had long since lost his previous arrogance. He bowed deeply and said, "Miss Shi, I was very rude to you just now."
"The art of arithmetic is indeed profound and complex, and cannot be mastered by rote memorization. Would you be so kind as to offer some guidance?"
Just as Shi Wanxia was about to answer, she suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps outside the door.
As summer drew to a window, Shi Wanxia was annotating the account books. The green bamboo pen moved across the Xuan paper, and the ink seeped into the silk, creating fine lines.
Suddenly, the door knocker jingled softly, and Qin Xin, the personal maid, stumbled in, her jewels dangling from her temples: "Sister Shi! Prince Xiang... Prince Xiang is here!"
Before the words were even finished, the man in black brocade boots had already stepped across the threshold.
Shen Yanchu was dressed in a casual robe with a dark dragon pattern, and a jade belt at his waist was inlaid with black jade the size of a pigeon's egg. A black cloak billowed with his movements, revealing a crimson and gold python pattern on the lining.
Ye Wenshu, who was following behind him, clutched a handkerchief, her face even paler than the plain gauze drying under the eaves.
Shi Wanxia's hand holding the pen suddenly paused, and ink splattered onto the four characters "chicken and rabbit in the same cage".
She looked up at the doorway. The man's features were deep and unfathomable, like a cold pool. His dark robes made his skin appear even paler. He was none other than the Prince of Xiang, who had raised an eyebrow and sneered at her method of solving a math problem by the Qujiang Pool three days ago.
At this moment, he leaned against the door frame, twirling a mutton-fat jade thumb ring between his fingers, and glanced at the account books on the desk out of the corner of his eye: "Miss Shi has quite the refined taste. After calculating chickens and rabbits, she is now calculating the national treasury deficit?"
"The prince is joking."
As summer drew to a close, the wolf-hair brush rested on the brush rest, and as he rose, his wide sleeves swept across the inkstone, splashing a few drops of ink.
"It's just tidying up some miscellaneous tasks for His Majesty."
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the jade pendant at Shen Yanchu's waist—the "Double Dragons Playing with a Pearl" pendant, bestowed upon him by His Majesty at the Lantern Festival banquet before the New Year, which was now gently tapping against him with his movements, making a tinkling sound.
This guy's sudden visit is up to no good!