Chapter 4: The First Encounter with a Beauty

  Wu Ji, who was sweating profusely, finally said with a look of despair. Today's goal is unattainable, how did this person calculate it so quickly! He was filled with shock in his heart, and in his opinion, the difficulty of this question was not only extremely complex, but also impossible for anyone to calculate quickly, Cai Yong was a good proof of that.

  "Ha ha ha... Brother Boji is indeed worthy of being the predecessor that scholars all over the world look up to. If the people in the mansion all have such knowledge, it will be passed on and those younger generations will definitely feel inferior."

  Wu Ji's face turned bright red with shame and he hastily said: "Qin Zi Jin, how did you calculate it? You didn't even use derivation to figure it out?"

  "Hmph, this is a mental arithmetic technique passed down by my family's old master, how can I tell you?" Qin Feng smiled and said.

  Cai Yong felt a bit embarrassed when he heard this, but he also knew that Qin Feng was helping him speak. As a man of letters, he cherished his reputation and was grateful to see Qin Feng defending him.

  "This...". Wu Ji was no longer as calm and composed as before, standing in the hall at a loss for what to do. "Lord Cai's reputation is renowned throughout the land, even the servants in his household are so capable, I bid you farewell!" Wu Ji said a couple of polite phrases and wanted to slip away.

  "Wait a minute, coming but not going back is impolite. I have a question here too, and I'd like to ask for your guidance." Qin Feng called out to him.

  Wu Ji's expression was somewhat disheveled, and he too had a proud and talented heart that was not willing to give up. He thought that if he could answer correctly, it would be a comeback of sorts, and spreading the news would also have its benefits for his reputation. So, he calmed down and said: "Please enlighten me..."

  Cai Yong's expression didn't change upon hearing the words, and he waited for Qin Feng to come up with a topic, wanting to see if he really had talent. Lu Zhi and others didn't need to be told, they were also like this. Because earlier Cai Yong was absolutely not pretending, this Qin Feng could immediately respond, it seemed that he must be a very talented person, so he wanted to hear what kind of topic he would come up with.

  Qin Feng didn't think that on his first day at the Cai manor, he would encounter an opportunity to show off in front of a crowd. With a hint of confidence and a slight smile, he said: "Let me tell you a simple one. Suppose Luoyang City has 100,000 households, with five people per household, and each person consumes one sheng of rice per day. In three days' time, how many shengs of rice would these 100,000 households consume?"

  "Ah! This......" Wu Ji was immediately stunned, his calculating eyes and eyebrows, but he didn't have a card in hand, how could this be?

  Cai Yong stroked his long beard and smiled as he instructed, "Go, give him paper and brush."

  Wu Ji's heart was racing with fear, the question sounded easy at first, but it wasn't as simple as the one he had just asked himself earlier. He had spent two whole days thinking about that previous question... He had no choice, picked up his pen and began to work out the solution on paper.

  You're not going to die, are you? Qin Feng sternly scolded: "Get out of here and calculate slowly, don't dirty the eyes of these gentlemen with your presence." For such a simple multiplication problem, Qin Feng could only laugh at the calculation level of the ancients...

  Wu Ji was so ashamed that he wet his pants and ran away with a fart.

  Cai Yong and others' eyes shone brightly as they stared at Qin Feng, making him feel uneasy. He hastily said: "I'll take my leave."

  Cai Yong was a great scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Seeing that Qin Feng possessed extraordinary skills, how could he let him leave easily? He said: "Wait, Subo, does your previous question have an answer?"

  Lu Zhi and others were also waiting for Qin Feng's answer.

  "One hundred thousand households, with five people per household, that's 500,000 people. One person eats one liter of rice per day, that's 500,000 liters. Three days is 1,500,000 liters. Much simpler than the previous question." Qin Feng smiled and said.

  It's much simpler! Cai Yong and others looked at each other, in their opinion, the two questions were of the same level, with a large number of calculations that were difficult to perform.

  "You, how did you calculate so quickly!" Cai Yong couldn't help but stand up in surprise.

  It's been a thousand years, and this great opportunity to show off should not be missed. Qin Feng thought that this name would spread out somehow, and it would also be beneficial for his future success. Coming to Cai Yong's mansion as a servant was because he was the leader of the academic world, with many opportunities to come, and of course, Cai Wenji was also one of the important reasons. He took a deep breath and walked over, picked up the paper and pen on the table, and wrote quickly.

  Ma Riwei and others walked over, and saw a string of unfamiliar characters.

  "What is this?" Lu Zhi couldn't help but ask.

  Qin Feng saw these cow people staring blankly and smiled, "Arabic numerals." When he was in school, his math teacher had said that Arabic numerals appeared around 500 AD. To say nothing of the Han Dynasty people not understanding, even Arabs nowadays might not understand.

  "Arabic numerals!" Cai Yong and others stared with wide eyes, marveling at the sight.

  Qin Feng couldn't help but feel secretly delighted to see these smart people stunned, it was an unavoidable thing, after all, he was the only one who understood on this planet now. Seeing their surprised expressions, his confidence grew, with knowledge leading by nearly two thousand years, it's hard not to stand out.

  "What are Arabic numerals?" asked Cai Yong, stroking his white beard in puzzlement.

  Qin Feng thought for a moment, and then annotated the Chinese characters for units of measurement on each number. Later, he even listed out the multiplication table, one by one is one, two by two is four..., nine by nine is eighty-one.

  Cai Yong and others looked at Qin Feng as if they were looking at a strange creature, and they had already vaguely understood some of the subtle connections.

  "Brother Bai, if this Arabic numeral system gets out, the entire arithmetic will have to be changed...!" Zhang Xun exclaimed, realizing the cleverness of it.

  "Zi Jin, is this your own creation?" Ma Ri asked hastily.

  "Sometimes I think, it's all about being open-minded and learning." Qin Feng said with a smile.

  At this time, the Han Dynasty had scholars who realized the importance of arithmetic. Arithmetic was already a subject in its own right, so people like Cai Yong would dabble in it. They quickly came to understand the significance of what they called "Arabic numerals" for the way of arithmetic.

  To put it simply, the arithmetic of the Eastern Han Dynasty was calculated using square characters on bamboo slips, and a large number of calculations used up tons of bamboo slips. The complexity of calculating with square characters on wooden sticks and bamboo slips can be imagined. Qin Feng's Arabic numerals are much simpler, and their importance to arithmetic is self-evident.

  For a school of thought, innovation and change are actually what ordinary people can do. In the eyes of Cai Yong and other talents, Qin Feng's talent is questionable, and it's still a great talent!

  Lu Zhi's eyes flashed with a hint of arithmetic, from deploying troops to calculating food and military supplies, he was an indispensable talent in the army. As far as he knew, those people in the army who calculated how much grain a battalion of soldiers would consume in a month needed a whole day's work, and also spent several large wooden boxes of bamboo slips.

  Such a talented person is hiding in Cai Yong's mansion, it's really a waste of talent. Lu Zhi thought of this and hurriedly said: "Boji brother, would you be willing to part with him, let me take Zi Jin back to the mansion."

  Let the old fox take the lead, Yang Biao and the others couldn't help but think. The minds of these big families in officialdom are all nimble, and recruiting talented people for the family is the first element of a family's prosperity.

  What's going on! Old Lu Zhi wants to take me away! This is absolutely unacceptable! Qin Feng knew clearly in his heart that if he followed Lu Zhi, then when the Yellow Turban Rebellion came, he would definitely have a brighter future than following Cai Yan.

  Because Lu Zhi was a military officer, although he was later framed for a crime of being defeated in battle and was escorted back to the capital. However, he was immediately released from prison and still became a high-ranking official like Shangshu. If helping him get through the Yellow Turban Rebellion's disaster, establishing some military achievements, it is likely that he could have mixed up a not-so-small official position.

  However, Qin Feng thought that if this were to happen, he would have to let Cai Yan go, and she was a famous talented woman of the Three Kingdoms, right before his eyes! Besides, this back-and-forth business didn't sound good either. In the Cai household, in the future Cai Yong would be his father-in-law, so it wouldn't matter anyway.

  Cai Yong saw Lu Zhi coming to dig the corner of the wall, and slightly furrowed his brow. Embarrassed by the awkwardness, he anxiously looked at Qin Feng, unable to openly refuse.

  Qin Feng was also being watched by the powerful people, and he quickly made his stance clear, saying: "Thank you for your kind intentions, General Lu. I am already here and will not leave easily." In his heart, he thought to himself that no matter what, he had to get into the inner palace and see Cai Yan's sister. The talented woman of the Three Kingdoms was worthy of admiration, and if she was as beautiful as a work of art... then... heh heh...

  Cai Yong didn't know about Qin Feng's plan behind his back, if he knew, he would definitely beat him out with a stick. Upon hearing this, he felt happy in his heart and said: "It seems that Brother Zi Gan is going to be disappointed."

  Seeing Qin Feng's refusal, Lu Zhi sighed and the matter was dropped. Unlike other officials who were eager for power and wealth, they loved talent and allowed Qin Feng to join the banquet.

  Qin Feng elaborated on the application of Arabic numerals and multiplication tables, and Cai Yong and others, upon hearing the ingenious points in his explanation, applauded and admired him even more for his talent in mathematics.

  Jiang and others, seeing Qin Feng become the center of attention at the banquet, were already stunned with envy and jealousy. The little red maidservants, seeing his eloquent speech, admired him greatly.

  After Yang Biao, Lu Zhi and Ma Riqi left, there was a hint of Qin Feng's affairs in the conversation among the aristocratic families in Luoyang.

  ……

  "Zi Jin, I didn't expect you to have such great talent in mathematics." After dinner, Cai Yong held the multiplication table with Arabic numerals and took Qin Feng to his study.

  "You're too kind," Qin Feng said. He wasn't used to addressing others as "sir", so he just used this title.

  Cai Yong didn't think much of it. A talented person should be used in the right place. If Lu Zhi and others could think of it, he could too. He smiled and said: "Cai Lin, is there a vacancy in the accounting room?"

  "In response to Master's words, Zhang Guanshi fell ill and left, and we are currently short of a manager," said Cai Lin.

  "Oh, that's a coincidence. Zi Jin has made some achievements in arithmetic, so let him manage the accounts of the government from now on." said Cai Yong.

  "Yes, sir." Cai Lin was also shocked in her heart. She had indeed not misjudged this Qin Zijin, who was truly no ordinary person. Others would work as a subordinate for over a decade without being promoted, but he came just one day and became the top manager, it's frightening to even talk about.

  "You have gone down," said Cai Yong.

  First-class steward, so to speak, I can now openly enter the inner courtyard! Qin Feng secretly delighted in mimicking Cai Lin's mannerisms, cupped his fist and said "Withdrawal", then walked outwards.

  "Father, I heard you've obtained a set of arithmetic methods!"

  Just as Qin Feng was about to reach the door, a silvery voice came in from outside.

  What a beautiful voice! I wonder who the owner of this voice is? Hearing someone call Cai Yong "Father", could it be that the great talented woman Cai Yan has arrived? Qin Feng immediately slowed down his pace, so as to get a glimpse of the newcomer.