Chapter 21: Watch Me Crush His Spirit

"One hundred buns for one hundred monks. Three monks share one big bun, while three small monks share one bun. How many big monks and how many small monks are there?"

Listening to Jinse recite the math problem, Gu Dao thought, "Is that it?"

"Is this problem difficult?" Gu Dao asked, puzzled.

"Is it not? All the classmates in the mathematics department were stumped; even the mathematics professor couldn't solve it," Jinse said, knitting her lovely brows.

The food before him suddenly lost its appeal.

"What a waste of talent. This mathematics professor should be fired," Gu Dao said with disdain.

"Brother, don't speak nonsense. The professor is a great talent in mathematics, and this problem is truly difficult. That arrogant man from the Jizi Kingdom only gave us one afternoon," Jinse said, looking troubled.

Gu Dao used his chopsticks to dip into some broth and jotted down an equation, quickly arriving at the conclusion: "Twenty-five big monks and seventy-five small monks."

Jinse rested her soft, pink chin on her hand, listlessly saying, "Brother, don't just guess randomly. Even our teacher couldn't figure this out. You solved it in an instant?"

"Why don't you check the math yourself?" Gu Dao said, returning to his meal, only to find it somewhat hard to swallow. As expected, school food is rarely good in any era.

While the problem was difficult, working backward from the answer was simple. Jinse did a quick calculation and suddenly sat upright. Her small mouth opened slightly, and her eyes went wide. She exclaimed, "Ah, Brother, you actually..."

Jinse realized instantly that such loud behavior was unladylike, so she quickly hushed herself and assumed a serious, scholarly posture. "Brother, teach me." Fearing he might refuse, she added in a soft, sweet voice, "Please, I beg you!"

Seeing her charming, naive look, Gu Dao couldn't resist. He picked up his chopsticks and explained the application of equations: "Let's assume the number of big monks is A and the number of small monks is B. The sum of A and B is one hundred..."

Gu Dao thought such a simple concept would be understood instantly. But after explaining for a long time, he saw Jinse’s clear, watery eyes turn vacant and realized she hadn't understood a thing.

"But Brother, we clearly don't know the answer, so why should we assume the number of big and small monks?"

The question Jinse asked made Gu Dao want to pry open her cute little head and stuff the answer inside.

"Sister Yao, we are running out of time. Just memorize it like this for now." For the sake of his own health, Gu Dao decided to stop the tutoring session.

Realizing she was too slow, Jinse’s face immediately turned dejected. Her eyes reddened, and she let out a pitiful, fragile sound: "Brother Xiuzhi, I am too stupid."

When "Brother" turned into "Brother Xiuzhi," Gu Dao couldn't hold out. He could only say what he didn't truly mean: "Not at all. This is profound knowledge. Let alone you, even if the mathematics professor came, he wouldn't grasp the essence in such a short time."

Gu Dao's words instantly lifted Jinse's spirits; she smiled brightly, revealing her pearly white teeth. "Is that so? But Brother Xiuzhi, what if that student from the Jizi Kingdom poses another problem?"

Gu Dao thought to himself that being a teacher was truly a nerve-wracking profession. Forget it, he would give her something else. He said, "It is impolite not to reciprocate. I will give you another problem to keep in your pocket; it will surely silence that Jizi Kingdom student."

Having received the problem, Jinse left, cheering and jumping, not even eating her lunch. Her steps were light and joyous, eager to wipe away the previous humiliation. Gu Dao regretted his big mouth—why did he have to stir up trouble?

The afternoon classics class was for self-study only, as the professor in charge had been fired by the Libationer.

Li Xianyun had arrived in the morning and first paid a visit to Yuan Cong. After exchanging pleasantries, she discussed hosting a poetry gathering at the Imperial Academy, open to all students. She would invite great scholars and celebrities to critique the students' poetry. Yuan Cong agreed after a moment's consideration. The Imperial Academy needed to boost student morale, and the participation of renowned scholars would help students exchange ideas and broaden their horizons.

Since her younger sister Jinse was studying here, Li Xianyun couldn't leave without saying goodbye. Coincidentally, Yuan Cong was on his rounds, and they arrived together at the mathematics classroom.

They saw a strange scene: a short young man stood in the middle of the classroom, his face as round as a pancake, yet filled with arrogance. He was shouting wildly, "Hmph, I said your Great Qian mathematics originated from our Jizi Kingdom. Well? It’s been so long, have you calculated the answer yet?"

The students in the room, seeing his arrogance, wanted nothing more than to tear him apart. But since they were lagging in academic debate, they could only endure his insolence. The problem seemed simple, yet they hadn't solved it all afternoon, and they couldn't help but turn their eyes toward the mathematics professor.

The professor looked embarrassed. He knew the answer, but it hadn't been calculated—he had arrived at it during the lunch break by laboriously testing numbers one by one. Giving the answer was easy, but if he were asked for the method and couldn't provide it, he would become a laughingstock.

"Li Zaigen, the foundation of learning is to exchange knowledge and broaden one's horizons. Is this arrogant attitude of yours how one should seek knowledge? Sit down at once," the professor said, his face like frost.

But the pancake-faced Jizi student, Li Zaigen, gave a haughty laugh. "Professor Qin, surely you couldn't solve it either? What 'exchange of knowledge'? You just want to steal the mathematics of our great Jizi Kingdom, don't you?"

"I have completely crushed you all. You think I am arrogant, but it only proves that the lineage of mathematics originated in our great Jizi Kingdom. You should be the ones seeking learning from me."

After this grandstanding, Li Zaigen's face was full of smug pride. Being able to show off in Great Qian satisfied his vanity immensely, especially seeing his classmates gritting their teeth yet unable to do anything. It made his blood boil, and his pancake face flushed as if he had been drinking.

The professor should have severely punished him for such rude barking, but since he hadn't found the method in the heat of the moment, punishing him now would only make him look petty and admit his own inferiority.

"Haha, I see you can only bow at my feet. Since you can't calculate it, just admit it. Mathematics originated from the great Jizi Kingdom. As long as you seek advice with humility and serve me sincerely, I won't mind bestowing my knowledge upon you."

Li Zaigen looked at everyone with excitement, his condescending air and expectation that everyone would beg for mercy being utterly disgusting.

Yuan Cong and Li Xianyun stood outside the door, their faces grim. Li Xianyun clenched her fists, using her last bit of reason to remind herself not to rush in and smash his mouth. Yuan Cong thought more deeply; the mathematics professor at the Imperial Academy was incompetent, or he wouldn't have let such a clown run wild. He didn't understand mathematics himself, so he hadn't tested this Professor Qin earlier. He hadn't expected to be tested in such a way by a savage from a small country like Jizi. It was truly shameful—a disgrace to the Imperial Academy and to Great Qian.

Just as everyone was feeling miserable, someone spoke up: "A tiny math problem makes you this arrogant? Truly the behavior of a small, narrow-minded people, shallow and smug." It was a soft, feminine voice.

The students in the room erupted in cheers; the insult was incredibly satisfying. Yet, amidst the satisfaction, they were worried—if they were going to insult him, could they actually solve the problem?

"Anyone can talk big. If you have the ability, step out," Li Zaigen said coldly.

At that moment, a slim, tall figure stood up. "Student Yao Xu greets Professor Qin," Jinse, disguised as a man, said politely. She was gentle and refined, a stark contrast to the crude and rude Li Zaigen.

"Enough nonsense. If you dare to talk big, do you know the answer? If you can't say it, kneel and beg me, and I might teach you," Li Zaigen said arrogantly.

Yuan Cong and Li Xianyun were both stunned. Others didn't know Yao Xu's identity, but they knew it well.

"Jinse is skilled in mathematics?" Yuan Cong asked, puzzled.

"I don't know, Junior; I've never heard of her understanding mathematics," Li Xianyun replied, bewildered.

They saw Jinse in the classroom smile indifferently. "Isn't it just twenty-five big monks and seventy-five small monks? What is so difficult about that?"

This was indeed the correct answer, but many, including the professor, didn't feel happy. Because they had already found the answer through the clumsiest method possible, but without a viable method, it was still a joke. Was this Yao Xu also just guessing numbers? That would be even more embarrassing.

Sure enough, Li Zaigen sneered and pressed his attack: "Student Yao Xu, that is indeed the answer, but how did you calculate it?"

"Don't tell me you just matched the numbers one by one. Is that how Great Qian learns mathematics? I've certainly learned something new today." He seemed certain that Jinse had no method, heaping on the mockery.

Although Li Zaigen's words were harsh, they truly touched on everyone's embarrassment. Many of them had indeed guessed the answer. Everyone turned their eyes toward Jinse. Some even secretly clenched their fists, hoping she truly had a method. Otherwise, they would lose face completely.

They saw the student named Yao Xu reveal a haughty smile on her delicate, flawless face. "Of course there is a method."

"I don't believe you. Tell me, let's hear it," Li Zaigen said with a cold laugh.

"Li Zaigen, you treat your own methods as precious secrets while coveting the methods of others. That’s shameless," the professor said coldly.

"Hmph, I think you two are just acting. Is it that you have no method at all? Just admit it openly. Kneel and beg me, and I will naturally consider teaching you." Li Zaigen looked at them with mockery.

Professor Qin’s gaze shifted uncertainly, and the other students were secretly alarmed. Could it really be that way? This was becoming too obvious.

Jinse smiled calmly. She didn't know the method, but she had a good memory, and she remembered everything Gu Dao had explained.

"The academic atmosphere of our Great Qian is open and broad-minded. We would never be like certain tiny, insignificant countries that, knowing only a little bit, treat it as a secret, act self-righteously, and end up being a laughingstock."

"Listen carefully: assume the number of big monks is A, and the number of small monks is B. The sum of A and B is one hundred..."

Jinse, unhurried and rhythmic, explained the method of the system of two linear equations. Some students were confused, while others had a sudden moment of clarity. By the time Jinse finished, those naturally gifted in math had already started deducing it according to the method.

After a quarter of an hour, Professor Qin was the first to solve it. "Wonderful! To seek the real through the unreal—this method is truly marvelous. Student Yao Xu is a great talent," Professor Qin said excitedly.

However, Li Zaigen looked completely bewildered; he hadn't understood at all. He held his brush, writing for a long time without making any sense of it.

"Li Zaigen, you didn't understand? That shouldn't be—such shallow knowledge, and you can't even understand it?" Jinse stood with her hands behind her back, her chest puffed out, proud as a peacock.

In truth, she didn't understand it either. But being able to make Professor Qin and the other students understand gave her confidence when facing Li Zaigen.

"Shouldn't you tell us your method now?" Jinse continued.

Li Zaigen's pancake face turned red, and he stammered, unable to say a word. Professor Qin saw the truth of the matter and instantly flew into a rage, slamming his hand on the desk. "Li Zaigen, you don't even have a method? You were just here swindling us?"

The other students were furious. *So you, Li Zaigen, are so arrogant, yet you don't even know it yourself?* They began picking up whatever was at hand, intending to beat him to a pulp.

"Stop!" A voice rang out. Yuan Cong walked in with his hands behind his back. Li Xianyun followed closely behind, which gave Jinse a fright—she had been afraid of her older sister since childhood.