The night was as dark as ink, dotted with stars, yet the golden nanmu hall of the Qionglin Banquet was ablaze with lights and bustling with activity. The coiled dragon relief sculpture within the hall, illuminated by the flickering candlelight, shone with a mysterious and subtle luster, as if the carved dragon was about to burst forth from the wall and soar into the sky at any moment.
Si Yan, the newly crowned Jiang Tanhua (Third Scholar) was now surrounded by a group of blue-robed Hanlin scholars. The delicate miniature abacus at his waist swung gently with his every movement, emitting a subtle yet crisp sound, as if playing a unique prelude to this academic confrontation.
An old Hanlin in the front row had a gaunt face and was twirling his beard. The ivory court tablet in his hand made a rhythmic tapping sound. There was a look of scrutiny and consideration in his eyes as he slowly said, "Mr. Jiang, I would like to ask, if 10,000 dan of rice were transported from Jiangnan to the capital, how would the transportation loss be calculated?" His voice was low and steady, but in this noisy banquet, it was clearly heard by everyone.
Si Yan didn't even lift his eyelids, as if he had already expected this question. He saw his left hand leisurely reaching into his sleeve pocket and instantly took out the red sandalwood abacus, his movements were skillful and smooth. His thumb and index finger were like nimble dancers, pinching the beads and moving them quickly. In an instant, the crisp "crackling" sound continued, like a rhythmic piece of music. "Ten thousand stones of rice were transported," he said without thinking, and the beads jumped on the beam like flying, as if they were given life, "Normal loss is calculated as 30%, of which 5/16 is due to moisture, 3/16 is due to the invasion of rats and birds, 7/16 is due to the withholding of the escort officers, and the remaining 1/16 is due to natural evaporation." He spoke very quickly, and each number was shot out as accurately as a bullet, with clear logic, which was amazing.
Upon hearing this, the surrounding Hanlin scholars looked at each other in surprise and admiration. At this moment, a young editor, curious as to what was happening, stepped forward and asked tentatively, "What if we use the new canal boats?"
"It will cost eight thousand taels of silver to change the boat," the abacus in Si Yan's hand stopped abruptly. He looked up and glanced at the young editor, his eyes revealing confidence and composure, "which can reduce the loss to 20%. Based on an annual shipment of one million stones, the investment can be recovered in three years, and a net profit of forty thousand taels will be made in the fourth year." As he spoke, the sound of the abacus and his voice intertwined perfectly, making him like a wound-up, tireless little accountant. His keen eye for numbers and precise calculations amazed everyone present.
Just as everyone was immersed in Siyan's brilliant answer, a Hanlin in the back row suddenly muttered in a low voice: "Strange, how come this kid's eyebrows and eyes are exactly like Jiang Zhuangyuan when he was young?" Although his voice was small, it was still clearly heard in this relatively quiet atmosphere.
Si Yan was just in the middle of a calculation when he heard this. Without a second thought, he replied, "My father is Jiang Yan. What's wrong?"
These words, like a powerful thunderclap, instantly exploded throughout the hall. The previously boisterous sounds of the banquet suddenly ceased, as if under a spell, and the entire hall fell into a dead silence. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Jiang Yan, who was standing in the corner. Jiang Yan was holding a glass of wine and bringing it to his lips. Suddenly, upon hearing his son's words, his hand trembled violently, and the amber liquor, like an uncontrolled stream, spilled all over his collar, quickly staining his moon-white official uniform with dark spots, like an abstract ink painting.
Upon seeing this, the head scholar of the Hanlin Academy slammed the table with a loud bang. The red sandalwood armrest vibrated violently from the excessive force, and the teacups on the table also wobbled with a crisp clatter. The old scholar's beard trembled with anger. He pointed his ivory tablet directly at Jiang Yan and shouted in a stern voice, "Well, Jiang Yan! How dare you let your son take the imperial examination under the alias 'Jiang Xiaoyu' and deceive His Majesty!" His voice echoed through the hall, filled with anger and rebuke. "This is a violation of the rules of the imperial examination!"
Jiang Yan felt his scalp tingling, as if countless needles were piercing his back at the same time. The sharp gazes of the civil and military officials in the hall made him feel very uncomfortable. He subconsciously looked at the women's table, only to see Su Jinli leaning over the table, her shoulders shaking violently, obviously unable to stop laughing. The eldest sister Su Qingyao next to her covered her mouth with a silk handkerchief, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes from laughing, which showed how hilarious this scene was. However, what was even more terrible was that Nianli had slipped to the corner of the hall without her knowing when, and at this moment, she was standing with her hands on her hips, shouting at the top of her voice: "My brother got the third place in the exam based on his own ability, what does it have to do with my father!" She still had the eye-catching string of peppers hanging around her waist, which looked particularly abrupt in this solemn and dignified hall, but with a different kind of playfulness and frankness.
Si Yan, however, showed no fear. He stepped forward confidently, his abacus clacking loudly as if to bolster his words. "I use a pseudonym because I'm afraid others will say I rely on my father!" He raised his energetic face, fixed his gaze firmly on the emperor on the throne, and declared, "Your Majesty praised me during the palace examination yesterday, saying that I relied on my real talent and knowledge, not my father!" His voice was clear and resounding, carrying the fearlessness and boldness unique to youth, and it echoed through the hall for a long time.
The emperor, who had been whispering to a nearby eunuch, was startled at first when he heard this exchange, then burst into laughter, shaking the throne. "That's right!" He pointed at Si Yan, tears welling up in his eyes. "This kid's math is better than the Minister of Revenue. What does the third place winner, whom I personally selected, have to do with Jiang Yan?" The emperor's laughter, resounding like a bell, shattered the tense atmosphere in the hall.
Jiang Yan watched his son, hands on his hips, arguing with someone. His head held high and chest puffed out, he looked like a miniature version of Su Jinli flipping a table. He sighed helplessly, wiping the wine stains off his body with his sleeve. He smiled wryly at his equally stunned colleague beside him, "It's his mother's fault. He didn't inherit any of my steadiness..."
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