While the six adults were still frantically calculating with abacus beads, Xiao Youran walked around, quickly jotted down some numbers on a piece of paper, then went to the side and quickly calculated with an abacus, directly announcing the accurate number.
Looking at the other six officials, the fastest of them was still calculating the third page.
There were about a dozen entries on each page, and the rest of the people didn't believe that Xiao Youran could actually calculate them.
After all, she is only five years old, and probably doesn't know how accounts are calculated.
Grand Secretary Lin personally spent some time verifying the results, and they turned out to be correct.
Some people disagreed and extracted another thirty pages. As a result, Xiao Youran arrived at a different number when the officials were calculating on the fifth page.
Grand Secretary Lin also checked the results, and they were accurate!
Everyone present was shocked.
Emperor Shunqing and Consort Zhou, who were behind the screen, were also shocked.
Jiang Mingli was also surprised; his little niece's talent for calculation was so strong.
Grand Secretary Li made no attempt to hide his sarcasm, laughing heartily, "The officials of the Ministry of Revenue really should reflect on themselves. How come after decades of calculating accounts, they can't even compare to a five-year-old girl!"
Grand Secretary Zhang looked at Jiang Mingli with disappointment and frustration.
Jiang Mingli looked at the six officials, feeling disappointed and frustrated.
The six officials looked at each other, then lowered their heads in shame.
Suddenly, one of the officials knelt down before Xiao Youran, tears streaming down his face. "Princess! Please take me as your apprentice! I want to learn your method of accounting!"
Everyone: ...
Little Youran asked in a clear, crisp voice, "Why?"
The official, wiping away tears, said, “This is the account book of the smallest county town. In the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, there are over two thousand counties, large and small. Each county is further divided into prefectures and counties. Normally, it would take us at least five days to calculate just this one account. One person calculates it, and then two others verify it. Every year, we in the Tax Bureau only have thirteen people to audit the accounts of each prefecture and county. We simply can't finish auditing all these accounts in a year. Just now, we were auditing accounts from three years ago! It's because the auditing speed is just too slow! If we could learn your method, finishing the auditing would no longer be a pipe dream!”
As soon as she finished speaking, the other five people also knelt down in front of Xiao Youran with tears streaming down their faces. "Young County Princess, we are willing to accept our loss. Please take us as your disciples!"
"Please accept us as your disciples!"
Every day, they're preoccupied with accounts from the moment they open their eyes until they close them, constantly reviewing them. They're busy all year round, and they still can't keep up with the numbers! Finally, someone has come along who can help them escape this misery!
Jiang Mingli's face twitched wildly. These people, these people! Doesn't the Ministry of Revenue have any dignity?!
Didn't you realize that this five-year-old girl was humiliating the Ministry of Revenue?!
Grand Secretary Zhang also felt humiliated, having been thoroughly humiliated. Six adults couldn't even defeat a five-year-old girl.
Grand Secretary Li said sarcastically, "I really didn't expect that you'd still be reviewing accounts from three years ago this year? This is dereliction of duty on your part, Ministry of Revenue!"
Failure to complete the task is dereliction of duty, isn't it?
Jiang Mingli was speechless. This was all a mess left by the previous administration, and he wasn't going to take the blame.
However... this method to increase the speed of calculation...
If it were someone else, he would immediately support the other party in instructing all officials in the Ministry of Revenue to make improvements. However, the other party is Su... oh no, it's five-year-old You Ran...
Why was he so unwilling?
While he was still hesitating, he heard Chief Minister Lin say, "This method can greatly improve the speed of accounting. In order to clear the national treasury as soon as possible, Lord Jiang, why don't we let this child prodigy county princess teach us?"
This was a very respectful remark to Jiang Mingli. Although Xiao Youran was young, he was a child prodigy, and his purpose was to clean up the national treasury, which was for the sake of the bigger picture.
Moreover, as the highest-ranking official in the cabinet, Prime Minister Lin only needs to give an order to his subordinates, but he is using an inquiring tone, which is already very polite.
Of course, this was also to give face to Jiang Mingli's superior, Grand Secretary Zhang.
Grand Secretary Zhang's face twitched. Faced with the Grand Secretary's polite inquiry, he couldn't openly object.
It's just a matter of having Xiao Youran give a lecture; it's not like she's standing in the imperial court, so her "women should not interfere in politics" statement is irrelevant.
If Jiang Mingli had taken the opportunity to back down, it would have been fine, but he couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart. He forced a smile awkwardly and said, "Your Excellency is too kind. How could my little niece dare to accept such a frivolous praise as a child prodigy?"
Mrs. Su couldn't stand it anymore. The daughter was hers, and she hadn't even been modest. Why was this older brother of her ex-husband being so modest?
"Thank you, Your Excellency. My daughter has been intelligent since childhood, and her victory just now was merely by chance. She is unworthy of the responsibility of teaching." Refusing was necessary, but when did it become the turn of Jiang Mingli, the uncle of her divorced husband?
Prime Minister Lin looked at the fearless Xiao Youran and asked with a smile, "Little girl, would you be willing to teach these uncles and elders the accounting method you just used?"
Xiao Youran nodded, "My mother often taught me that those who are capable should do more, and it is good to teach others how to fish rather than not to teach them how to fish. If my calculation method is helpful to the uncles and elders, I am naturally willing to teach it to them."
All six officials wept with joy, saying, "Thank you so much, young lady!"
Prime Minister Lin nodded and looked at Madam Su, saying approvingly, "You have raised your daughter very well."
Su bowed and said, "You flatter me, Your Excellency."
This time, however, he did not refuse.
Ye An glanced at Grand Secretary Zhang, who turned his head away, feeling extremely embarrassed.
Jiang Mingli gritted his teeth, "The Ministry of Revenue has its own regulations; how can it allow a five-year-old girl to cause trouble?!"
He looked at the six officials and said sternly, "You are all incompetent and failed to complete the accounting task on time, which is a dereliction of duty. Now, in your desperation, you have tried to find a five-year-old girl to be your teacher, which is a disgrace to the Ministry of Revenue. I hereby punish you all by sending you to your quarters for three days of confinement and deducting your salary for three months!"
The six officials lowered their heads in dejection.
Since their duel was taking place in the main hall on the first floor of the Taigelou, officials from other departments also came out to watch the spectacle.
Having already lost the competition, they were further humiliated by being reprimanded by their superior in front of everyone, losing both face and substance.
Prime Minister Lin spoke up, "Lord Jiang, the Ministry of Revenue has been backlogged with account books for three years. Shouldn't you be thinking first about how to improve the calculation speed and speed up the accounting process? It's true that they are wrong for not being proficient in their work, but what's wrong with them admitting their mistakes and learning better calculation methods?"
Jiang Mingli bowed respectfully and said, "Your Excellency, I have repeatedly pointed out to the Ministry of Personnel that the Ministry of Revenue is understaffed. All the accounts of the prefectures and counties in the country are handled by the Ministry of Revenue, and it is normal that they cannot finish calculating them all. Otherwise, the accounts would not be piling up to the point where we are still calculating accounts from three years ago. I believe that as long as we add enough staff, we will definitely be able to finish calculating the accounts. I humbly request Your Excellency's support."
The Minister of Personnel, who was overheard this, immediately jumped out and said, "Lord Jiang, of the six ministries in the cabinet, the Ministry of Revenue has the most staff! It's seriously overstaffed and can't afford to hire any more new people. Since there's a wonderful method to improve the speed of accounting, why don't you let the officials try it?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com