The first contest involved the judges presenting fifty somewhat complex calculation problems, grading the competitors based on their speed and accuracy.
Other than Qing’an Country, Xiliang, Beiyue, and Nanping had always treated arithmetic as a leisure subject without placing particular emphasis on it. However, in recent years, Dong Chu not only established specialized arithmetic courses but also promoted them vigorously. Consequently, the arithmetic abilities of its citizens were notably superior to those of the three countries.
When the judges displayed the problems on large sheets of paper, everyone began their calculations.
Yang Mengchen’s eyes were fixed on the problem board, her hand holding a brush as she wrote.
Meanwhile, Hai Tang, who was supposed to assist Yang Mengchen with writing the answers, stood quietly by her side, effectively becoming part of the backdrop.
Seeing that Yang Mengchen did not use an abacus, the crowd was stunned, their jaws dropping even more when they saw her hand over the answer sheet to the judges in less than a few minutes.
That was incredibly fast, wasn’t it?
They had noticed that the quickest of the other competitors had only managed to solve seven or eight problems, while the slower ones had solved only two or three. Without the abacus, they hadn’t completed even one.
Without waiting for Long Xuanmo’s instructions, Mo Mei promptly brought over some tea. Yang Mengchen took it and leisurely sipped while waiting for the other competitors to hand in their papers. After everyone had submitted their answers, Yang Mengchen handed the teacup back to Mo Mei, who then stepped away.
Twelve scholars were seated to the left of the competition arena, with each competitor’s answer sheet placed on the desk in front of them. As the judges announced each answer, the scholars would raise a ’correct’ sign if the competitor’s answer was right, or do nothing if it was wrong.
Everyone watched the scholars with tense expressions, particularly the one responsible for Yang Mengchen’s answers. As it turned out, Yang Mengchen had everything correct, and those who had placed bets on her victory cheered loudly.
Yang Zonghan and a few other young friends were the loudest and most exuberant.
In the end, only Yang Mengchen was completely correct, indisputably taking first place.
Princess Yashuang and Hai Ruofeng each missed two questions and tied for second place, while Princess Feilan, who missed five, came in third.
Su Manru missed half and ended up in the middle of the rankings.
Qi Qiuxin came in last, but at least she had restraint – even though she was seething with jealousy towards Yang Mengchen, she didn’t show it.
The second round still involved the judges posing a question. This time, it was a Nine-square box puzzle, with the requirement that the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal rows needed to sum to the same total. Allegedly, even some of the judges didn’t know the correct answer.
While the other competitors were still contemplating, Yang Mengchen had already picked up her pen and written down the answer, once again having Hai Tang hand over the answer sheet to the judges.
After examining the answer sheet, the judges looked up at Yang Mengchen in unison, their eyes filled with shock, disbelief, and excitement.
Ignoring the judges’ fervent gazes, Yang Mengchen held a jade plate in one hand and elegantly ate small pieces of melon shaved by Lv Luo using a bamboo pick.
This competition was quite difficult; as time ticked by, none of the other competitors could figure out the solution, so they all chose to concede.
The crowd eagerly looked to the judges for guidance.
Old Hai had someone write Yang Mengchen’s answer on the problem board on a large sheet of paper, and then explained it to everyone, who had a sudden realization – so that’s how it was.
The last segment still involved the judges setting a problem, concerning the main expenses and income of a household over a month.
Though the accounts were rather messy, which might have been challenging for others, it was child’s play for Yang Mengchen. Hence, while the other competitors were still engrossed in calculations, Yang Mengchen already had Hai Tang hand in the answer sheet to the judges.
The judges, of course, knew the answer and, seeing that Yang Mengchen’s answers were all correct, they regretted that only the results were there without the calculation process. They initially wanted to consult Yang Mengchen, but considering the stern-faced Long Xuanmo beside her, they had to suppress their curiosity, planning to seek her advice later.
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