Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 283 - 242 Our ambition is not here_1

Chapter 283: Chapter 242 Our ambition is not here_1

The second question: peering at the towering seven-layer tower, the red dots of light double on each level, make up a total of three hundred and eighty-one. How many lights are on each floor?

The problem is asking how many lamps there are on each of the seven-layer tower, where the number of dots on the lower floor is twice that of the upper floor, and the total red lamps known sum up to three hundred and eighty-one.

With hardly any deliberation, Li Xuan could quickly calculate the answer in his mind.

x+2x+4x+8x+16x+32x+64x=381

Therefore, there were three lamps on the seventh layer, six lamps on the sixth, twelve lamps on the fifth, twenty-four on the fourth, forty-eight on the third, ninety-six on the second, and one hundred and ninety-two on the first.

Li Xuan robustly wrote the answer on the rice paper: "Give me the third question!"

As the Siye of Guozi Bureau handed out the third question paper, he darted a glance at Zhen Huandou on the side. The latter was deeply furrowed his eyebrows, clattering on the abacus.

Meanwhile, Li Xuan looked at the third question — There are some unknown number of objects: when counted by threes, two are left; when counted by fives, three are left; when counted by sevens, two are left —

The problem asks when an unknown quantity of items is counted in threes, it leaves two; when counted in fives, it leaves three; when counted in sevens, it leaves two. How many items were there?

As before, Li Xuan quickly derived the formula — 70×2+21×3+15×2=233, 233-105-105=23.

So, the answer was twenty-three.

At this point, Li Xuan noticed that both Long Rui and Wang Jing had turned their bodies to look at him with nearly worshipful gazes.

"What are you guys looking at me for, not solving the problem?"

"Watching you is enough." Long Rui shook his head: "Why bother to solve the problem? We hadn’t even finished reading the question when you had already solved it. I truly admire your amazing talent, brother Qianzhi!"

In his heart, Wang Jing one thought: No wonder Brother Qianzhi’s chess skills surpass him. With such agility of the mind, it was natural that no one could match him on the chessboard.

Li Xuan had already taken the fourth question and found that the difficulty had slightly increased. It was a geometric problem, which was rare in ancient times.

He wrote down the answer as smoothly as before. The next five questions seemed more and more tricky in Long Rui’s eyes. But for Li Xuan, the difficulty level was more or less the same.

By the time Li Xuan finished the ninth problem, Zhen Huandou was still solving the sixth problem. Sweat started to bead on his forehead.

Chu Wen and Xi Hanqing on the other side looked disappointed. Just by looking at the situation, it was clear that Zhen Huandou, the finest mathematician among the young generation in Nanjing, was being crushed by the Six Paths Bureau Colonel from Liudao Division.

They wondered how a god-like figure was hidden in the Zhuque Hall of Liudao Division, and how he had gotten involved with Wang and Long.

At the top of the platform, Quan Dingtian clenched his fists, his eyes shining with a bizarre light.

"He finished all the questions in less than half a moment!" The thin Siye of Guozi Bureau sighed, then curiously asked, "Brother Quan, haven’t you found the right time to introduce our protector into Confucianism?"

Upon hearing this, Quan Dingtian’s face turned slightly dark: "I was wrong before. With such talent and brilliance, he would achieve great success no matter which path he chooses. There is no need for him to convert to Confucianism. But if I try to force him, I fear it may backfire."

Another Siye with a bit of paunch and a potbelly looked on with expectation: "Let’s see his answer to the last question."

The last question was one he had personally proposed, so he was more concerned about it.

"What content does your last question possess, Brother Tong?" Quan Dingtian asked curiously, knowing that the man before him was not only a great scholar of Jiangsu and Zhejiang but also a famous mathematician in the world.

Siye Tong smiled slightly: "The question concerns the value of pi!"

Quan Dingtian was taken aback: "Pi? As far as I remember, the most accurate value was found by Zu Wen Yuan two thousand years ago,wasn’t it three point one four one five nine two six?"

"That’s a deficient number. There’s also an excessive number, three point one four one five nine two seven. But my teacher used Zu Wen Yuan’s method of approximating and overestimating to calculate pi to the eleventh decimal place."

Siye Tong smiled: "I deliberately made this problem easier. Anyone who is well-versed in ’Ten Books on Calculation’ wouldn’t find it difficult. As long as they remember Zu Wen Yuan’s deficient and excessive numbers, they can score points. If they could go further, I would not hesitate to reward generously. But now, I am a bit more curious about the protector’s answer."

At this point, the named Siye Tong suddenly looked surprised, turning his gaze to Li Xuan in the examination field who had the tenth question on hand.

"Asking the ratio of the circumference to the diameter? Pi?"

Li Xuan thought that this was a scoring opportunity and without thinking, wrote ’three point one four one five nine two six five three five eight nine seven nine three two three’ on the rice paper.

He stopped after writing seventeen decimal places. On one hand, it was troublesome, and on the other, the record prior to modern mathematics was by an Arab mathematician in the fifteenth century who had calculated to the seventeenth decimal place using geometric methods similar to those used by ancient Chinese mathematicians to calculate pi.

"This is? Seventeen decimal places?"

When the lecturer from the Guozi Bureau picked up Li Xuan’s answer sheet, he couldn’t help but gasp lightly.

Zhen Huandou, who was answering the questions at a distance, looked over with a little confusion.

He has not yet seen the tenth question, therefore he did not know what was so surprising to the lecturer.

The latter’s expression was serious: "Sir Duyu, are you sure the value after the seventh decimal point is accurate?"

"Without a doubt." Li Xuan confidently replied, "Submit this answer."

He believed there must be someone in this mysterious world who could appreciate his accomplishment.

Shortly after the lecturer from the Guozi Bureau hastily delivered the answer sheet to the high platform, he rushed back down: "Sir Duyu, your scores match the top two candidates! Further, Siye Tong requests your company on the stage."

In the Great Jin Dynasty, a Siye of the Guozi Bureau held a prestigious position. The job was often held simultaneously with the positions of Shidu scholar and lecturer in the Hanlin Academy, and often led to high political office in the future.

Upon hearing this, both Long Rui and Wang Jing couldn’t contain their joy. They were confident about the subsequent ’wen’ exam once they cleared the ’mathematics’ hurdle.

Their only competition was—Both glanced at each other past Li Xuan, their gazes sparking with competition.

Li Xuan meditated briefly, then asked, "What does Mr. Siye want with me?"

"He is requesting the solution!"

The Guozi Bureau lecturer bowed slightly in respect to Li Xuan: "Mr. Siye could only calculate to the eleventh decimal place, identical to Sir Duyu’s answer. However, beyond the eleventh decimal place, he was unable to confirm. We too, are very curious."

Despite being older than Li Xuan, they adhered to the concept of ’learning has no limits, the more knowledgeable are always ahead’.

Even in terms of official positions, Li Xuan, a 6th-rank Fumo Duyu, was a higher rank than him. The official position in the Liudao Division could not be compared to ordinary military ministers.

Li Xuan immediately felt a headache, the calculation of Pi, was indeed taxing.

There were various ways to calculate Pi. The geometric approach used by the ancients was very time-consuming, requiring repetitive calculations. The analytical approach that emerged later used infinite series or infinite products to find Pi, which was also tricky to explain.

"It’s getting late today." Li Xuan glanced at the sky, as well as the beauty waiting for him outside the venue, and shook his head vehemently: "Please let Mr. Siye know that the calculation of Pi is complex and can’t be explained in a short time. If there is time in the future, I will discuss it with Mr. Siye."

Could spending time explaining things to this Siye Tong be better than spending time with Xue beauty?

What was his intention in asking Xue Yunrou out?

Wasn’t it because the good thing that happened last time was interrupted by Princess Changle, and he had been wanting to finish what they had started?

But he had left his girlfriend aside to discuss mathematics with an old man—Li Xuan thought he must have been kicked in the head by a donkey to do such a thing.

As a look of disappointment appeared on the face of the Guozi Bureau lecturer, Li Xuan stood up to leave the venue. Meanwhile, Zhen Huandou, the ’leader of Jiangzuo’, had received the tenth question from another exam invigilator.

His expression froze at once, then he arose abruptly: "It’s Pi! The tenth question is actually Pi! Sir lecturer, has Sir Duyu’s Pi calculation reached the seventeenth decimal place? Since it received top points, I suppose the answer has been confirmed? I humbly request to review Sir Duyu’s answer sheet!"

The Guozi Bureau lecturer furrowed his brow, then chuckled: "You can look at it, but only after you finish the exam. For your loud disturbance, I should deduct points."

Chu Wen and Xi Hanqing, who were sitting next to Zhen Huandou, were nearly in tears.

In total points, they were already far behind those two. Now, were they going to lose more points?

The calligraphy and essays of Long Rui and Wang Jing were no less impressive than their own.

Zhen Huandou realized his public outburst, whoever he saw Li Xuan walking out of the venue, he was at a loss for words. He wished he could chase after him right now and seek his teachings. But he saw the pleading eyes of his two disciples and could only sigh slightly, returning to write his answers with his head down.

"I didn’t know, Xuan, you are also this good in Mathematics!"

When Xue Yunrou again clung to Li Xuan’s arm, her eyes were full of admiration and infatuation: "Xuan, why don’t you study array tactics? With your talent in mathematics, you could definitely become a great array tactician in this world."

Li Xuan was aware of his own standing, he was only demonstrating his excellence now because he was standing on the shoulders of giants.

However, this did not deter him from continuing to play it cool: "I’m not interested in that area, I’m not interested in researching it. After all, martial arts alone is consuming all my energy. Let’s go, let’s take a look at the back courtyard of the Guozi Bureau. I didn’t get a good look at the scenery last time."

In fact, he didn’t dare to take Xue Yunrou to continue walking around the market anymore; Xue Yunrou had happily asserted her possessiveness, but the dim sadness in Yue Qianqian’s eyes deeply pained Li Xuan; The gazes of Jiang Hanyun and Luo Yan were akin to sharp weapons, causing sweat to drip down his back.