Chapter 63

"Without concealing the truth, I am from Kaifeng in Bianzhou, where my family has been in the tea-making business for generations. After Bianzhou fell to the Jurchens, they made life very difficult for us Han merchants, and we have suffered much bullying over the years.

My father, seeing that our ancestral business could not continue, decided to leave Kaifeng for the south. Unfortunately, we were ambushed by bandits on the way, and all our valuables were stolen. My parents also fell ill and passed away one after another during the journey..."

Lu Fan recounted his past experiences, his emotions visibly stirred, and he could not hide his grief and anger.

After listening to Lu Fan's story, Ye Yu finally understood the reason and thought to himself that this was another person who could not make a living in the north. Since his family had been in the tea business for generations, Lu Fan, who had been immersed in tea from a young age, was very familiar with the entire process of tea-making and brewing.

However, this made Ye Yu suddenly think of someone, and he asked cautiously, "Since you are so proficient in tea, have you studied Lu Yu's 'Classic of Tea'?"

"This book was written by my ancestor, and many people who make and understand tea have studied it. As his descendant, how could I not read it?" Lu Fan responded solemnly.

"What, you are really a descendant of the Tea Saint?" Ye Yu was suddenly taken aback and asked in surprise.

Speaking of this, Lu Fan seemed to stand a little straighter, his face filled with pride as he said, "To be honest, I am the 21st generation descendant!"

Ye Yu did not expect that his casual question would elicit such a surprising answer. He thought to himself that he had found a treasure today and said with a slightly excited tone, "I see, I apologize for not showing you the respect you deserve!"

"Please, I have not eaten for five days. If it weren't for your kindness in giving me food and money, I would have died today! I am forever grateful and will bow to you in thanks!"

"Ah, no need for such formalities!" Ye Yu waved his hand and then asked, "What are your plans for the future?"

When asked about his future plans, Lu Fan was momentarily at a loss for words. After a moment of contemplation, he sighed and said with a self-deprecating tone, "What can someone in my situation do? I can only focus on my basic needs first!"

"Haven't you thought about resuming your old profession? With your skills in tea-making, it would be a waste to let them go to waste."

"Our family has been in the tea business for generations, and I dare not forget that! If I ever have the opportunity, I will definitely reopen a tea shop and promote our family's tea-making techniques!" Lu Fan, who had been quite dejected, suddenly became very animated, his eyes shining and his fists clenched tightly as he spoke.

Ye Yu nodded, thinking that perhaps there is a higher purpose in the world, and he looked at Lu Fan seriously and asked, "What if I give you this opportunity?"

"Sir, you..." Lu Fan asked in disbelief.

"But you must agree to one condition!" Ye Yu did not directly answer Lu Fan's question but immediately presented his own requirement.

"Please, Sir, speak! I will do anything for you, even if it means facing fire and water!"

"If I open a tea shop, you will be the manager! This is my only condition. Can you agree to it?" Ye Yu asked, his eyes burning as he looked at Lu Fan.

"This..."

Lu Fan was overwhelmed by the sudden good news and was at a loss. He looked at Ye Yu with disbelief. But when he saw Ye Yu's serious expression, he didn't know what to say.

With a thud, Lu Fan knelt heavily on the ground and bowed deeply to Ye Yu, "Sir, you trust me so much?"

"You didn't want to leave the courtyard and told me about your tea-making skills, hoping to find a job here. Am I right?"

Lu Fan, whose thoughts had been seen through by Ye Yu, felt a bit embarrassed but then admitted, "I did have that intention. In the south, I am a stranger, so I wanted to show my skills to Sir in hopes of becoming a tea master in your household..."

Ye Yu, seeing Lu Fan's honesty, smiled and said, "Your skills are too good to be wasted as a mere tea master, serving the rich and powerful all your life! I trust my people, and I don't doubt those I trust. I wouldn't make such a promise lightly."

"But I am young and inexperienced, how can I..."

Ye Yu waved his hand, interrupting Lu Fan, "Ambition is not limited by age, and lack of ambition is a waste of a hundred years! I started my business before I was 20, didn't I?"

"Thank you, Sir, for giving me a second chance!" Lu Fan, no longer hesitating, bowed three times on the stone floor with a loud thud.

Afterward, Ye Yu instructed Uncle Sun to arrange for Lu Fan's accommodation. When the courtyard returned to its usual tranquility, a gentle breeze brushed past his face. Facing the direction of Lai'an, Ye Yu smiled enigmatically.

...

At the same time, in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau in Lin'an, Yang Hui was reviewing one examination paper after another.

Although there were not many papers, it was still a significant task for the nearly 60-year-old scholar. The triennial imperial examination in the capital had just concluded, and as a doctor in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, he naturally participated in the review.

The Song Dynasty's imperial examinations were divided into regular, special, and military categories, roughly equivalent to modern unified, special, and military school admissions. Among the regular categories, the Jinshi (advanced scholar) examination was the most popular.

However, while everyone knew about the Jinshi examination, few were aware that other subjects were also being tested, such as the Ming Suan (Mathematics) examination, which Yang Hui was in charge of reviewing.

Mathematics, also known as Suanxue, was a branch of mathematics. Although this subject had been established in every dynasty, few people took the exam. For scholars pursuing fame and fortune, the Jinshi examination was clearly more prestigious.

As the saying goes, "Ten years of hard study go unnoticed, but one day of success makes you famous." This referred to the Jinshi list. The Ming Suan examination, which could be considered a specialized subject in later times, was not recognized by contemporary scholars.

Indeed, Yang Hui, who should have been reviewing papers with other examiners in the Ministry of Rites, was left alone in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, indicating how neglected the Ming Suan examination had become.

Under the dim light, Yang Hui looked at the few examination papers, put down his brush, and leaned back in his chair, sighing helplessly.

"Nonsense... nonsense!" With his eyes closed, Yang Hui could not help but exclaim.

The room was silent except for the crackling of the lamp. After a long while, Yang Hui looked at the papers on his desk and smiled bitterly, "Has mathematics really fallen to such a state?"

Everyone pursued fame and fortune, and very few were willing to devote themselves to scholarly pursuits.

Mathematics was highly academic, and even if one passed the examination, the best one could hope for was to be a professor at the National University or a researcher in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. Such a bleak future would not attract anyone to study it with dedication.

Most of the few candidates who took the Ming Suan examination every three years were those who had failed the Jinshi examination multiple times or were elderly and had no hope of passing. They took the Ming Suan examination just to obtain a nominal title.

Yang Hui, who had devoted his life to mathematics, was considered the leading expert in the Song Dynasty. At nearly 60, he needed a successor. But thinking of the few students at the National University, he felt a wave of disappointment.

His eyes moved away from the papers, and he picked up the teapot to moisten his throat, but the tea was cold. He had been so engrossed in the papers that he had forgotten the tea had cooled.

He wanted to call a servant to bring a pot of hot tea, but seeing it was late, he decided to get the tea himself and stood up.

Splash!

As he stood up and walked around the desk, he accidentally knocked a book off the table.

Yang Hui turned his head at the sound, bent down shakily to pick it up, but his withered left hand was drawn to two words on the book—Mathematics!

Yang Hui was puzzled, wondering when this book had appeared on his desk.

Moreover, he had never heard of this book before, but from its title, it seemed to be related to mathematics. Thinking this, he picked up the book and put the teapot aside.

He suddenly remembered that during the Spring Festival, his son Yang Zheng had sent him a mathematics book, but he had been too busy with the imperial examination to read it. This must be the book.

Yang Hui, who was well-versed in mathematics, had never heard of this book before, so he was very curious about its author.

With this curiosity, he returned to his seat and slowly opened the book.

As soon as he opened the first page of the mathematics book, it felt like a heavy hammer had struck his heart.

As he delved deeper into the book, Yang Hui felt as if a door in his mind had suddenly opened, and his cloudy eyes sparkled with the enthusiasm of a young man.

As time passed, the servant entered the room twice to add oil to the lamp, and by the fifth watch of the night, Yang Hui's eyes had not left the book.

When he saw the brilliant theorems and formulas in the book, Yang Hui could not help but work out the problems on paper, his emotions running high. The table was soon covered with calculation papers.

The servant was astonished by this, as he had never seen Master Yang in such a state. He wondered if Master Yang had lost his mind.

When everything finally calmed down, Yang Hui turned to the last page of the book, where he saw his son Yang Zheng's handwriting. After reading Yang Zheng's detailed account, Yang Hui's right hand holding the book began to tremble.

At that moment, he was so shocked that he could not express his feelings. This book was too important and too astonishing to him!

He never imagined that the "Jia Xian Triangle" high-order root extraction operation, which he had studied for years, had been derived by a young man under 20.

The derivation of the triangle theorem was not only innovative and advanced but also more profound than his own research!

Yang Zheng's detailed account clearly stated that a young man named Ye Yu from Qingliu County had derived the theorem two years ago.

Yang Hui could not imagine how a 16-year-old boy had worked out the triangle theorem.

He had just followed the steps in the book and found that the results matched perfectly, making him feel as if he had suddenly aged ten years.

However, after a long period of dejection, he felt more joy, as he no longer had to worry about the lack of successors in mathematics...