Chapter 72

Liáng Xiào didn’t know who Dèng Guóbīn was, but since he was a guest of Huáinán, he must be related to Liú Líng.

This Dèng Guóbīn actually chased me all the way to Cháng’ān and is looking for me everywhere? What is Liú Líng up to? Is he still not giving up?

"Have you met Dèng Guóbīn? I don’t know this person."

"I have. He has no real knowledge, just some petty tricks that don’t belong in high society." Dōngfāng Shuò stood with his hands behind his back, his face full of disdain. "He shows off a model of a thousand autumns everywhere, thinking he’s clever, but he only makes a fool of himself."

Liáng Xiào laughed. He could hear the sourness in Dōngfāng Shuò’s seemingly disdainful words. Dōngfāng Shuò was an extraordinary person, a proud man, and in later generations, he even became a deity, with many legends about him. Even in his own time, he was a unique individual, known as the all-knowing and all-seeing, a walking library for Emperor Wǔ of Han.

There are wild historical legends that he was the first Chinese person to reach the North Pole. Whether this legend is reliable or not, his extensive knowledge is widely recognized.

For such a person to be stumped by a small problem like the thousand autumns, he must be somewhat annoyed and wants to confront the originator to prove his own abilities, which is a natural thing to do.

However, Liáng Xiào had no interest in discussing the matter with him.

Firstly, his cultural cultivation was too poor to qualify him to discuss such matters with a genius like Dōngfāng Shuò. If Dōngfāng Shuò was a great scholar of this era, then he hadn’t even finished primary school, and they were not on the same level. If Dōngfāng Shuò wanted to discuss writing fu (a type of classical Chinese poetry), he would be at a loss.

Secondly, his knowledge came from an unknown source, making it hard to explain. He knew many things that Dōngfāng Shuò didn’t, enough to shock him, but if Dōngfāng Shuò asked about his teacher, how could he explain that he was self-taught?

It’s better to avoid trouble than to invite it. The more you talk, the more likely you are to make a mistake. Rather than boasting and losing face, it’s better to play it cool and remain silent.

Liáng Xiào smiled. "I only have some petty tricks, not fit for high society, and I dare not make a fool of myself before experts. Dōngfāng, time is gold, and gold cannot buy time. Don’t waste your time here, please leave." As he said this, he bowed and closed the door of the melon shed, nearly scraping Dōngfāng Shuò’s face.

Dōngfāng Shuò was stunned, blinking his eyes, a bit confused.

Liáng Xiào actually refused me? Is he aware of his inferiority and avoiding a confrontation, or... is he just being dismissive?

Thinking of Liáng Xiào’s insincere smile and his mocking words about petty tricks, Dōngfāng Shuò felt more and more that Liáng Xiào meant the latter. "Time is gold, and gold cannot buy time," he clearly meant it wasn’t worth wasting time on me.

Dōngfāng Shuò was at a loss. He had imagined many scenarios, but he never expected to be rejected by Liáng Xiào, and even more so, to be rejected so dismissively.

Dōngfāng Shuò was angry. He wanted to kick open the old wooden door but couldn’t bring himself to do it. He turned and walked away, but felt a bit reluctant and called out, "Liáng, are you really unwilling to meet me?"

Liáng Xiào sat cross-legged in the melon shed, listening to Dōngfāng Shuò pacing outside like a donkey pulling a millstone, and smiled inwardly. He beckoned Lǐ Róngqīng over, whispered a few words in her ear, and she nodded, quietly leaving the melon shed and hiding behind the melon vines, moving to a distance.

Liáng Xiào waited a while longer until Dōngfāng Shuò became truly impatient, then called out, "Dōngfāng, to be honest, I was the one who first proposed the problem of the thousand autumns. I don’t know how far Dèng Guóbīn has progressed, but I think if he doesn’t understand mathematics, it will be difficult for him to grasp the essence. Dōngfāng, with your extensive knowledge and expertise in mathematics, a simple mathematical problem should be no issue. Can you formulate a standard method for this petty trick to benefit future learners?"

A standard method is a specific calculation method in mathematics, though not expressed in formulas with numbers and letters, it is a fixed set of calculation procedures, the closest form to a formula that Liáng Xiào could find.

Dōngfāng Shuò was in a dilemma, but hearing Liáng Xiào finally speak, he was overjoyed. However, after hearing Liáng Xiào’s question, he was disappointed.

He was proficient in mathematics, which was just a basic part of his expertise, and he was familiar with standard methods, but he had never thought that the problem of the thousand autumns could be formulated into a standard method.

"Can this be formulated into a standard method?"

"I’ve heard that the Yi Dao (I Ching) prioritizes symbols and numbers. Although numbers are a small part of calculation, they can reveal the essence of the Dao. The thousand autumns may be just a toy, but it also contains great principles. If it cannot be formulated into a standard method, it will always be a superficial imitation, lacking depth. Dōngfāng, with your expertise in the Yi, please give it some thought. If you are interested, I can learn from you."

Dōngfāng Shuò’s lips twitched, and he smiled silently. Little brat, you dare to test me? Fine, I’ll show you my mathematical skills.

"A gentleman’s word..."

Liáng Xiào smiled slightly. "Is hard to retract."

"Very well, please wait a moment, Liáng." Dōngfāng Shuò said, sat down on the ground, and broke off a bamboo branch from the melon shed, starting to draw on the ground.

Liáng Xiào sat cross-legged, silent. He also wanted to see how smart Dōngfāng Shuò was, how far Dèng Guóbīn had progressed, and who could derive a formula from this seemingly simple experiment.

Observing a phenomenon and drawing some empirical conclusions is not difficult. Discovering principles that contradict common sense from observations is more challenging. It requires not only meticulous observation but also the confidence to challenge common sense. Deriving a formula from observations to precisely describe the laws of motion, to be honest, is not something an ordinary person can accomplish.

If it were that simple, Newton wouldn’t have had to propose the three laws of motion to lay the foundation of classical physics.

If Dōngfāng Shuò could achieve this, Liáng Xiào would really doubt if he was a deity.

Liáng Xiào was both a bit excited and a bit smug. Making the most famous scholar of the era look foolish felt really good.

Dōngfāng Shuò sat on the ground, writing and calculating with one hand, and counting with the other. At first, he was very fast, but gradually, he slowed down, his initial disdain turning into confusion, and finally into bitterness.

Three hundred steps northwest of the melon field, under a large tree with lush branches, a carriage was parked quietly. Liú Líng, dressed in women’s clothing and with lightly drawn eyebrows, leaned against the carriage, while Dèng Guóbīn stood beside it, and Léi Bèi held his sword nearby. A servant stood on the tree, shading his eyes, and reported the situation from time to time.

"Dōngfāng Shuò is still writing, but he’s writing very slowly, barely moving, as if he’s thinking..."

Dèng Guóbīn laughed and turned to Liú Líng, bowing. "Princess, Dōngfāng Shuò is also stumped."

Liú Líng felt a great relief, her eyebrows slightly raised. "Let’s see if he dares to look down on Huáinán again." He paused and added, "Dèng, what kind of problem did Liáng Xiào pose that could stump a genius like Dōngfāng Shuò?"

Dèng Guóbīn shook his head awkwardly. "Princess, if I could think of it, I wouldn’t have been mocked by Dōngfāng Shuò."

Liú Líng rolled his eyes and smiled. "Wait until Dōngfāng Shuò leaves, then go and see. This little brat actually passed through Huáinán without entering, truly arrogant and annoying."

Second update, please recommend and collect!