Chapter 73

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Dongfang Shuo sat in front of the melon shed for a long time, racking his brains, but he still couldn't figure out what this formula should look like.

He had discussed this problem in depth with Deng Guobin, even arguing him into silence, but he still couldn't come up with the formula. He originally thought he had a complete grasp of the problem, but when he tried to express it in a formula, he found many issues, always feeling a sense of detachment, lacking clarity.

Dongfang Shuo was very frustrated. He had never encountered such a problem. He was well-versed in mathematical classics like "The Nine Chapters," with all the formulas memorized and ready to recite, but he had never faced this issue before, and his past experience was insufficient to help him.

By noon, the sun was scorching, and Dongfang Shuo was both hot and anxious, his sweat soaking through his clothes.

Li Rongqing quietly returned and whispered the information she had gathered nearby into Liang Xiao's ear, particularly mentioning Liu Ling's group in the northwest. Liang Xiao nodded, woke up the drowsy Tuniu'er, and asked him to pick a melon to give to Dongfang Shuo.

Tuniu'er, still half-asleep, didn't ask any questions. He got up, picked a ripe melon, walked to Dongfang Shuo, and rubbed his eyes, saying, "Aoxiao says it's too hot, and this melon is for you, Dongfang Jun, to quench your thirst. Eat it, it's very sweet."

Dongfang Shuo looked at the melon in Tuniu'er's hand, his face embarrassed. Of course, he knew the melon was sweet; the Dongling melon from Chang'an was famous for its cooling properties. However, his mood was terrible, and he had no appetite for any melon.

Is Liang Xiao sending me a melon to suggest I give up? Dongfang Shuo naturally made this connection and pondered the hidden meaning.

"Thank you, Liang Jun, for the melon." Dongfang Shuo took the melon, gave a bitter laugh, and his usual arrogance was gone, leaving only dejection. "I still need your guidance."

"Brother Dongfang, aren't you going to think about it more? This small problem, with your intelligence, you should be able to figure it out in three to five days at most."

Dongfang Shuo was stunned for a moment, feeling like cursing. With my intelligence, a problem that takes three to five days to solve is still a small problem? If it were any other time, he would have sarcastically retorted. But now, he said nothing and turned to leave. After calculating for so long without a clue, he doubted he could solve it in three to five days. Before finding a solution, he didn't want to boast and risk being looked down upon by Liang Xiao.

Dongfang Shuo took the melon and walked away quickly. As he passed under a tree, he saw Liu Ling smiling, which made him even more annoyed. He thought for a moment, walked up to Liu Ling, bowed, and smiled slightly, "Princess, you are here as well."

"Yes, I heard that Dongfang Jun came to ask Liang Xiao a question, and I, overestimating my abilities, came to broaden my horizons. With your knowledge, you must have returned victorious. This melon... could it be a prize you won? Liang Xiao is really too stingy."

Dongfang Shuo shook his head. "I dare not hide it from the Princess. I also failed to solve his problem and was just about to discuss it with Deng Jun. If the Princess is interested, perhaps you could offer some guidance as well."

"I dare not, I dare not." Hearing Dongfang Shuo admit his defeat, Liu Ling's smile became even brighter. She gave Deng Guobin a meaningful look, urging him to try harder and win back the face for the Huainan王府. Deng Guobin gave a bitter laugh; he had clashed with Dongfang Shuo before and knew he was no match. If Dongfang Shuo couldn't solve the problem, he certainly couldn't either.

However, he didn't dare admit his inability in front of Dongfang Shuo, or he would lose his place in the Huainan王府.

These days, finding a place to eat isn't easy.

Sure enough, when Dongfang Shuo explained Liang Xiao's problem, Deng Guobin was stunned. Formulate it into a formula? Can this even be formulated into a formula?

Dongfang Shuo tossed the melon in the air and caught it, laughed heartily, and walked away.

After being frustrated by Liang Xiao, he finally vented his anger on Deng Guobin.

Deng Guobin's face turned green and red, his head almost touching the ground, and he didn't dare look at Liu Ling. It was clear that Liu Ling was very angry.

Liu Ling was indeed very angry. But after a moment's thought, she smiled again.

"If I can't recruit such talent, how can I face my father? Let's go and see him."

Lei Bei responded and led Liu Ling and her group to the melon field. From a distance, Liu Ling saw Liang Xiao's figure. Liang Xiao stood by the melon field, standing tall. After a few months, he had grown taller, almost matching Lei Bei in height, and his demeanor was even more composed.

Liu Ling got off her carriage by the melon field and walked gracefully to the side, smiling. "Liang Jun, how have you been?"

Liang Xiao bowed in greeting. "Princess of Huainan?"

"Hehe." Liu Ling raised her sleeve to cover her mouth, her eyes curved with a hint of cunning and satisfaction. "Did you come to greet me because of my status?"

Liang Xiao shook his head. "It is out of gratitude to the Princess. If not for the gift from the Princess, I would have been homeless and unable to focus on archery. A drop of water's kindness should be repaid with a spring of water. Now, I am penniless and have nothing to offer in return, so I can only come to greet the Princess to express my gratitude. In the future, I will find an opportunity to repay the Princess's kindness."

"Since that's the case, why not accept my invitation and join the Huainan王府 to serve me?"

Liang Xiao shook his head. "The Huainan王府 is full of talented and learned scholars. I am just a man with a basic understanding of archery, whose only wish is to fight on the battlefield and earn merit. Joining the Huainan王府 and serving the Princess would not be my desire. I hope the Princess understands."

Liu Ling hesitated. Liang Xiao had made his intentions clear. He wanted to earn a title and a fief by serving in the military. If he joined the Huainan王府, he would only be a retainer and would have no chance to fight. Liu Ling wanted to tell him that her father would become emperor, and he would have the opportunity to lead troops and earn a title, but she couldn't say that now.

Liu Ling's eyes twinkled. "Everyone has their own aspirations, and they cannot be forced. Since you are determined to serve in the military, I will help you. Do you know the Marquis of Pingyang?"

Liang Xiao thought for a moment and shook his head. The title of Marquis of Pingyang was familiar, but he couldn't recall who it was.

"The Marquis of Pingyang is a descendant of Chancellor Cao, and his wife is the current emperor's sister, the Princess of Xinyang. The Marquis of Pingyang's household is recruiting knights. With your archery skills, you should consider applying. The emperor is very close to the Princess of Xinyang, and joining the Marquis of Pingyang's household might give you a chance to meet the emperor."

Liang Xiao remembered. The Marquis of Pingyang's household was where General Wei Qing rose to prominence. He wondered if Wei Zifu had already been taken into Emperor Wu's palace. However, he had no beautiful sister, and he couldn't replicate Wei Qing's success. Moreover, from Liu Ling's expression, if he really joined the Marquis of Pingyang's household, his reason for not joining the Huainan王府 would seem weak.

"Thank you for the advice, Princess. However, I still want to join the military and start as a common soldier, earning my merit through hard work. No matter how noble the Marquis of Pingyang's household is, can it be more noble than the Huainan王府? I have never met the Marquis of Pingyang, so why should I seek a distant opportunity and reject the Princess's kindness, living in someone else's shadow?"

Liu Ling's lips curled slightly, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Her gaze on Liang Xiao became even more intense, and she added a touch of sympathy.

"Liang Xiao, your desire not to rely on the powerful and to earn your merit through hard work is truly commendable. However, this is not an easy task. Take the Flying General Li Guang, for example, who is famous throughout the land and has held the rank of 2,000 stones multiple times, yet has never been ennobled. Cheng Bishi and Han Anguo, both renowned generals, have also had bumpy careers and are far from being ennobled. In today's peaceful times, your desire to earn a title through military service is very remote."

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