Chapter 307: It

The first problem was still the most common "chickens and rabbits in the same cage" problem. For candidates who could reach this stage, it was not difficult, and basically, everyone could solve it.

For Duan Xiu, it was even less of an issue.

He didn't even need to pick up a pen; he could calculate the answer just by thinking about it.

Duan Xiu smiled with disdain.

Then he looked down at the second problem.

"Crowdfunding for shopping: if everyone contributes eight coins, there are three coins left over; if everyone contributes seven coins, there is a shortage of four coins. Question: How many people are there in total? What is the value of the goods?"

This problem was a bit interesting. Although it couldn't be called difficult, it was enough to make most people count on their fingers for a long time.

Duan Xiu nodded with satisfaction.

Very good. I hope the following problems will be even harder and won't disappoint me.

His gaze fell on the third problem.

"A chicken seller reports the price: roosters are one coin each, hens are three *wen* each, and three chicks are worth one *wen*. Zhang San has a total of one hundred *wen* in his hand and wants to buy one hundred chickens. Question: How many roosters, hens, and chicks are there?"

If he hadn't been in the exam hall, Duan Xiu would have almost laughed out loud.

That's right, this is the kind of problem I want!

It looks simple, but it's the easiest to make mistakes on; if you aren't careful, you'll miss a count.

Even he himself would have to spend quite a bit of time to get the correct answer, let alone a candidate like Jiang Zhan who came from a small, broken county.

Duan Xiu's heart settled halfway.

With a smile on his lips, he continued to look at the fourth problem below.

"There is a long staircase. If you take two steps at a time, there is one step left; if you take three steps at a time, there are two steps left; if you take 【missing text】 steps at a time, there are four steps left; if you take six steps at a time, there are 【missing text】 steps left; if you take seven steps at a time, you finish exactly, with not a single step left. Question: How many steps are there in this staircase?"

Duan Xiu's smile froze on his face.

What kind of ghost problem is this? Why have I never seen it before?

He suddenly had an ominous premonition and hurriedly looked at the last problem.

"There is a square city, and I don't know the area. There is a gate in the middle of each of the four walls. If you walk twenty steps out of the north gate, there is a tree. If you walk fourteen steps out of the south gate and then turn west and walk 1,77【?】 steps, you can see the tree. Question: How many steps should each side of the city be?"

Cold sweat broke out on Duan Xiu's forehead.

He closed his eyes, trying hard to imagine the appearance of the city in his mind: open the gate... walk steps... turn... see the tree...

It's over. It seems... I can't do it??

Duan Xiu's head was buzzing, and for a moment, it was blank.

This Su Qingyao, he told him to make it harder, but he didn't say make it *this* hard!

Duan Xiu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Don't panic. Even I can't do it, so others definitely won't be able to either. Since no one can do it, it won't have any effect.

It's just a pity I can't use arithmetic to win back a city...

He quickly reformulated his strategy in his mind, planning to focus on the first three arithmetic problems and the two exam poems. Exam poems were something he was always good at. Even if he tied with Jiang Zhan, there were still the arithmetic problems.

Jiang Zhan could solve at most two problems. As long as I have one more than him, first place is secure.

Thinking of this, confidence finally returned to Duan Xiu's face, and he began to seriously think about the exam poems.

In the neighboring cell at this time.

Jiang Zhan was also full of surprise.

It wasn't that he was surprised at how hard the problems were, but that these types of problems had all been taught by his sister-in-law!

If it weren't for the fact that they were phrased differently and the numbers were different, he would have suspected that his sister-in-law had run out in the middle of the night to steal the test questions.

Since that's the case...

Then let's just solve all the arithmetic problems first.

Jiang Zhan spent half an hour solving all the answers to the problems, verified them repeatedly several times, and after confirming they were correct, he copied them onto the test paper.

Then he rested for a while before picking up his pen to write the poems.

Perhaps because the arithmetic problems went smoothly, his mood was very relaxed, and inspiration erupted like a volcano, continuous and endless.

Soon, both exam poems were completed in one go.

Jiang Zhan put down his pen and looked up at the water clock on the invigilator's platform, discovering that it wasn't even noon yet!

He sat blankly for a quarter of an hour, thinking about a question.

Should I hand in the paper early?

Is it too early?

At this moment, a slight sound came from the neighboring cell, as if someone was flipping through papers.

Jiang Zhan was thoughtful.

After a long while, he suddenly smiled, dark light flowing in his eyes.

Immediately after, he reached out and rang the bell.

A bailiff walked over immediately to ask, "Buying food or going to the latrine?"

Jiang Zhan smiled, "Handing in the paper, thank you."

Handing in the paper?

The bailiff picked at his ear and turned to look at the water clock over there, suspecting he had heard wrong.

Handing in the paper early is normal, but handing it in before noon...

It really is unprecedented.

Unless it's some blockhead who really can't answer and doesn't care whether they pass or not.

But the bailiff knew Jiang Zhan; he was the first place in the first round, so how could he be a blockhead?

The bailiff took the test paper with both hands and, full of doubts, sent it to the invigilator's platform.

"My Lord, someone is handing in their paper!"

Su Qingyao had slept late last night and had gotten up early this morning to watch people prepare the test papers; he was exhausted and was napping against the back of his chair.

He was startled by the sudden movement.

He hurriedly opened his eyes and perked up, "Oh, is that so? Someone is handing in their paper? Then present it."

Secretary Gongsun Ang immediately stood up, took the test paper from the bailiff, placed it on the desk, and laughed, "Master, I said before that the problems were too hard and I was afraid no one would be able to hand in their paper early today. I didn't expect that each generation has its own talents; someone really finished so quickly."

Su Qingyao didn't think so.

"Hmph, it's possible to finish, but whether it's correct or not, that's hard to say."

He knew how hard the problems he set were. Among the candidates present, one by one, not to mention getting them all right, if anyone could get four arithmetic problems right, he would take his head off and let them use it as a ball to kick!

After saying this, Su Qingyao looked at the test paper in front of him nonchalantly.

What met his eyes was a piece of extremely beautiful calligraphy—magnificent and atmospheric, clean and strong, as if written by an otherworldly, elegant young master, handsome but not effeminate.

Su Qingyao suddenly widened his puffy eyes.

Jiang Zhan?

He hurriedly went to look at the name.

Heh, it really is that little guy!

Su Qingyao's first reaction was—it's over. He definitely couldn't solve the arithmetic problems, so he gave up and handed in the paper after writing the two poems, planning to just walk away.

Otherwise, how could it be so fast?

He didn't even bother to look at the exam poems first and hurriedly flipped to the second page.

Eh, he actually finished?

"Master, are the answers correct?" Gongsun Ang asked from the side.

These problems were all set by Su Qingyao early in the morning; except for himself, no one knew the answers.

Including Gongsun Ang.

Like all the candidates, Gongsun Ang only saw the test questions when the exam started. He had complained a lot at the time, saying the problems were so hard that even he, a *Juren* (successful candidate in the provincial exam), couldn't solve them, and he was afraid it would lead to gossip later.

But Su Qingyao had his reasons, saying that although arithmetic was at the end of the Six Arts, it was the most practical when applied to human affairs.

So adding more and making them harder was not a problem at all.

Since Su Qingyao said so, Gongsun Ang naturally listened, and he even calculated for a long time himself, only to find that except for the first three problems, he couldn't solve any of the last two.

So he wasn't sure about the answers either. ===== CHAPTER 308 =====