Chapter 58: Manifesting Holiness Before Others

Chen Ping had come here at the invitation of Magistrate Wang to participate in the registration for the imperial examination for child prodigies at the county government office.

The child prodigy examinations of the Dayu Dynasty were specially established to discover prodigies from all regions.
Anyone under the age of fifteen who possessed the ability to thoroughly understand the classics, compose poetry and prose, master mathematics, or exhibit any other special talents was eligible to take the test.
First, the county would report to the prefecture, and after review by the prefectural government, the names would be submitted to the imperial court. Once inspected by the Imperial Academy, the candidates were sent to the Secretariat for a re-examination, and those who passed would then be tested personally by the emperor himself.

The assessment for prodigies was generally divided into two parts.
The first part evaluated the prodigy's area of specialized expertise, commonly known as their special talent—and Chen Ping's special talent was mathematics.
This was the arena where the prodigies displayed their individual brilliance, and whether one passed the examinations at various levels depended primarily on whether their specialized talent was dazzling enough.
The second part assessed basic writing standards. This section only required the young scholars to write essays no weaker in quality than those of an ordinary elementary degree holder (xiucai).
After all, the students were still young and possessed virtually no life experience; forcing them to write essays expressing deep concern for the country and its people would truly be asking too much.

Presently, Chen Ping's greatest weakness lay in essay composition.
A recommendation for the child prodigy examination could not be achieved overnight, even with the county magistrate's nomination.
For instance, a prodigy recommended by the magistrate had to first pass an evaluation by the county school instructor before the official list could be submitted to the prefectural office.
This checkpoint existed precisely to prevent any farces from occurring—so that a magistrate, acting in a moment of muddled thinking, would not directly recommend a mediocre talent—while also serving as the first round of screening to weed out those who merely made up the numbers.

Thus, inside the county office, Chen Ping had his first encounter with this elusive county school instructor.
He was a textbook example of an old pedant, walking with a swaying gait and fixing people with a heavy, scrutinizing gaze.
With a stern face, he first stepped closer to look down at the pint-sized Chen Ping.
Then, he glanced sidelong at Magistrate Wang and Old Master Ye standing beside him, his eyes filled with profound skepticism.
At his advanced age, he had little need to care about sparing the county magistrate's face.
This was also dictated by the requirements of his profession: he judged people purely on their talent and learning, refusing to fawn over noble lineage or high status.

Chen Ping did not make a fuss; instead, he bowed respectfully to pay his respects, simply wishing to get the process over as quickly as possible.
The old instructor asked meticulously, "The candidates recommended by the county must undergo the prefectural examinations alongside the prodigies from all other counties!"
"Does His Honor the Magistrate truly believe that this child will not disgrace the reputation of our Yongshun County?"
Clearly, seeing Chen Ping's tender age, he had concluded that the boy was unequal to such a heavy responsibility.

Faced with the stubborn and rigid old instructor, neither Magistrate Wang nor Old Master Ye knew what to do, and both turned their gazes toward Chen Ping.
Under the instructor's skeptical gaze, Chen Ping did not flinch.
Instead, he addressed the senior scholar with relaxed ease, saying, "This junior has been studying mathematics under my master for only a short time, and I dare not boast of any great attainments before senior."
"Yet, compared to those so-called prodigies from other prefectures and counties, this junior is confident that he can surpass his peers!"

Though spoken respectfully, the tone was dripping with unbridled arrogance.
At these words, the old instructor cracked a smile, gently clapping his hands as he said, "Good boy! Setting aside whether you possess true talent and practical learning for the moment, this spirit of yours is truly extraordinary!"

"In all my years of teaching, my students have never lacked those of exceptional natural talent, but those who achieved the highest honors were not them!"
"Instead, those little fellows who displayed a resolute and decisive spirit from a young age, refusing to yield easily to defeat, went much further in their futures."

To the old instructor's praise, Chen Ping offered no false modesty, but directly cupped his hands and said, "Many thanks for your praise, Senior. This junior will certainly not fail your expectations!"
Hearing this, the old instructor's laughter grew even louder.
It seemed the boy's spirit and ambition were even more confident than he had imagined.
Of course, he could not let Chen Ping off the hook easily on the strength of a few big words, and he promptly tossed out a problem before the assembly:
"The area of a rectangular field is eight hundred and sixty-four steps, and the sum of its length and width is sixty steps. What is the difference between the length and the width?"

Hearing this problem, Magistrate Wang, who came from a literary background, sensed nothing amiss.
Old Master Ye, however, had already furrowed his brows.
This problem involved the profound arts of the Celestial Source and extraction of roots—such advanced and esoteric mathematical techniques were things he had not yet taught Chen Ping!
Meanwhile, the corners of the old instructor's mouth curved in a smile; clearly, he deliberately wanted to dampen Chen Ping's arrogance.
Naturally, this was merely a question beyond the standard curriculum rather than a true examination prompt, so even if Chen Ping failed to solve it, it would not cost him his chance.
At most, the old instructor would use the occasion to squeeze some benefits out of Magistrate Wang—whose financial and grain stores had recently been abundant—to subsidize the impoverished students at the county school.

Old Master Ye frowned and tilted his head slightly, preparing to explain the difficulty of the problem to the bewildered Magistrate Wang beside him.
However, before his teacher could speak, Chen Ping had already formulated a system of simultaneous linear equations in his mind.
To solve a system of simultaneous equations using the mathematics of this world—even knowing those cumbersome, secret methods—would still require a great deal of scratching and scribbling on paper.
Chen Ping required no such trouble; he did not even move a brush or touch ink. Instead, closing his eyes for mental calculation, less than ten breaths of time passed.
Before he knew it, the answer slipped effortlessly from his lips: "Twelve steps!"

Old Master Ye drew in a long, cold breath to steady his trembling, turbulent mind.
He was on the verge of standing up and shouting: To obtain such a fine disciple, what more could a teacher ask for?
In contrast, the old instructor froze for a moment, then lowered his head in disbelief, leaning close to the sheet of paper in his hands to carefully examine the answer he had prepared long in advance.
Twelve steps!

Upon confirming the answer, the first thought that crossed the old instructor's mind was not a sigh of wonder at encountering a rare prodigy.
Instead, it was the suspicion that the problem and its solution had somehow been leaked.
Otherwise, there was simply no logical explanation for why a seven-year-old child could solve this problem within ten breaths.
It was utterly impossible!

The old instructor put away his previous condescension, his serious expression resembling that of a teacher returning to the classroom.
With a low and steady voice, the old man slowly spoke: "Next, I shall pose a second problem. If you can still solve it using mental calculation, your examination today will be considered passed!"
"Young man, do you dare to try?"

The difficulty of this problem would undoubtedly surpass any question the instructor had prepared previously.

Faced with the instructor's gaze, which was laced with intense skepticism, Chen Ping showed neither fear nor anger, meeting it with calm composure.
He replied placidly, "Please present the problem, Senior. If this junior cannot solve it, I will voluntarily forfeit my qualification for the child prodigy examination!"
What an extraordinary degree of confidence it took to voluntarily raise the stakes in such a setting.
Chen Ping could easily guess what the old instructor was doubting.
Furthermore, Chen Ping knew very well that no matter how he explained or how many words he wasted, the old instructor would never believe him.
The only way was to continue displaying his mathematical mastery, using concrete evidence and undeniable strength to dispel every last shred of suspicion.

Sure enough, upon hearing Chen Ping's bold words, the old instructor narrowed his eyes instantly, rapidly deducing a new problem in his mind.
Magistrate Wang and Old Master Ye, standing to the side, also began to tense up.
After a long while, the old instructor finally spoke his problem:
"Now we have roosters, each worth five coins; hens, each worth three coins; and chicks, three for one coin. With one hundred coins, one buys one hundred chickens in total. How many roosters, hens, and chicks are there respectively?"

The moment the old instructor finished reciting the problem, Old Master Ye stood up indignantly.
Was this an examination? This was blatant and deliberate harassment!
With a flushed face, Old Master Ye rebuked him on the spot: "Well, Elder Instructor, your official majesty is truly terrifying to behold!"
"If you were to pose this problem within the county school and have those students who have already attained academic degrees try to solve it, let's see how many could work it out!"

Though scolded to his face in public, the old instructor paid it no mind; his gaze remained fixed entirely on the silent Chen Ping.
He wanted to see whether this boy had come prepared, having somehow obtained the answer to the previous question in advance.
A young child, accustomed to the pampering of his elders, would inevitably fall into profound panic when faced with such an unsolvable, difficult problem in front of a crowd.
Once panicked, flaws would naturally emerge.
He was even beginning to consider when his examination questions could have been leaked and where he should begin his investigation.

Little did he know that Chen Ping had already finished his mental calculations in silence.
Lifting his head, he met the old instructor's gaze with a pair of clear, untroubled eyes.
A jolt ran through the old instructor's heart as an absurd thought forced its way into his mind and refused to be suppressed.
Could it be...?

In a voice that was low, calm, and steeped in unshakable certainty, Chen Ping answered:
"This problem has three solutions. The first solution: 4 roosters, 18 hens, and 78 chicks."
"The second solution: 8 roosters, 11 hens, and 81 chicks."
"The third solution: 12 roosters, 4 hens, and 84 chicks!"

The scene fell into a dead silence, as quiet as an empty valley!