This night, everyone was happy to disperse, and early the next morning, a small official from the household department came to the West Gate Office to lead Chu Huan to report to the household department.

The household yamen is in the south of the city, not far from the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of War, the affairs of the three departments communicate more, so the three major yamen are in one area, as the specific action of the imperial government, the six yamen are built very broad, each door Cao strict division of labor, orderly, the household yamen to the left, next to the Ministry of Industry Yamen, the tall door hangs the word "household", there are soldiers in front of the door.

The little official took Chu Huan into the yamen of the household department, and went to inform Hu Bufan, the secretary of the household department, and only let Chu Huan wait in the courtyard.

The courtyard is very large, there are arches on both sides, leading to other courtyards, are there officials coming in and out, and when they saw Chu Huan in the courtyard, they all glanced at it with a very strange gaze.

Chu Huan was calm and composed, he had not received an official uniform at this time, he was dressed in civilian clothes, and the household department was in official clothes all over him, and Chu Huan, who was dressed in civilian clothes, looked a little out of place.

Occasionally, someone passed by, and when they saw Chu Huan, they leaned their heads and whispered, followed by weird laughter, Chu Huan knew that they didn't say anything good, but they didn't care.

He knew very well that he had just arrived, and as soon as he came over, he would be hated by many people, and if he wanted to gain a foothold in the household department, he would encounter many difficulties next.

After waiting for a long time, no one came to summon him, Chu Huan understood that this was the head of the household department to give himself a dismissal.

was waiting patiently, and suddenly saw a group of people coming out on the left, more than a dozen people surrounded an old official who was nearly sixty years old, and was coming to the side of the courtyard, Chu Huan didn't know what was going on, when he saw the old official, he saw that the official also saw himself, and then he saw someone whispering a few words in the old official's ear, and the old official's face immediately changed color, and a pair of eyes suddenly stared at Chu Huan's face.

Chu Huan bowed his head slightly when he saw him looking at him, but he soon felt that this person was full of hostility, and there was hatred in his eyes, and he couldn't help frowning.

Although some people are jealous when they first arrive, they won't have this kind of emotion like a mortal enemy, right?

But just a thought, Chu Huan seemed to think of something, his brows were slightly locked, and seeing the old official coming over step by step, Chu Huan arched his hand and said, "The predecessor is Lord Yang, right?" After entering Chu Huan, I have seen Lord Yang! ”

Chu Huan had already remembered at this time that he was transferred to the household department as the left director, and the former left director Yang Tong was transferred to the Ministry of Rites.

When he first came to the household department, this old official was so hostile to him, Chu Huan's mind turned, and he guessed that this person was the Yang Tong, and he took this person's place, no wonder this person was so hateful.

Chu Huan bowed, but the old official flashed to the side and sneered: "I can't stand it!" The voice was cold and stiff.

Chu Huan smiled faintly.

The old official said, "You are Chu Huan?" ”

"Exactly!" Chu Huan is neither humble nor arrogant.

"Chu Huan, do you think that if you squeeze the old man away, you will be able to stay in the household department?" The old official Yang Tong glared angrily: "What kind of virtue do you have, you can chant a few poems, and you think you can take care of Duzhi Cao?" Yellow-haired children, don't be favored once, they think they are omnipotent, the higher they climb, the heavier they fall. ”

Chu Huan originally saw that Yang Tong was old, and he was respectful, who knew that Yang Tong would not have good words when he came up, Chu Huan was also a little annoyed in his heart, and said lightly: "Thanks to the favor of the saint, if you are transferred to the household department, whether you can take care of it or not, you always have to give it a try." ”

More than a dozen household officials around Yang Tong looked at Chu Huan with strange eyes, and they all looked unkind.

Yang Tong sneered: "That's a good thing to say. The old man wants to see what you have to do to stay in the Du Branch. Why do you have hundreds of income and expenditure every day, you are nothing more than a relationship, and then you are transferred in, the old man can tell you that this household is different from others, there is no real ability, and if you want to stay here, you will only bring humiliation on yourself. ”

Yang Tong's meaning naturally means that Chu Huan has a relationship with King Yingren of Qi, so he will be transferred in, not that Chu Huan himself has any ability.

All the officials bowed slightly, obviously taking Yang Tong's words seriously.

Chu Huan knew that he had just entered the household department, if he was ridiculed and humiliated by them, it would be even more difficult to stay in the household department in the future, so he smiled indifferently and said: "The boss is too worried, the old man is transferred to the Ministry of Rites, and he will only worry about the affairs of the Ministry of Rites in the future. As for the ability that the boss said, Chu Huan is not talented, and it will not be useless to ask himself! ”

Yang Tong said disdainfully: "Rely on you to ride a horse and shoot arrows?" Rely on you to chant poetry? ”

Chu Huan's expression was calm, and he said, "The boss seems to be very prejudiced against Chu Huan. Although his voice was still very gentle at this time, his expression did not have the initial humility.

Yang Tong didn't give him a good face, and he didn't need to pretend.

The surrounding officials immediately exchanged heads and whispered, and many people's eyes showed dissatisfaction.

"Prejudice?" Yang Tong laughed, full of contempt, "Chu Huan, the old man is going to take up his post in the Ministry of Rites today, since he ran into you before leaving, then the old man really wants to try what skills you have, to be able to take on the responsibility of the branch!" ”

"How are you going to try?" Chu Huan frowned.

Yang Tong said: "The old man will not try the vulgar ability of horseback riding and archery, nor will he try your disease-free moaning of reciting poetry, since you claim to be competent for the position of the head of the Duzhi Cao, then the old man will have two questions, but are you qualified to be transferred to the Duzhi Cao!" ”

Chu Huan frowned, and an official next to him had already said, "Lord Chu, shouldn't you dare to deal with it?" ”

"I heard that Lord Chu is majestic in the Iron Blood Garden, majestic in all directions, and the soldiers will block the water and cover the earth, and even the saints are full of praise, and now Lord Yang is just going to ask two questions, will Lord Chu retreat?"

"Who said Lord Chu was going to retreat?" A yin and yang said angrily: "Lord Chu is preparing, right, Lord Chu?" ”

"Come on, come on, let us take a look at Lord Chu's ability, the Iron Blood Garden is prestigious, our identity is not enough, we haven't been able to see a good show, Lord Chu is here today, just let us see and understand."

Everyone, you say a word, and the voice is not without sarcasm and disdain, obviously doubting Chu Huan's ability.

Although Chu Huan is personally appointed by His Majesty the Emperor as the head of the household, everyone also knows that Chu Huan's backer behind him is only the King of Qi, and the strength of the King of Qi in the court is too weak.

The voices of the people were chaotic, and many officials gathered here and there, but in a few moments, there were twenty or thirty household officials, large and small, gathered around.

Yang Tong was squeezed out of the household by Chu Huan, and lost a lucrative official position, but he wanted to be transferred to the Ministry of Rites to be a clean water official, he was naturally extremely angry, and when he met Chu Huan today, he wanted to embarrass Chu Huan in front of everyone, kill Chu Huan's face, and also dissipate his heart.

Chu Huan saw that everyone was pointing around, and knew that Yang Tong was deliberately making things difficult in public, if he retreated, it would be difficult to raise his head in the household department in the future, and said lightly: "What question does Lord Yang want to ask?" ”

Yang Tong immediately said, "Okay." Since you dare to agree, the old man will give you two questions, if you can really answer them, the old man will be convinced! Carrying his hands, he groaned slightly, and finally said: "I don't know how many chickens and rabbits are in the same cage, and thirty-six cages are exposed." Count 50 pairs of feet, how many chickens and rabbits are there? After speaking, he smiled coldly and stared at Chu Huan.

The officials all looked at each other, and they all smiled strangely.

Chu Huan narrowed his eyes, although this question was strange, he quickly understood its meaning.

Yang Tong's question is about a chicken and a rabbit in the same cage, and the heads of the chicken and the rabbit have a total of thirty-six, adding up to a total of fifty pairs of feet, that is, one hundred feet, and calculate how many chickens and rabbits are in the cage according to this condition.

It's an arithmetic.

Suddenly, Chu Huan suddenly remembered that when he was in the Hall of Light that day, Zhou Ting had asked him if he would be able to calculate the scriptures, and he said that he understood a little at the time, but he didn't understand the deep meaning at the time, but now that he thinks about it, did Zhou Ting know that he might use the scriptures that day?

Of course, there will not only be poetry and songs, but in fact, there are many categories, and arithmetic is one of them.

Arithmetic is the arithmetic problem of later generations, the ancients actually had a deep attainment in arithmetic, Chu Huan even knew that the "Pythagorean law" of later generations had actually appeared a long time ago, and a person named Shang Gao in ancient times once said to Zhou Gong that if the hook is three, the strand is four, and the string must be five.

Although the arithmetic has been very developed in ancient times, there are not many people who are really proficient in the arithmetic, compared with the study of poetry and songs, horseback riding and archery, and the study of the scriptures is only a small number of people.

It is precisely because of this that people who are proficient in arithmetic can often find good things, even if the official position is not high, but the life is usually good, this Yang Tong is proficient in arithmetic, the Great Qin established the country, and recruited talents from all over the world, Yang Tong entered the household department because of this, with his mastery of the arithmetic, he quickly gained a firm foothold in the household department, and for more than ten years, although he was only the main thing in the household department, but Shangshu and Shilang also had to give a little thin noodles to it, and he lived a very moist life in the household department.

The question he came up with at this time was extremely difficult, Mo said that he had not learned the arithmetic, and even if he had learned the arithmetic, he might not be able to answer it, his intention was nothing more than to make Chu Huan make a fool of himself in public.

Although Chu Huan looks heroic, he has no temperament, and if he kills Yang Tong, he will not think that Chu Huan knows how to calculate scriptures, and if he asks this question, it is also recognized that Chu Huan will definitely not be able to answer.

Seeing Chu Huan frowning slightly, Yang Tong suddenly said proudly: "Chu Huan, can you answer?" You can't even answer such a question, and you still want to run an errand in the household department? Hmph, what a joke. ”

All the officials around were also talking about it, their eyes were different, and their expressions naturally did not have any kindness towards Chu Huan.

Chu Huan smiled indifferently and asked rhetorically: "Lord Yang, Chu still thought that you were academically profound and could come up with some advanced topics, but I didn't expect to come up with such a superficial question, such a simple topic, do you still need to think about it?" ”

Yang Tong and the officials suddenly changed color.

Such a difficult topic, Chu Huan actually said that it was superficial, he really didn't know that the sky was high and the earth was thick, Yang Tong was so angry that his beard blew up, and sneered: "Anyone can say big words, Chu Huan, since you said it is easy, then what is the answer you tell the old man?" ”

"It's simple." Chu Huan said confidently: "Fourteen rabbits, twenty-two chickens!" ”

Yang Tong was stunned, many officials next to him looked at Yang Tong, and some officials frowned and thought hard, but they were thinking about how to solve this problem.

"Lord Yang, is what Chu Huan said right?" Someone next to him whispered to Yang Tong.

Yang Tong took a deep breath, looked at Chu Huan, and asked, "You...... How did you figure it out? When he said this, he almost admitted that Chu Huan's answer was correct.

"It's easy." Chu Huan shrugged: "There are two ways to get results, one is the method of cutting feet, and the other is the method of adding feet!" ”

"Foot chopping?" Yang Tong didn't understand for a while: "Add a foot method? What does that mean? ”

Chu Huan explained: "The rabbit has four legs, we now cut the foot, assuming that the rabbit also has only two feet, then thirty-six, there are only seventy-two feet, but now there are one hundred feet, the difference is twenty-eight feet, these twenty-eight feet are made up again, a rabbit makes up two feet, it is fourteen rabbits, and the rest is twenty-two chickens." This is the foot chopping method! ”

Many people haven't digested it yet, but Yang Tong has already asked, "Then what is the method of adding feet?" ”

The same principle is true, that is, if the chicken has four legs, then thirty-six heads will have one hundred and forty-four feet, which is forty-four more than a hundred feet, and then cut off the two extra legs of the chicken, and the conclusion can be concluded that there are twenty-two chickens. The rest is naturally fourteen rabbits. Chu Huan wrote lightly: "Lord Yang, but I don't know if what Chu Huan said is right?" ”

Yang Tong's face was like ashes.

This question is a question that he is proud of, and it took him a few days to guess and come to a conclusion, thinking that it would be difficult for Chu Huan, who knew that Chu Huan would come to a conclusion in an instant, and came up with two ways to solve the problem, these two ways to solve the problem are not only ingenious, but also have the true meaning of the scriptures, which is really wonderful.

He didn't know that the arithmetic has developed to the next generation, and has reached an incredible realm, the wheel of the times, countless arithmetic scientists have created one miracle after another, for the old people, many difficult and complex problems, after the arithmetic methods of later generations, but it is easy to solve, this problem is very difficult in this era, but Chu Huan, who has the foundation of arithmetic in later generations, is indeed easy to solve this complicated problem.

"Lord Yang, Lord Yang, is what Chu Huan said right?" The officials next to him asked one after another, and it was obvious that even these people could not determine the answer.

Yang Tong was surprised and frustrated, sighed, and finally nodded: "Yes, he ...... His answer was correct! ”