Chapter 88: A Night Without an Empty Seat

Emperor Hongzhi’s pupils began to contract, still seeming incredulous. Perhaps… it was just a stroke of luck.

Otherwise, how could Fang Jifan complete it in just a few days, while dozens of civil clerks in the Ministry of Revenue, all skilled in arithmetic, had taken more than half a month to finalize the numbers? Could Fang Jifan truly be the Star of Literature descended to earth? Did the Fang Family really have such talent?

He narrowed his eyes, a gleam shining through, and continued comparing the numbers. There was also a discrepancy in the silk figures: one record showed 790,540 jin, while the other broadly stated 790,000 jin. However, the difference of 540 jin was negligible, as losses occur during the storage and transportation of money, grain, and silk. Thus, theoretically, both the Ministry of Revenue’s calculation and Fang Jifan’s calculation were correct.

Emperor Hongzhi’s arm trembled slightly.

That guy… was he really the Star of Literature descended to earth?

What kind of karma had the Star of Literature accumulated to descend and attach itself to such an unreliable person?

He squinted his eyes, focusing intently as he compared each number one by one. The more he compared, the more astonished he became, because… almost every number showed no significant discrepancy.

When he reached the last page of both ledgers, Emperor Hongzhi looked up in a daze, as if waking from a dream. He glanced blankly at Zhu Houzhao, then at Li Dongyang.

Li Dongyang had already noticed something unusual, but he remained calm as always. Still, he muttered to himself, “What… could it be that these two ledgers…”

No…

He quickly dismissed the thought. As the Minister of Revenue, he knew all too well about financial calculations. If Fang Jifan could accomplish this alone in just a few days, then what were the dozens of people in the Ministry of Revenue’s northern and southern archives doing? Were they just idle?

But Emperor Hongzhi took a sharp breath and murmured, “Exactly the same.”

Exactly the same.

Li Dongyang felt as if struck by lightning.

It wasn’t that he was jealous of talent, but… he simply never expected something like this to happen.

Zhu Houzhao widened his eyes. “Exactly the same? So Old Fang didn’t miscalculate? Haha… Imperial Father, what did I say… what did I say… I always said you were blind and couldn’t recognize talent. See, I was right. I knew Old Fang wouldn’t lie to me, haha…”

He laughed wildly, overcome with joy.

After his initial shock, Emperor Hongzhi came to his senses. Watching Zhu Houzhao’s unrestrained behavior, he frowned slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

That sharp gaze swept over Zhu Houzhao, making him shudder. His arrogant expression instantly softened. His legs went weak, and he knelt with a thud. “Your Son and Servant deserves ten thousand deaths. Your Majesty is wise and discerning, with a keen eye for talent…” Without hesitation, he admitted defeat, though inwardly, he was immensely proud. Old Fang had vindicated him.

Emperor Hongzhi seemed lost in thought. He glanced down at the ledgers on the desk, took a deep breath, and said, “Let Minister Li take a look.”

The Eunuch hurriedly took the ledgers and handed them to Li Dongyang. Li Dongyang quickly lowered his head to compare them. After a moment, he was utterly astounded. “How could there be such a remarkable person? This Fang Jifan… his intelligence borders on the supernatural.”

“Bordering on the supernatural” was not a compliment.

Li Dongyang quickly added, “What I mean is, Fang Jifan is truly unbelievable.”

Emperor Hongzhi nodded. Suddenly, he remembered something. “Didn’t Fang Jifan send a letter to the Ministry of Revenue, offering to teach his calculation method?”

Li Dongyang had mentioned this before.

But…

Li Dongyang’s face twitched, and he was momentarily speechless. After a long pause, he forced a bitter smile. “Yes, but… it was torn up. Chief Registrar Wang Wen’an found it laughable, thinking it was Fang Jifan… insulting the Ministry of Revenue’s northern and southern archives. No one took it seriously…”

In truth, Li Dongyang had mentioned this matter before. At the time, Emperor Hongzhi hadn’t thought much of it. But now… Emperor Hongzhi slammed the desk. “How could it be torn up? Why didn’t anyone examine it carefully? This is… absurd.”

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Emperor Hongzhi felt strange. Noticing Zhu Houzhao looking at him with a peculiar expression, he suddenly realized… it seemed… when the Crown Prince brought the ledger, he himself was no different from Wang Wen’an. He had found it unbelievable and dismissed it as nonsense. And yet…

Emperor Hongzhi straightened his face and glared fiercely at Zhu Houzhao. “Houzhao, go to Qianning Palace to attend to the Grand Empress Dowager and your Empress Mother.”

Zhu Houzhao wanted to say something but swallowed his words. Obediently, he replied, “Your Son and Servant takes his leave.”

After Zhu Houzhao left, Emperor Hongzhi signaled to the attending Eunuch, who also withdrew.

Only Emperor Hongzhi and Li Dongyang remained in the Warm Pavilion.

Sovereign and minister looked at each other in silence.

In their hearts, both were still reeling from the shock.

That Fang Jifan… he really was a prodigy.

After a long while, the sound of firecrackers could be heard in the distance.

Emperor Hongzhi sighed. “Tell Wang Wen’an to go and request the calculation method again. Inform him that if he fails, I will not spare him.”

Li Dongyang shook his head inwardly. There was no other way. This calculation method was truly astonishing and unbelievable. With such a miraculous method, not only the imperial court but also local financial matters could be handled with twice the efficiency.

“Your old minister obeys the decree.”

“This…” Emperor Hongzhi fell silent for a moment longer. “What do you think of Fang Jifan, Minister Li?”

This was the first time Emperor Hongzhi had seriously asked Li Dongyang for his opinion on Fang Jifan.

Previously, he had never asked because, in Emperor Hongzhi’s mind, Fang Jifan was just a child.

But now, it was clear that Emperor Hongzhi no longer saw Fang Jifan as a child. Instead, he regarded him as a future minister.

Li Dongyang closed his eyes, remained silent for a while, then opened them again. “He is the Crown Prince’s sword.”

“Oh?” Emperor Hongzhi fixed his gaze on Li Dongyang.

Li Dongyang’s expression remained unreadable as he spoke slowly. “The Crown Prince is young and inexperienced. When the time comes for him to Inherit the Throne, he will need a sword for protection. Although Fang Jifan occasionally acts recklessly, Your old minister observed that he took the initiative to write to the Ministry of Revenue to teach his calculation method. This shows that he understands what is important. This person is unfathomable…”

Using the term “unfathomable” to describe a young man left Li Dongyang somewhat helpless. He continued, “He is a sharp weapon. If he remains by the Crown Prince’s side, Your Majesty need not worry.”

Such high praise.

Emperor Hongzhi had expected Li Dongyang to hold some prejudice against Fang Jifan.

If it were Xie Qian, he might have thought that while this young man had talent, his character was questionable.

But Li Dongyang, though usually reserved, often spoke profound words. Emperor Hongzhi smiled slightly, curious to hear what else Minister Li had to say.

Li Dongyang went on. “Your old minister finds most intriguing… a sword is a sharp weapon. It can harm others, but it can also harm oneself.”

Emperor Hongzhi’s heart tightened. This was not a comforting thought. Indeed, a sharp sword could injure others and be wielded easily, but… one had to consider whether its edge, if too sharp, might eventually harm the wielder.

“And this sword… the most intriguing part…” Li Dongyang’s eyes grew distant, the candlelight in the hall reflecting in his pupils. He spoke slowly. “The most intriguing part of this sword is that it can harm others but will not harm its wielder.” Then, he sighed with emotion. “Throughout history, wise emperors and great generals have sought such a sharp divine weapon to conquer all directions. Though divine weapons are rare and hard to come by, they are not always perfect. How many have used such weapons to harm others, only to be eventually consumed by the sword itself.”

Emperor Hongzhi fell into deep thought. He was well aware of the lessons from past and present, so he remained silent in contemplation.