Chapter 60: A Change in Calculation Methods

Li Xiaogong was now even more eager to work with Du Chengfeng; the thirty percent share of profits was not at all a loss. This Du Chengfeng seemed not only a rare genius but also a prodigy in business. His brief explanation, just eight words, left Li Xiaogong with the feeling of sudden enlightenment, as if a veil had been lifted from his eyes. Moreover, from Du Chengfeng’s tone, it was clear that these were merely surface ideas; there must be deeper, more intricate plans yet to be revealed.

“So, Brother Chengfeng, when do you think we should begin our partnership?” Having witnessed Du Chengfeng’s business acumen, Li Xiaogong suddenly felt that such talent ought to be drawn in quickly.

“Your Highness, the renovation plan will require considerable funds in the future. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider? To be clear, I won’t be investing a single coin myself!” Du Chengfeng asked playfully.

“Haha! After meeting you today, I am filled with confidence. I believe you won’t disappoint me, will you?” Li Xiaogong stroked his half-white beard, his smile meaningful.

“Your Highness shows great decisiveness. In that case, I will not let you down,” Du Chengfeng replied calmly.

“So, what must I do?” Li Xiaogong inquired.

“There is much Your Highness needs to do. First, you must acquire at least twenty acres of land surrounding Wangjiang Pavilion, and all the existing buildings must be demolished. Is that something Your Highness can manage?” Du Chengfeng gazed intently at Li Xiaogong, his expression serious.

Twenty acres—such an expanse was considerable. Even as a prince, Li Xiaogong’s face changed upon hearing this. The area around Wangjiang Pavilion was filled with various shops belonging to different nobles of Chang’an, and at the back, several small family estates were connected. To purchase them all would be challenging, though not impossible; it would simply require time.

After considering carefully for a moment, Li Xiaogong nodded resolutely. “Very well, leave it to me. It will just take some time.”

“There’s no rush. We can launch new dishes in the meantime to accumulate funds. Once all the land is acquired, we can proceed with the renovations,” Du Chengfeng said.

Li Xiaogong breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good, that’s good. Brother Chengfeng, if you have any other requests, let me hear them all at once.”

Du Chengfeng pondered; many items in his plan didn’t exist in the Tang Dynasty and would need to be redesigned from scratch.

For instance, card rooms, billiard rooms, and so forth—skilled craftsmen would be essential, as he only had two hands himself. He also needed to send one of his own trusted accountants to the premises, someone he would have to select carefully. The current bookkeeping methods and calculations in the Tang Dynasty were far too complicated and unintuitive, making Du Chengfeng’s head spin. He intended to find someone who could learn modern accounting methods and use Arabic numerals for bookkeeping, which would be more efficient and easier to audit.

“Your Highness, I still require a batch of skilled craftsmen: carpenters, masons, kiln workers, and blacksmiths,” Du Chengfeng stated in one breath.

“Oh, and since I’ll have a thirty percent share in Wangjiang Pavilion, I’d like to assign an accountant of my own. Surely that’s not an issue? Your current methods are just too cumbersome!” he couldn’t help but complain.

Li Xiaogong wasn’t particularly bothered by the request for craftsmen; such workers were necessary for the renovations and could be recruited easily enough. But Du Chengfeng’s comment about complex bookkeeping methods piqued his curiosity. Could this young man also be proficient in mathematics?

“Brother Chengfeng, do you also have expertise in mathematics?” Li Xiaogong squinted, intrigued.

Du Chengfeng grinned and called Manager Lu over to the couch. In front of both men, he wrote out ten Arabic numerals on rice paper.

Li Xiaogong and Manager Lu stared at the ten strange symbols in bewilderment.

“What kind of script is this?” Li Xiaogong asked, puzzled. Manager Lu craned his neck, equally curious.

Du Chengfeng took up his brush and, beneath the ten Arabic numerals, wrote the corresponding ten traditional numbers, explaining, “These are digits I invented. You may call them Arabic numerals. Each digit corresponds to one of our dynasty’s numbers, from one to ten. Their advantage is in being more intuitive and facilitating calculation.”

He then picked up another sheet of rice paper and swiftly wrote out the multiplication table familiar to modern schoolchildren, adding the symbols for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division below. When he finished the table, he wrote several multiplication problems involving numbers in the hundreds on another sheet.

Single- and double-digit multiplication was too simple to showcase the speed and efficiency of modern arithmetic; only calculations involving hundreds of digits could truly impress.

To achieve maximum effect, Du Chengfeng pushed the sheet toward Manager Lu. “Manager Lu, how long would it take you to solve these problems with your method?”

Manager Lu frowned deeply, clearly troubled. “Brother Chengfeng, I estimate at least a quarter of an hour,” he admitted, embarrassed.

Mathematics was not highly valued in the early Tang, and even those with the best foundation would require about fifteen minutes, Du Chengfeng guessed, for such calculations. Manager Lu’s estimate was actually quite respectable.

Li Xiaogong also looked uneasy; as far as he knew, quarter of an hour was indeed the limit for such large multiplication problems.

“Very well. Now, let me show you,” Du Chengfeng said, pulling over another sheet. He rewrote the problems using Arabic numerals, and, following the multiplication table, produced the answers in less than half a minute.

“So fast?” Manager Lu was dumbfounded, his mouth agape, unable to describe his shock.

Li Xiaogong was equally astonished; this method of calculation was entirely outside his realm of experience.

Du Chengfeng regarded the stunned pair and spoke slowly, “This is the efficient calculation method using Arabic numerals. With the multiplication table, even an eight-year-old child could achieve such speed.”

“What? Even an eight-year-old?” Manager Lu was once again floored.

Li Xiaogong, meanwhile, thought to himself: if the Imperial Academy could teach this method and table, what a sensation it would cause. No, as soon as these negotiations concluded, he must report this to the Emperor at once.

“Don’t be surprised, Manager Lu. If you memorize the table on this sheet and learn the calculation formula, anyone can reach this level of speed. Don’t worry—after we finish our business, I’ll teach you,” Du Chengfeng said calmly.

Hearing this, Manager Lu was so moved he was nearly in tears, and of course, didn’t forget to tuck the multiplication table into his chest.

Du Chengfeng chuckled, “Manager Lu, there’s even better to learn—are you interested?”