The immortal of the Tang Dynasty, but the game starts at Xuanwu Gate?

Three days later, Chen Huai'an finally had some time. After the morning court session, he went to the East Palace.

"Duke Anguo"

The eunuchs and palace maids along the way already knew him, and they all bowed to him when they saw him.

Chen Huai'an waved his hand: "Using job titles during working hours, what about the Crown Prince?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince is at the Hongwen Hall. This servant will take you there." A eunuch offered to lead the way, but Chen Huai'an refused.

"Never mind, you go ahead with your work. I know the way, I'll go by myself." Chen Huai'an shook his head and headed towards Hongwen Hall on his own.

Although Chen Huai'an hadn't come before, Li Chengqian would come here every morning to review his lessons and read books, as would Cheng Chumo and the others.

They dared not forget Chen Huai'an's words, "Make yourself worthy of everything you have," so even though they knew they weren't cut out for studying, they still came to learn every day.

Today is no exception.

I thought I wouldn't be able to wait for Chen Huai'an today, but to my surprise, Chen Huai'an pushed open the door and walked in.

"teacher!"

The little ones got excited as soon as they saw him.

To them, Chen Huai'an was simply the best gentleman!

I don't force them to study, but guide them by telling them stories, teaching them various principles of life, and helping them make money and achieve merit.

I would never hit them; I always treated them as equals.

Putting everything else aside, even for this last point alone, Chen Huai'an deserves their respect.

"Alright, everyone, please sit down."

Chen Huai'an sat down and looked around, saying, "I've been quite busy lately, so I've missed some classes. I hope you don't mind."

The group of teenagers quickly shook their heads.

"What you're doing is a great thing, how could we mind? How could we possibly mind?" Li Chengqian said earnestly.

Chen Huai'an remained noncommittal: "Let's not talk about this anymore. I once said that I would teach you real skills, my specialty."

"Do you... want to learn?"

"Yes! Yes!" Cheng Chumo nodded hastily. "Who doesn't know how capable the master is? Who wouldn't want to learn his signature skills?"

Li Chengqian said somewhat embarrassedly, "Sir, I would also like to learn."

Li Zhen and Tang Heshang both nodded in agreement.

"Alright, you guys are really honest!" Chen Huai'an laughed, thought for a moment, and said, "I used to hesitate a lot about what to teach you. Politics? I do have some insights and some different perspectives."

"Manufacturing power? Economy? I know a little about that too. Remember what I said before? The stone tools were phased out and the bronze tools appeared, which led to an improvement in manufacturing power. But with the advent of iron tools, the well-field system collapsed uncontrollably."

"The so-called manufacturing base determines the superstructure!"

"Teaching you this is not impossible, and I can even talk about the two legendary techniques. But I think now is probably not the right time to teach you."

"So what does the master intend to teach us?" Li Chengqian did not question Chen Huai'an's words. He believed that the master would not lie to him, and he would learn whatever the master taught him.

"It's very simple, just two words," Chen Huai'an smiled faintly, "It's a deal!"

"Does it count?" Li exclaimed in shock, somewhat incredulous.

Whether it's politics, or the manufacturing power and economy that Chen Huai'an talks about, they all sound quite impressive.

When Chen Huai'an spoke to them about the social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants last time, they listened with rapt attention and even felt that they had gained some understanding.

Even these poor students were able to gain some insight and understand the essence of many things they hadn't paid attention to before.

It is easy to imagine how capable Chen Huai'an is, and how profound the lessons he teaches are.

I thought that even if Chen Huai'an didn't teach them these things first, he should at least teach them some other slightly simpler but still decent things.

They simply couldn't believe that what Chen Huai'an was going to teach them was so simple.

"Do you find it incredible?" Chen Huai'an asked back.

The boys exchanged bewildered glances. Tang Heshang scratched his head. "It's not that I find it unbelievable, it's just that..."

"Are you feeling disappointed?" Chen Huai'an spoke for Tang Heshang, saying what he hadn't finished saying.

Tang Heshang immediately nodded: "That's right, sir. Your summaries are always very insightful."

"That's normal," Chen Huai'an said calmly. "If it were me, I would feel the same disappointment."

"You might think that arithmetic is something any accountant could teach you, and that it's not worth me coming here to teach you."

"But I'm telling you, arithmetic isn't as simple as you think. What I'm going to teach you isn't just simple accounting."

A hint of reminiscence appeared in Chen Huai'an's eyes: "Once, an old man told me that arithmetic is the foundation of everything, the essence of everything, even the truth!"

"If you learn this knowledge, many things are not as difficult as you imagine."

Upon hearing this, the boys immediately became interested.

Yes, how could they forget?

Could the arithmetic that Chen Huai'an is going to teach be simple arithmetic?

This is Chen Huai'an, who has been in the position of Minister of Revenue for just over a month and has already thoroughly investigated the Ministry of Revenue's accounts!

"Sir, is the old man you mentioned your teacher?" Li Chengqian asked curiously.

Chen Huai'an was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, he is a very capable teacher, someone I admire for life."

"But I'll never see him again."

He was referring to his math teacher from his previous life.

The Chen Huai'an of today is naturally gone forever.

Li Chengqian said apologetically, "I'm sorry, sir."

"It's alright." Chen Huai'an waved his hand and said seriously, "I know that mathematics is a skill for you. Although the Imperial Academy has a mathematics department that teaches the 'Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art' and the 'Zhoubi Suanjing', it is not considered a pure and noble subject. You all study Confucian classics and believe that this is the way to govern the country."

"But I must tell you, whether you are governing a country, serving as an official, or becoming a general, you must learn arithmetic. Only by learning and mastering this skill will you not be fooled by your subordinates in the future."

"You may not understand now, but one day you will thank me for what I am today!"

Li Chengqian was somewhat looking forward to it. He really wanted to see how Chen Huai'an's arithmetic differed from the arithmetic school at the Imperial Academy.

"Look closely, this is one!"

Chen Huai'an took out a piece of paper, drew a line on it lightly, and had the others write and read it aloud after him.

After he taught the little ones the numbers one through nine, an extremely strange scene unfolded inside the Hongwen Hall.

The Hongwen Hall, which used to resonate with Confucian classics, is now unusually filled with the sound of multiplication tables.

"......"