gnovel Chapter 20 If you're not capable, don't spout nonsense.
Chapter 20 If you're not capable, don't spout nonsense.
The expressions on everyone's faces were priceless: first astonishment, then ecstasy, and finally a deep sense of defeat.
Looking at each other again, their eyes held a deep, unspeakable ruthlessness.
After what happened before, everyone's enthusiasm was greatly reduced. What should have been a one-hour review took two hours to complete, and they were still slowly calculating.
Shen Ce didn't care about the two of them dawdling. The world could turn around even without the crown prince, let alone the two of them. He had someone bring him chairs and started making tea at the table.
After finishing a pot of tea, the two were still battling with numbers, one hand holding a pen and the other constantly wiping the sweat from their foreheads.
After downing two jars of tea, the manuscript papers on the table had piled up high, the official robes had long been thrown aside, and the scholar's demeanor was no longer a concern. He was shirtless, his brows furrowed.
As noon approached, Shen Ce noticed that the urine was as white as it could possibly be, so he walked towards Wan Lushi.
He was amused after just one glance. The family temple, in retaliation for Shen Ce's kindness in treating them, had meticulously cataloged the twenty-nine damaged roof sections, providing only projected areas instead of lengths. Flat tiles and barrel tiles were counted separately, and even the eaves tiles and drip edges were accounted for individually. The budget was precise down to the last document...
I feel sorry for their petty official for a minute. This task is much tougher than the eight dishes he left behind. The memorial, folded into the shape of a book, is more than seven feet long when unfolded. It's truly a battle of gods, where the little devils suffer.
The memorial begins by stating that the roof of Yichun Palace was damaged in two places, one approximately 2.5 feet square and the other approximately 1.2 feet square, requiring a total of 185 glazed tiles (both flat and cylindrical). Note: Glazed tiles are 1 foot long and 8 inches wide. Flat tiles are stacked in the direction of water flow, with 6 parts overlapping and 4 parts exposed; cylindrical tiles are stacked 5 parts overlapping and 5 parts exposed. The slope is 1:5. Flat tiles cost 72 qian (approximately 60 grams), and cylindrical tiles cost 85 qian (approximately 45 grams)...
The person was actually quite kind; they even provided a slope. Otherwise, these two would have been completely lost.
Shen Ce stood silently behind him, grinning. Wan Jigang, who was writing furiously, seemed to feel the tremors of the floor tiles. He turned his head to look at the sky outside, and then glanced at Shen Ce behind him.
He sighed and said, "Lord Shen, shall we call it quits... I simply cannot verify the true ingredients used."
Liu, the registrar, also gave a wry smile and quickly echoed, "Our family has students from the Imperial Academy who studied mathematics, but... we all study the Four Books and Five Classics, which makes calculations quite complicated."
"Furthermore, the budget they submitted this time is 30% lower than the last time. We've done our duty, so why don't we step in and submit it accordingly?"
As Liu Lushi finished speaking, his voice grew softer and softer, and he dared not look at Shen Ce any longer.
"You mean we should invite one too? That would be too embarrassing."
Shen Ce returned to his chair with his hands behind his back and said indifferently, "Let me tell you, it was the Imperial Household Department that was rude first, treating our Imperial Household Department like fools. If we don't investigate this thoroughly this time, and all the departments in the department use this tactic in the future, what if something goes wrong and our superiors blame us... will you bear the consequences?"
Human desires are endless.
Wan Lushi seemed to be thoroughly tormented by the numbers. He threw his pen on the table and said in a serious tone, "This humble official has verified that their reported budget matches the facts. If Lord Shen has no objections, please sign it and submit it."
"If the calculation cannot be completed today, all officials in the Registrar's Office are forbidden from leaving their posts."
Wan Jigang also lost his temper. Having been threatened earlier and then spent more than an hour calculating the muddled accounts, he blurted out, "No one in our Court of Imperial Sacrifices can accurately calculate the true amount of materials used. If anyone can, I will resign immediately."
"Oh, is Lord Wan trying to slip away now? This dynasty is not like the Southern or Northern dynasties, where you can just resign from your post. Even if you resign, you will still be held accountable if problems with money and grain are discovered later."
Wan Jigang, of course, understood the implication in Shen Ce's words: he suspected Wan Jigang of dishonesty. He didn't respond, but simply picked up a pen and handed it to Shen Ce...
The intention is clear: if you can do it, then you do it.
Shen Ce chuckled, brushed aside Wan Lushi's arm, and called out towards the door, "Bring me yellow paper and charcoal pencils."
Having graduated from a civil engineering university and passed the national civil service exam amidst fierce competition, if I couldn't even calculate such a simple budget, wouldn't I have wasted my time?
Shen Ce worked swiftly, first using trigonometric functions to calculate the actual area, then based on the dimensions, he calculated that a 2.5-foot square tile required ten layers vertically and eight rows horizontally, totaling eighty flat tiles and sixty-four barrel tiles...
Wan Lushi, who was standing to the side, was quite disdainful when he saw Shen Ce abandon the brush and switch to charcoal. He thought Shen Ce was indeed an illiterate scoundrel. However, seeing that Shen Ce wrote so quickly, it did not seem like he was forging a story. So he boldly peeked out and watched. Before long, Shen Ce stopped writing and a large piece of yellow paper was thrown straight at his face.
"Take a good look and see if my calculations are correct. If you're not capable, don't spout nonsense. Don't go around saying that the Court of Imperial Sacrifices can't verify other people's budgets; that would be too embarrassing."
Shen Ce threw down the charcoal pencil and put his feet up on the table.
Wan Jigang peeled the yellow paper off his face, his eyes wide open. It was covered with triangles and a bunch of strange symbols he didn't recognize. At the end, it was written in Chinese characters: "80 for flat tiles, 64 for cylindrical tiles".
"How...how is this calculated?" Wan Lushi asked in a trembling voice.
"What, you want to learn?" Shen Ce raised an eyebrow: "After you finish your shift in a few days, bring two strings of cash to my residence as tuition."
Seeing that the two of them remained motionless, he said with dissatisfaction, "Do I have to calculate all the miscellaneous expenses and losses for you?"
The two men hurriedly said they dared not, and studied the yellow paper for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out. They hesitated and said, "There are still twenty-eight places that we haven't calculated. Could this humble official please ask you, sir..."
You idiot, you idiot.
Shen Ce was furious and yelled, "Do you even know what a ratio is? It's an estimate based on area ratio!"
It was quite comical to see two men in their forties being verbally abused by a young man who had barely reached twenty, and they didn't dare to talk back.
So the two of them huddled together, pointing and gesturing at the yellow paper.
Manager Qian, who had just finished his chores, walked in with his hands behind his back. Seeing that Shen Ce's bowl was empty, he thoughtfully refilled it for him.
Shen Ce rolled his eyes: "If you have nothing to do, go help out. I've had enough tea."
Manager Qian gave an awkward smile, cupped his hands in greeting, and went off to do his work.
The two on the left, guided by Shen Ce, calculated very quickly and soon completed most of the review. Meanwhile, Manager Qian on the right sat in his chair for a long time but did not write down many numbers.
Another one who can't count? Shen Ce sighed and called him over: "I'll tell you, you write it down."
"Material handling involves vertical transportation and horizontal transportation, and the costs of the two are different. Vertical transportation should be limited to one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters), and the cost will increase if it exceeds this limit."
"For horizontal transport, merchants have a delivery distance limit; if it exceeds this limit, the cost will increase."
"The Crown Prince has just moved to a new residence, and bloodshed is inappropriate. Therefore, appropriate measures should be implemented to ensure the safety of laborers and artisans. This budget will be supported by this government..."
Using modern engineering cost estimates is simply outclassing. Insurance premiums can't be increased, or you'll be criticized. A few craftsmen might die, but the superiors won't care. You can only use reasons that don't involve bloodshed to provide some protection. Does he know what kind of people are in charge of implementing this? The lives of the laborers are treated worse than leeks.
As for taxes, whose taxes are you going to collect?
Qian, the head clerk, stared blankly at Shen Ce. The head clerk was a former soldier and also an expert in mathematics.