The Legend of the Medical Concubine

Chapter 214 Qin Mufeng solves the problem with wisdom

The atmosphere in the square eased slightly because Qin Mufeng successfully solved the first difficult problem, but the tense atmosphere still enveloped everyone. A flash of surprise flashed in the eyes of the Dali Kingdom envoy, and then he regained his composure. He knew that this test of wits had just begun.

The King of Nanyue sat on the throne with a satisfied smile on his face. He looked at Qin Mufeng with his eyes full of expectation. Qin Mufeng lowered his head slightly, his expression calm, but in his heart he was quickly thinking about the problems that might arise next.

The Dali envoy cleared his throat and spoke again: "Mr. Qin is indeed very smart. Let's move on to the next difficult question. There is a circular garden with a circumference of 120 steps. Now we need to plant a tree every three steps around the garden. How many trees do we need to plant in total?"

As soon as this question was raised, the ministers of Nanyue State fell into deep thought again. Some of them calculated silently in their hearts, while others frowned, not knowing where to start.

Qin Mufeng closed his eyes and imagined the circular garden in his mind. He thought: "This is a typical closed line tree planting problem. The perimeter is 120 steps. If a tree is planted every three steps, the number of trees is equal to the perimeter divided by the interval."

Thinking of this, Qin Mufeng opened his eyes, took a step forward, and said, "Mr. Envoy, the answer to this question is forty trees."

The Dali envoy was slightly stunned and said, "Mr. Qin, please explain your answer."

Qin Mufeng said calmly: "The circular garden is a closed line. The formula for the tree planting problem is that the number of trees is equal to the circumference divided by the interval. The circumference of this garden is 120 steps, and a tree is planted every three steps, so 120 divided by 3 equals 40, and a total of 40 trees need to be planted."

Qin Mufeng's explanation was concise and clear, and everyone present nodded frequently. The Dali envoy was silent for a moment, and then said: "Mr. Qin's answer is correct. It seems that Nanyue Kingdom is indeed full of talents."

The King of Nanyue laughed loudly and said, "Qin Aiqing has once again won honor for my Nanyue Kingdom. I am deeply pleased."

Warm applause and cheers rang out again in the square. The faces of the ministers of Nanyue State were filled with proud smiles.

At this time, the sun was even hotter, as if adding more heat to this fierce test of wits. A light breeze blew by, bringing a hint of coolness, but it could not relieve the tension of the crowd.

The Dali envoy's face became a little solemn. He knew that he could no longer underestimate the Nanyue Kingdom. He pondered for a moment, and then raised another difficult question: "There is a pool. It takes eight hours to fill it with water and twelve hours to empty it. If the water inlet and outlet are opened at the same time, how long will it take to fill the pool?"

As soon as this question came out, the ministers of Nanyue State began to discuss it among themselves. Some of them wrote and drew on paper, while others calculated silently in their minds.

Qin Mufeng also fell into deep thought. He thought: "This is an engineering problem. We can regard the capacity of the pool as unit one. The speed of filling it with water is one eighth, and the speed of emptying it is one twelfth. So the speed of opening the water inlet and outlet at the same time is one eighth minus one twelfth."

After some calculations, Qin Mufeng came up with the answer. He took another step forward and said, "Mr. Envoy, the answer to this question is 24 hours."

The Dali envoy looked at Qin Mufeng in surprise and said, "Mr. Qin, please explain your answer."

Qin Mufeng said: "Take the capacity of the pool as unit one, fill it up with water at one eighth, empty it at one twelfth, and open the water inlet and outlet at the same time at one eighth minus one twelfth, which equals one twenty-fourth. So the time required to fill the pool is one divided by one twenty-fourth, which equals twenty-four hours."

Qin Mufeng's explanation made the Dali envoy admire him. He nodded and said, "Mr. Qin's wisdom is amazing. Nanyue is lucky to have such a talent as Mr. Qin."

The King of Nanyue smiled even brighter, and said, "My dear Qin, you have made great contributions to our Nanyue Kingdom. I will definitely reward you handsomely."

Qin Mufeng quickly saluted and said, "Your Majesty, it is my honor to serve the country. I dare not ask for a reward."

With the answers to the three difficult questions, Nanyue Kingdom temporarily took the lead in this test of wits. But everyone knew that the subsequent tests would be even more difficult. Qin Mufeng was also secretly alert in his heart, he knew that Dali Kingdom would not give up easily.

At this time, the atmosphere in the square became more tense. The sun was still blazing, and the breeze was still blowing gently. But everyone's hearts were full of expectations and worries, wondering what kind of problems would be waiting for them next.

Among the crowd of Nanyue Kingdom, some young officials were full of admiration for Qin Mufeng.

"Master Qin is so amazing! He can easily solve these difficult problems." said a young official.

"Yes, with Master Qin here, our Nanyue Kingdom will definitely win this test." said another young official.

On the other hand, in Dali Kingdom, some people began to discuss countermeasures.

"Qin Mufeng is indeed difficult to deal with. We have to think of a more difficult problem." said an official from the Dali Kingdom.

"That's right, we can't let Nanyue Kingdom win so easily." said another Dali Kingdom official.

In the tense atmosphere, the Dali envoy raised another difficult question: "A merchant wanted to travel a distance. On the first day, he walked one-third of the whole distance. On the second day, he walked one-third of the remaining distance. On the third day, he walked another one-third of the remaining distance. At this time, he still had 20 miles left to go. How many miles is this distance in total?"

As soon as this question came out, the ministers of Nanyue State fell into deep thought again. Some of them calculated silently in their hearts, while others showed confused expressions.

Qin Mufeng was also thinking about this question seriously. He thought: "This is a reverse thinking question. We can start from the last twenty miles and work our way forward."

After some calculations, Qin Mufeng came up with the answer. He took another step forward and said, "Mr. Envoy, the answer to this question is eighty-one miles."

The Dali envoy looked at Qin Mufeng in surprise and said, "Mr. Qin, please explain your answer."

Qin Mufeng said: "Start from the last twenty miles left and work your way forward. On the third day, after walking one-third of the remaining distance, there are still twenty miles left. So the distance left after the second day is twenty divided by two-thirds, which equals thirty miles. On the second day, after walking one-third of the remaining distance on the first day, there are thirty miles left. So the distance left after the first day is thirty divided by two-thirds, which equals forty-five miles. On the first day, after walking one-third of the full distance, there are forty-five miles left. So the full distance is forty-five divided by two-thirds, which equals eighty-one miles."

Qin Mufeng's explanation completely convinced the Dali envoy. He sighed and said, "Master Qin's wisdom is unmatched. In this test of wits, Nanyue is the undisputed winner."

The King of Nanyue stood up and said loudly: "My dear Qin, you have won the victory of this test for my Nanyue Kingdom. I will reward you greatly."

Warm cheers and applause rang out in the square. Qin Mufeng's name spread throughout Nanyue State, and he became a hero of Nanyue State.

In this fierce test of wits, Qin Mufeng won honor for the Nanyue Kingdom with his wisdom and courage. And his legendary story will also leave a strong mark in the history of the Nanyue Kingdom.

At this time, the sunlight on the square seemed to have become much softer, and the breeze gently blew on people's faces, bringing a sense of comfort. Qin Mufeng stood in the center of the square, feeling the cheers and praises of the crowd, but his heart was unusually calm. He knew that this victory was just the beginning, and there would be more challenges waiting for him in the future.

The surrounding environment also looked particularly beautiful at this moment. The magnificent buildings of the palace shone with golden light in the sun, the stone pavement on the square was clean and tidy, and the flowers, plants and trees on both sides were lush and green. In the distant sky, a few white doves were flying freely, as if they were cheering for this victory.

Qin Mufeng's eyes swept through the crowd and saw the admiration in the eyes of the king of Nanyue and the respect in the eyes of the ministers. He knew that he shouldered the heavy responsibility of the country and must continue to work hard to contribute to the prosperity and strength of Nanyue.