After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

"This is the most important book in our sect."

"Have you heard of 'The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art'? Most of the things here are actually from 'The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art'... Don't be afraid... Well, the numbers and some symbols are a little different..."

"Why use these symbols and numbers...? For convenience, no less..."

"These are actually things I've been writing down over the past ten years or so, and I've only managed to compile them into this book in the last few months..."

"The font is all colloquial... and the language is vernacular, without any classical Chinese..."

……

The moment the book was opened, Gongsun Heng felt dizzy and her breathing became labored.

Ning Nan glanced at the female disciple's gaze and noticed that she was reading the book from top to bottom and from right to left. He quickly pointed to the paper with his finger and said:

"Our sect's books... are all read horizontally from left to right... Why are they written like this... Hmm... Just consider it a habit of our master..."

Gongsun Heng's phoenix eyes widened in surprise.

Following my master's instructions, I looked at the image horizontally from left to right, and immediately felt much better, with my eyes and mind feeling much more comfortable.

Master Ning took the tea that Chunyu poured for him. Chunyu, the little maid, looked around curiously. After hearing the master say casually, "Gongsun, wait a moment, you will copy each of these ten Arabic numerals a hundred times," she quickly ran off.

Gongsun Heng suddenly looked up, her face tense, thinking she had misheard something, and exclaimed "Ah!"

Master Ning glanced at her and repeated himself without any politeness.

"Master..." The female disciple's face fell instantly. "Didn't you say you were going to teach me how not to be bullied by the Tartars? Copy, copy what... what numbers..."

A hundred times… Gongsun Heng’s face twitched, her mind screaming: What… what…

Master Ning extended his left hand and tapped the book, saying solemnly, "Hmm, trust your master... This is the martial arts manual your master will teach you to avoid being bullied by the Tartars..."

Gongsun Heng swallowed hard.

"oh,"

Ning Nan suddenly remembered something, glanced at the female disciple whose face was somewhat pale, and smiled:

"Master's left-handed handwriting isn't great... um... before you copy the numbers, write an article for Master first..."

He then ordered someone to prepare a side room to serve as a study for his female disciples, and arranged for a stove and hand warmer to be placed there.

Gongsun Heng sat down at the desk, somewhat dazed, her hand almost unable to hold the pen. "Shouldn't we be teaching the great principles of the sages?"... She was still completely baffled, her mouth slightly agape, unable to close it...

……

……

December 23rd.

It snowed in Nanjing again for another day.

The heavy snow broke countless withered branches outside the Ning residence. After a "creak," there was a "thud" as the withered branches and snow fell to the ground.

When Ning Nan, carrying elegant items such as Duan inkstones and ink sticks, opened a paper umbrella and went to visit the "Grand Master" Li Xiangsong, he was a man of refined taste.

Today's Nancheng Daily published a short story entitled... "Boiling Wine on Mount Hua".

The newspaper said that Du Kang, the legendary wine connoisseur, loved wine and beautiful scenery and traveled all over the country.

One day, Du Kang traveled to the top of Mount Hua, but heavy snow blocked the mountain, and he was unable to return for three days.

Du Kang stood atop the mountain and saw the vast landscape as white as ever. He then ordered his servant to gather firewood, boil water, and brew wine, saying that he would enjoy the beautiful scenery while drinking.

Just then, an old man emerged from behind a strange rock, sniffing, and asked, "Who's brewing wine?"

Du Kang laughed and said, "It is I, Du Kang."

The old man snorted, "What kind of wine is this?"

Du Kang said, "This is Du Kang wine, wine brewed by Du Kang himself."

The old man scoffed and said, "Du Kang is the Sage of Wine, and he has been dead for at least three thousand years. You call yourself Du Kang and blow such a big conch shell. Aren't you afraid of biting your tongue?"

Du Kang was greatly surprised and said, "I'm perfectly alive, how come I've been dead for three thousand years?"

The old man scoffed, his white hair and beard blending seamlessly with the snow-capped peaks. Ignoring the idiotic ramblings, he said:

"Legend has it that Du Kang's wine is mellow, fragrant, and can intoxicate even immortals. Your wine smells just like that, but I wonder what it tastes like."

Du Kang stretched out his hand and said with a smile, "Old man, please give it a try."

The boy used a bamboo tube to fetch wine and brought the old man a bowl of wine.

The old man took a sip, smacked his lips twice, and said:

"No, the flavor is strong enough, but the wine is too cold; it's not Dukang wine."

Du Kang was taken aback and said, "Cool? How could this be?"

After saying this, he ordered the boy to add firewood to the fire.

The firewood is burning brightly.

As soon as the fire started, steam rose instantly, and the aroma of wine filled the mountain.

After a while, Du Kang took some wine himself, tasted a cup, and found the wine to be incredibly delicious. He felt that the taste of the wine was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, and he was greatly comforted.

He ordered the boy to fetch another cup for the old man, but Du Kang said proudly, "Old man, please drink this cup."

The old man took another sip of wine, smacked his lips twice, and continued to shake his head, saying:

"No, the taste is alright, but the wine is too hot; it's not Dukang wine."

Du Kang looked very surprised and said, "Old man, why do you say the wine is too hot? Does this wine have to be neither too hot nor too cold to be called Du Kang wine?"

The old man chuckled proudly and said, "If it weren't so, how could it be called Dukang Wine?!"

Seeing this man's arrogance, Du Kang also became eager to compete with him.

He immediately continued to control the fire, adding firewood when the old man said it was too cold and reducing it when the old man said it was too hot.

As Du Kang tasted the wine back and forth, he felt that the last batch, whether "cooled" or "heated," was almost identical, but the old man was still not satisfied.

He then gave up in despair.

He shook his head and laughed, "Old man, you are a fool, a fool indeed. You have wasted my fine wine and the magnificent snowy scenery of Mount Hua."

However, despite his denial, Du Kang still said:

"What you say, sir, is not entirely without merit. The wine you just brewed was just the right temperature. For me, Du, to be able to drink this wine amidst this snowy wind and snow is a fitting reward for the beautiful scenery. I thank you, sir."

The old man scoffed, grunted twice, downed the last cup of wine in one gulp, and said, "So-so. This isn't some legendary Du Kang wine; it's barely acceptable. Why thank me?"

Du Kang didn't take the man's attitude to heart. After chuckling, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful and said:

"What a pity! What a pity... It's a pity that you forced me to add or remove firewood, which is how I managed to brew this wine that is both hot and cold. If I were to brew wine myself in the future... I'm afraid I might not be able to brew such a perfectly fine wine."

Although the old man felt that Du Kang's wine hadn't reached its peak, after drinking dozens of bowls, he was quite enjoying himself and laughed:

"Haha, kid, although you're impersonating Du Kang and claiming you can brew Du Kang wine, which is a fraud, your wine... hmm... is actually quite good. Come, let me show you what real Du Kang wine is..."

That's all.

The old man pulled out a red and green glass rod from his pocket and said proudly:

"Hey kid, watch your step!"

As the wind and snow blew, the old man stuck the glass rod into the wine. His old eyes were fixed on the glass rod, and he ordered the boy to add or remove firewood, causing the fire to rise and fall in waves.

Not long after.

The old man shouted, "Good!"

The glass rod was immediately taken out.

He then took out a cup of brewed wine from a bamboo tube, handed it to Du Kang, and said boldly, "Drink!"

Du Kang picked up his cup and drank.

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

After a sip of alcohol, his eyes gleamed! His brows furrowed instantly!

"Excellent! Excellent wine!"

Du Kang shouted "Good!" three times!

The wine's temperature and warmth blend together, making the drinker feel as if they are one with the heavens, as if they are floating in the mortal world!

Du Kang first thanked the old man profusely, then pointed to the glass rod in the old man's hand and asked in great surprise, "May I ask, sir, what is this? Is it a celestial artifact? A divine artifact?"

At this time.

The wind and snow swept in, swirling wildly across the sky.

Du Kang's eyes were clouded by the wind and snow, and he could not see anything. For a moment, he could not see the old man three feet away clearly, but he could hear the old man's faint voice coming from the snow:

"Hahaha, kid, this is indeed a divine object! This divine object was made by the ancient wine sage Du Kang... and it is called the Du Kang Ruler..."

Du Kang laughed upon hearing this:

"Old man, why do you need to deceive Du Kang again? I am Du Kang, and Du Kang is me. I have never controlled any Du Kang..." Before he finished speaking, the wind and snow had stopped. Du Kang was greatly surprised and looked around... but the old man had disappeared... There was no one in front of him...

Returning from Mount Hua.

Du Kang missed not only the old man but also the taste of the wine from that day, and he never forgot it for ten years.

Twenty years later, Du Kang went to Mount Hua three times, but he never saw the old man again.

Ten years later, Du Kang recalled the appearance of the Du Kang Ruler in his father-in-law's hand, buried himself in the mountains, and painstakingly researched and crafted it, oblivious to the passage of time.

My temples are already frosted with age, and the grass and trees have withered and flourished.

One day, heavy snow fell.

A long howl echoed from the mountains.

An old man laughed heartily and left behind a divine object, as well as a stone tablet recording the story of brewing wine on Mount Hua in the past.

It is said that if someone with the right destiny finds out, they should take this divine object to Mount Hua, meet an old man, hand him the object, and say:

"Du Kang has already made the Du Kang Ruler!"

A thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye.

One day, a woodcutter went up the mountain to chop firewood and accidentally found this magical object. Upon seeing the stone tablet, he was moved by Du Kang's sincerity and went to Mount Hua to live in seclusion and find the old man.

The woodcutter, following the method of using the Du Kang ruler, drank wine all day long, fully appreciating the taste of fine wine, and felt as if he were a drunken immortal.

He searched for years, and even as he grew to seventy, he still couldn't find any old man.

On that day, heavy snow blocked the mountain. The woodcutter, with his white hair and beard blending in with the white snow, lay asleep in a drunken stupor atop Mount Hua.

Just then, a fragrant aroma of wine wafted over.

The woodcutter twitched his nose, sniffed, and woke up.

Open your eyes and walk around from behind a strange rock.

Amidst the swirling snow, a young man and a boy were seen brewing wine on the spot.

The aroma of wine filled the air, something he had never seen before in his life.

The woodcutter's mouth watered, and he asked, "Who's brewing wine?"

The young man turned his head and saw that it was an old man, so he smiled and said, "It is I, Du!"

……

……

"Bang!"

Inside the Fu Lai Tavern, a man slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly. His beard and hair stood on end, and he felt a chill run from his tailbone to the top of his head. He shouted:

"Damn it!"

"This young man..."

His eyes were red-rimmed, his hair was straight, he gripped the newspaper tightly, his whole body trembling and his scalp tingling as he said:

"Could it be Du Kang, the legendary inventor of wine!"

"Brother He, who else could this young man be but Du Kang?" another man asked, waving a newspaper around.

"The Du Kang Ruler!" someone shouted from inside the restaurant. "What is the Du Kang Ruler?"

"Is there such a thing as a 'Du Kang Ruler' in this world?"

"Exquisite craftsmanship...exquisite craftsmanship...truly worthy of the title 'Saint of Wine'! Truly worthy of the title 'Ancestor of Wine'!"

"Great perseverance! Great courage!"

"The ancestor of wine?! The ancestor of wine indeed!"

"..."

……

The wind and snow were howling.

The three characters "Du Kang Ruler" became an instant sensation in Nanjing, along with the story of Du Kang, the woodcutter, encountering immortals across time and space.

Inside a house in Nanjing.

Ning left the study, looked up at the sky, and saw that the snow was falling on his head, face, and shoulders, with one snowflake landing right in his eye.

I opened a paper umbrella and looked away.

Wearing a pair of blue boots, he stepped out of the gate of Grand Secretary Li Xiangsong's house through the soft snow.