However, Luo Meixiang wasn’t afraid—let’s see what this wretched woman Liang Zhen had to say.

But before Luo Meixiang could speak, Liang Yunshan had already spoken, sounding somewhat anxious: “Zhen’er has a method? Please tell us.”

Liang Zhen nodded slightly: “Father, I need the time it takes for one incense stick to burn. Madam, please have someone bring the Four Treasures of the Study and cinnabar, and the paper should be rather large.”

Luo Meixiang couldn’t fathom what she intended to do. What time was this to be asking for such things?

With Liang Yunshan present, Luo Meixiang asked no questions and ordered someone to fetch the items.

Liang Qiong smiled and said: “I had no idea that Elder Sister possessed the talents of Zhuge Liang. Not only did she excel in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting above all the young ladies of the capital back then, but now she can even solve cases. I just wonder—since Elder Sister uses the Four Treasures of the Study to solve cases, what if she can’t solve it? Wouldn’t it be like before, making herself a laughingstock and becoming the joke of the capital?”

Liang Zhen smiled slightly and said to Liang Yunshan: “Father, Second Sister says that I was accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting back then, excelling above all the young ladies of the capital. Did Father know this?”

Liang Yunshan was stunned.

He didn’t know.

All he knew was that Liang Zhen was incorrigibly wayward, disrespectful to her elders, and incapable of anything.

Luo Meixiang’s face paled, and she forced a smile: “Alright, Qiong’er, you do love to joke with your elder sister. All the young ladies of the capital say you’re the most talented woman in the capital. You’ve always disdained such praise—why bring it up now to provoke your elder sister? Don’t you know how much mockery your elder sister endured because of this? Never speak of it again!”

Liang Zhen didn’t argue and remained sitting there as steady as Mount Tai.

Luo Meixiang suddenly felt some regret. Could it be that Liang Zhen was asking for the Four Treasures of the Study not to write or paint on the spot and let Liang Yunshan discover that she wasn’t actually a worthless person but was brilliantly talented?

This…

A thin layer of sweat appeared on Luo Meixiang’s forehead.

But after just a moment, she felt somewhat reassured. Although Liang Yunshan had also been carefully cultivated by the old marquis, he truly wasn’t particularly skilled at appreciating music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Even if Liang Zhen showed some skill, Liang Yunshan might think it was good, but he might not necessarily be able to discern what made Liang Zhen’s level excellent.

Thinking of this, Luo Meixiang felt somewhat more at ease. At this moment, the Four Treasures of the Study had been brought up. Using the table, Liang Zhen picked up the brush and began drawing and writing on the paper.

Soon, Liang Zhen had finished. She had a maid beside her hold up a painting and stand in front of her.

Everyone focused their attention and was stunned.

The happiest person was none other than Luo Meixiang, because this painting by Liang Zhen really couldn’t be called good, and anyone could have painted it—two pairs of lines with arrowheads at the ends, placed one above the other. The arrow on the upper line pointed inward, while the arrow on the lower line pointed outward.

Liang Zhen pointed at the painting and asked Granny Peng and Qiao’er: “I’m going to ask you two questions. I’ll count to three, and you must answer my questions within those three counts.”

Granny Peng and Qiao’er looked at the painting in confusion and nodded.

“First question: Do you think these two lines—the upper one and the lower one—which is longer? Or are they the same length? One, two…”

Without hesitation, both Granny Peng and Qiao’er pointed at the lower line: “The lower line is longer!”

Liang Zhen looked at the other servants: “What do you think?”

Everyone unanimously pointed at the lower line: “The lower one is definitely longer! How could they possibly be the same length?”

Liang Zhen asked again: “You all believe the lower line is longer, correct?”

Everyone said in unison: “Yes!”

Liang Zhen picked up the brush and drew a circle next to the lower line, writing a character: “Long.”

Then Liang Zhen whispered something to the maid. The maid set this painting aside and held up another one. When everyone looked, it was still very simple.

On the left side of the painting were six black solid circles surrounding one red solid circle, and the right side was the same. However, the black solid circles on the left were much larger than those on the right.

Liang Zhen pointed at the two red solid circles and said: “My second question is: which of these two red solid circles is larger? Or are they the same size?”

Everyone chattered noisily: “Obviously the red solid circle on the right is larger—how could they possibly be the same size?”

“Exactly, obviously the red solid circle on the right is larger than the one on the left.”

Liang Zhen asked Granny Peng and Qiao’er: “What do you think?”

Although they didn’t know Liang Zhen’s purpose, Granny Peng and Qiao’er answered honestly: “The red solid circle on the right is larger than the one on the left.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely certain?”

Liang Zhen wrote the character “Large” next to the red solid circle on the right.

After finishing, Liang Zhen said: “I’ve finished asking my questions. Father, they all said the lower line is longer than the upper one, and the red solid circle on the right is larger than the one on the left. Now, please have someone measure them.”

Luo Meixiang didn’t know what medicine Liang Zhen was selling in her gourd, but she wasn’t afraid either. She had also looked at these two drawings just now, and everyone’s assessment was exactly the same as her own thoughts—obviously the lower line was longer than the upper one, and the red solid circle on the right was larger than the one on the left.

Liang Yunshan was also puzzled, because clearly everyone’s assessment was correct. However, since Liang Zhen had said so, he called to Mingcha: “Go and measure them.”

Mingcha acknowledged and took a ruler to measure.

After measuring, his expression became very strange, and he stood there as if stunned.

Mingcha had come over while waiting for Lu Ye and the others. After arriving, he had remained silent standing to one side. When the young miss was doing all this just now, he had watched everything, and he too thought everyone was right. He didn’t understand what point there was to the young miss doing such seemingly meaningless things.

But now he understood.

However, this matter was significant, so he said to Liang Yunshan: “Master, please let me ask two more people to witness this together.”

Seeing him like this, Liang Yunshan knew there was something unusual. He looked at Luo Meixiang: “You designate two people to measure together with Mingcha.”

Suppressing her confusion, Luo Meixiang pointed to two maids: “You two measure together with Mingcha and report the final results truthfully.”

The two maids agreed, then measured together with Mingcha. The tasks were the simplest things—after measuring for a while, the three reached their final answer, but each wore a strange expression.

Seeing this, Luo Meixiang asked: “What’s wrong?”

One maid looked at Liang Yunshan, then at Luo Meixiang, and answered with difficulty: “Madam, these two lines are exactly the same length, and the two red solid circles are exactly the same size—not a fraction different.”

Before Luo Meixiang could speak, the thirty or forty servants present couldn’t help but chatter: “How is this possible? Absolutely impossible!”

“Exactly, obviously one is long and one is short, obviously one is large and one is small.”

“Did they measure wrong?”

Liang Yunshan was also stunned. How could this be possible? Everyone was right—obviously one was long and one short, one large and one small. However, Mingcha and the two maids had measured right before their eyes—they couldn’t have faked it.