The "Trading with Ideas" area was the most crowded place in the building, filled with people from all walks of life wearing different clothes.
When Elara reached the entrance, she saw that the people inside were roughly divided into two groups. One group sat on high platforms around the hall, sipping tea and watching the others solve problems.
The second group stood in the hall, each holding a bamboo slip. Some frowned in deep thought, some looked conflicted and hesitant, and others were writing quickly.
The questions from the Lianyi Building were displayed on rows of bamboo slips hung behind the clerks. These bamboo slips were arranged in five levels, from the top of the wall downward.
The top level, the first rank, had the largest bamboo slips. Only three of them were hung high across the wall from left to right, each showing a difficult question.
The second level had smaller bamboo slips, but there were more of them. The third, fourth, and fifth levels followed, each with more slips but less difficulty. The higher the level, the harder the question.
Because the top-level questions were too difficult, Lianyi Building did not hide them. They displayed the three large bamboo slips openly so anyone could see the questions without needing to step forward.
Most of the people in the hall were solving fifth-rank questions. A few rare ones worked on fourth-rank slips.
Each person had incense burning next to them. Those with fourth-rank questions had two sticks burning, while fifth-rank had one. Clearly, each problem had a time limit.
Even fifth-rank questions were hard for these people. More than ten stood solving them, but most of them frowned, stuck in thought.
Suddenly, someone shouted excitedly, "I solved it! I solved it!" and walked toward the checker in front.
The crowd made noise too, discussing the difficulty of the question and whether the person had gotten it right as they watched the checker compare answers.
If the answer was right, the person would receive a token of that difficulty level and go upstairs to trade for a reward. If the answer was wrong, they would leave disappointed.
After entering the area, Elara led Uno to the viewing section at the sides.
After watching for a while, Elara noticed something interesting. People who answered difficult questions successfully could either trade the token themselves or sell it to a wealthy or powerful person nearby.
These rich and powerful people would then use the token to go upstairs and make the trade themselves.
When Elara saw the first person who solved a fourth-rank question being stopped by a wealthy buyer for a deal, she paid attention to the reactions of Lianyi Building's guards and clerks.
They had no reaction at all. The buyer who received the token went upstairs and soon came down looking satisfied.
Clearly, this kind of deal was quietly allowed in Lianyi Building.
Elara found it more interesting and took a light sip from her teacup.
After watching for a while and figuring out both open and hidden rules in the area, she stood up and walked toward the wall with the bamboo slips. She only stopped when she reached the front and looked up at the topmost three slips.
Even though nobody had solved the top three questions since they were hung up, they had become a symbol of Lianyi Building. Almost everyone came to look at them.
So, Elara's action wasn't too unusual. Most people who glanced her way did so only because she was a woman.
After all, this was a place filled with men. Most women who cared about their reputation stayed away.
Although Elara was fully covered, women nowadays loved wearing makeup and dressing up. Few would come here like her, so many men looked at her a few more times.
But that was all. After looking at her with either contempt, curiosity, or mockery, they all looked away again.
Until… Elara, after reading the three top slips, suddenly stepped into the hall with Uno and walked straight to the clerk handing out the bamboo slips.
"Huh? Huh?! She's going to solve a problem?!"
"Whose daughter is this? Not even wearing makeup, and she's here at Lianyi Building trying to do what she can't even understand?"
They had seen her walking around earlier and looked down on her, but they said nothing because of the rules of Lianyi Building.
Now, seeing her step forward to take a question, those men who believed only men could study and solve problems couldn't stay quiet. They began mocking and shouting:
"Hey! This is a rare sight! I've watched here for years and never seen a woman step into the hall to take a problem. Has she forgotten her place? Doesn't she feel ashamed?"
"Showing her face in public! Disgraceful behavior! This kind of woman is just shameless! Does she think that veil hides her? Coming here just to make a fool of herself! She's ruining the last pure place in Plumera City!"
"Today, I'm going to enjoy watching this lady choose a question. Let's see how long it takes her to solve it—if she even can. Maybe she'll just stand there crying after the incense burns out. Ha!"
"Hmph! A woman should stay home, serve her husband, raise children, and read books made for women. She probably can't even read a proper word. How shameful her father and brothers must be!"
This was the kind of prejudice and unfair treatment that all women in this time had to suffer.
"Then, do you want to solve the first problem or the second problem?"
As he spoke, he added, "The first and second problems each have a private room, and the solving time is much longer. The second problem gives you three days. During these three days, if you have no place to stay, Marigold City will cover your food, clothing, and lodging. As long as you solve the problem after three days or provide several useful solving methods, Marigold City will give you rewards based on your contribution."
"The first problem allows fifteen days. During these fifteen days, Marigold City will also provide you with everything you need to eat and travel. At the end of fifteen days, if you offer helpful ideas or methods, you will also get corresponding rewards."
Elara raised her eyebrows slightly. The owner of Marigold City was indeed very clever. This was a way to gather talents through these problems.
If Marigold City were in another kingdom, Elara might have praised it a bit. But now that it was in Plumera Kingdom, and it collected talents only from Plumera Kingdom, she felt no joy about it.
"But," the clerk's tone changed after finishing the introduction, his face becoming more serious. "If you choose the second problem and after three days fail to provide any useful ideas or methods, or only copy existing solutions, Marigold City will consider this cheating. You will be permanently banned from Marigold City and never allowed to enter again."
"As for the first problem, Marigold City will check every two days. If you fail to come up with any useful ideas or methods for four consecutive days, the same punishment applies."
Elara agreed with these rules very much.
She nodded and then decisively chose, "The first problem."
The clerk was surprised again. Seeing Elara answer so quickly after his explanation, as if she did not care about the permanent ban, or perhaps she was confident?
The clerk looked at Elara twice more. Unfortunately, the thick veil covered her face, so he could not see anything. He could only bow respectfully and tell her to wait while he prepared.
Outside, men angry about Elara's gender and feeling insulted saw the clerk respectfully leading her into the inner problem-solving room. They became even more excited, shouting and cursing loudly.
"What? She actually went into the inner problem room?"
"Hah! A woman daring to choose the first or second problem? I say, if she solves it, I will write my surname backwards from now on!"
"Hmph! Today I really open my eyes. I've never seen such a shameless woman! Does she think she can delay time inside and sneak away quietly? I will stay here for days to see her come out with her tail between her legs! Then she will be banned forever from Marigold City!"
"I thought this young lady was just playing around. But she actually dares to mock the sacred hall. She thinks the first and second problems of Marigold City are easy for anyone? Hah! Only a few people solved the first problem in years, and that was a unlucky top scholar taken by the princess. Even the third problem has only a few solvers. This woman is shameless! Truly ignorant and fearless. Does she think this place is for her to play with makeup? I feel ashamed for her family!"
"An insult to the saints! An insult to the saints, ah!"
The noisy curses and mockery continued in Marigold City's hall. Yet some guests, either wandering knights or wealthy young masters, stayed quiet. They leisurely sipped tea, watching the drama with interest.
Other guests in different areas heard that a woman was trying to solve the first or second problem and hurried over, joining the shouting and anger.
Elara was already walking quickly with the clerk to the inner room door. Hearing the angry curses outside, as if they feared she might not hear, she took a deep breath and thought for a moment. Then she stopped and turned back.
She really did not want to deal with these narrow-minded and arrogant trash today. She only had fifty days left to live and many things to rush to do.
But these trash were so noisy that if she did not handle them, she feared she would be restless until night.
The "Exchange for Rest" area was now crowded. Seeing the woman who just entered the inner room come out again, some old scholars holding books and looking pale, as if they had studied their whole life without passing, suddenly became even more excited. They raised their hands and pointed at Elara, cursing loudly.
The clerk who had opened the inner room door turned back and saw Elara coming out again. He hurried out as well.
Seeing the whole hall in chaos, the clerk frowned. He was about to ask the guards to restore order but saw that the woman nearby, amid the raging curses, was not afraid. Instead, she raised her head slightly, her slender back straight, and her veiled face looked calmly at the angry men around her. Then she suddenly laughed softly:
"Since you all look down on me so much, let's make a bet."
The angry men, both nobles and scholars, were shocked by her calmness. It was as if they had not insulted her at all.
Their angry voices softened for a moment, then grew louder with disgust and contempt:
"A bet? What bet? You are just a woman. Your very presence insults the saints. You want to bet with men? Hah, really..."
Elara did not want to hear the meaningless trash. She interrupted them with a mocking tone:
"What? Are you afraid? You all think I am just a woman, illiterate, and definitely can't solve the problem? Then why hesitate now? What are you afraid of? Or do you secretly fear that I, a shameless woman, will actually solve this problem that none of you men, who claim to know the saints well, can solve? If that happens, ha, ha, your faces will be ruined. You will all become old-fashioned fools with a shameful reputation worse than mine."
Sure enough, these old-fashioned scholars who had read so much could not resist the provocation, especially when it came from a woman they looked down on.
Young and old scholars suddenly raised their voices:
"Afraid of you? Hmph! Just a woman! How dare she insult the saints with sharp words! They say women are less than clothes! Are we afraid of clothes? Afraid of you?!"
Elara smiled, seeing they were provoked enough. She did not reply with more trash talk. Instead, she suddenly took out a purple jade the size of a goose egg from her sleeve. It was very clear and beautiful.
In this time, jade was the most expensive luxury. Especially such a finely carved, smooth, and delicate purple jade. It was a top-quality piece. Even the noble merchants who had been watching carelessly straightened up immediately. Their eyes fixed on the purple jade in Elara's hand.
Elara placed the jade on the clerk's desk, then looked around:
"Since you are not afraid, let's bet and see if I, a woman, can solve that problem or not."