Gu Ya and Prince Ning met during an arithmetic competition when Prince Ning came to town in search of the old dowager princess at Prince Qi Residence. He chanced upon Gu Ya's extraordinary skill in arithmetic, seeing such prowess for the first time. Gu Ya was not just proficient in using the abacus but also in mental calculations—the most formidable Prince Ning had ever witnessed.
At that time, Prince Ning had a stack of account books that also needed attention. Having met Gu Ya and witnessed his exceptional skills, he ordered his subordinates to find Gu Ya and was willing to spend silver to have Gu Ya help with his accounting. Since Gu Ya also needed silver and Prince Ning was willing to pay, Gu Ya was naturally willing to work for Prince Ning. Thus, Gu Ya got acquainted with Prince Ning.
While helping Prince Ning with his accounts, Gu Ya and Prince Ning grew even more familiar. Gu Ya admired Prince Ning's magnanimity and Prince Ning admired Gu Ya's talents.
