Given the following question:
Six people share 40 pounds of gold evenly. Which means we have to divide 40 by 6.

Which means each person will get 6 2/3 of gold.
Now for the second part:
Subtract 1 2/3 from the result, which means we subtract 1 2/3 from the solution

After subtracting 1 2/3 from the evenly split gold each person will get 5 pieces of gold.