Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 214 Debate
"Reporting to the scholar, our chances of passing this imperial examination are not very high!"

Of the group, Sheng Changbai was the first to speak.

He stood up and pondered for a moment before saying, "Of these rounds, the others are fine, but the policy essays are extremely difficult!"

Sheng Changbai frowned, seemingly remembering the topic of the policy essay.

"The topic of this essay is to examine the candidates' views on the Liang Kingdom in the north, which seems..."

Sheng Changbai glanced at the old Mr. Zhuang in front of him, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "It seems that the imperial court is intentionally probing the people's attitude toward whether our dynasty should fight or make peace with Liang?"

"It seems as if the imperial court is preparing to launch a counterattack on Yanzhou?"

Sheng Changbai tentatively voiced his guess.

However, Mr. Zhuang did not speak or respond. He simply tilted his head slightly and listened attentively, seemingly anticipating what Sheng Changbai would say next.

"So, I boldly decline. Is this also the case in the imperial court, where no final decision is reached?"

"Yes, that's right, Changbai, you're absolutely right!"

Mr. Zhuang did not try to hide anything, but directly stated the information he had inquired about: "This policy discussion is indeed the court's attempt to explore the people's views on war."

He turned around, looked at the students in front of him, and said, "However, not only you students, but even the high-ranking officials in the court cannot discern the truth of this matter!"

Mr. Zhuang had a cold smile on his lips, as if he looked down on these guys.

"Or perhaps some of them can see it clearly, but dare not speak out, only thinking of flattering the emperor's will, protecting themselves, and hoping for a peaceful end!"

Mr. Zhuang seemed to be implying something, but he didn't say it outright, nor did he discuss the matter in depth.

Suddenly, the old gentleman changed the subject and continued, "This matter is too far removed from your lives. Let's get back to the policy discussion!"

Mr. Zhuang shook his head and asked, "Regarding this policy essay, how did each of you approach the problem?"

Upon hearing this, the students opposite were speechless.

"Changbai, you go first!"

Mr. Zhuang didn't give the students much time to think; instead, he pointed and called out their names directly.

"Yes, scholar!"

Sheng Changbai first bowed, then stood up straight and said loudly, "In fact, I have always advocated that the imperial court should wage war against Beiliang."

"After all, no matter what, there will eventually be a war between our dynasty and the Liang Kingdom!"

Sheng Changbai first expressed his position, and then changed the subject, revealing another side of the story.

"but!"

"The students are actually opposing the imperial court's declaration of war!"

"Ok?"

Mr. Zhuang's white eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing this, as if something was amiss, but he quickly suppressed it.

He was a shrewd and experienced man, no less so than those "professionally trained individuals." Unless he heard something extremely unexpected, he would not show any emotion in his expression under normal circumstances.

Sheng Changbai did not notice the change in Mr. Zhuang's expression, but still spoke slowly and deliberately: "Although the court intends to launch another counterattack against Beiliang, I believe that now is not the best time to send troops."

"Although the people's livelihood has gradually improved over the years, and the border soldiers often have the opportunity to train, apart from Beiliang, the south of our dynasty is somewhat unstable!" "The former southern kingdoms have now risen from the ashes and established many new forces!"

"Among them, the newly established Nanji, which claims to be a descendant of the royal family of the former Nanji Kingdom, is the biggest hidden danger!"

At this point, Sheng Changbai's expression also became somewhat solemn.

"After all, the Southern Kingdom was personally wiped out by the Duke of Ying, who led his army to destroy it. Countless members of the royal family were killed or wounded, almost none of them were spared!"

"There are rumors that the only remaining member of the Cheng clan today is Cheng Qian, the ruler of Xin Nan Zhi Kingdom!"

"Such a blood feud of slaughtering one's entire clan and killing one's own relatives is truly irreconcilable!"

Sheng Changbai offered a hypothetical scenario: "If our dynasty were to launch a counterattack on Yanzhou, what if Cheng Qian seized the opportunity to retaliate suddenly?"

"If the southern kingdoms lead their armies north, it will endanger the southern border of our dynasty, and may even threaten the Jiangnan region!"

Sheng Changbai paused for a moment, then concluded, "That is precisely why I believe we cannot launch a counterattack against Beiliang at this time. At the very least, we must first settle the affairs in the south before we can make a safe northern expedition!"

"Second brother, you are mistaken!"

In the academy, no sooner had Sheng Changbai finished speaking than Sheng Changfeng, who had always been at odds with him, suddenly stood up and objected, "I think this is the best time for the imperial court to send troops to Beiliang!"

"Oh?"

At this moment, Mr. Zhuang on the stage smiled and said, "Changfeng, if you have any brilliant ideas, you might as well share them so that everyone can have a say."

"Yes, scholar!"

Seeing Mr. Zhuang's attitude, Sheng Changfeng assumed that he agreed with his point of view, so he quickly continued, "Actually, what Second Brother said makes some sense, but he overlooked one point, which is morale!"

In fact, what Sheng Changfeng said at this moment was not intentionally refuting Sheng Changbai, but rather what he really thought. At the very least, that's what he wrote on the exam paper.

As for Sheng Changbai, he wasn't really angry when his younger brother retorted like that. He just sat down quietly and prepared to listen to the other person's reasons.

As the saying goes, "Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me." Although there is no such famous saying in this world, the principle is the same.

"Since the late emperor's failed northern expedition, most of Yanzhou's land has been annexed by the Northern Liang. How many innocent people have been harmed by these barbarians? How can we, the descendants of Yan and Huang, not avenge such a great hatred?"

Although history has changed, the two legendary ancestors of humanity, the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor, remain unchanged and are the orthodox ancestors of the entire human race.

"Now, nearly twenty years have passed, and how many loyal and patriotic soldiers have perished here? Whether it is national hatred or family feud, I dare to assert that if the court were willing to launch a northern expedition, it would surely win the people's unanimous support and their fervent obedience!"

A blush crept onto Sheng Changfeng's face, as if he were seeing the scene he had described.

"With this momentum, defeating the Northern Liang barbarians will surely be a piece of cake for the imperial court!"

Sheng Changfeng was ignorant of military affairs and believed that the current dynasty had a deep foundation and that its strength would surely lead to a great victory.

Upon hearing Sheng Changfeng's remarks, Mr. Zhuang on the stage remained calm and showed no reaction. However, his companions in the other seats below the stage made some noises.

Gu Tingye and Qi Heng both changed their expressions and frowned.

Among them, Gu Tingye, a son of a noble family and the Marquis of Ningyuan, reacted the most and his eyebrows were furrowed the most!
It seems that they are extremely averse to such words!

I've been working too late lately and haven't been able to update regularly. I'll try to catch up during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday...

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(End of this chapter)