Chapter 191 Debate 1

The Cuju game was over and the atmosphere was already heating up.

Gu Jiayue glanced at the hourglass next to her and saw that the scheduled game time had arrived.

Looking at the students already waiting there, Gu Jiayue nudged Zhang Chuyan and Gu Yuhe. "Okay, time's up, you guys go up first."

Gu Yuhe and Zhang Chuyan are the hosts of this competition.

They had experience giving lectures before and were relatively calm.

Zhang Chuyan tightened the manuscript in his hand. He looked ready to die. "Let's go!"

The two walked up from backstage.

Standing in his rehearsed position, Gu Yuhe picked up the simple trumpet Gu Jiayue had made. "Dear fellow villagers, dear teachers, today's Qiushi Academy is packed with distinguished guests. This is truly a grand occasion. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone for taking the trouble to gather here and share in this academic feast."

Zhang Chuyan continued, "As the ancients said, 'Learn extensively, inquire carefully, think carefully, discern clearly, and practice diligently.' Debate is precisely the path to this discernment. The scholars on the stage today are all talented individuals in the city, holding the title of Tongsheng (Tongsheng) and possessing profound knowledge. They will each express their views on the topic, engaging in a fierce battle of words."

"See how they wield their knowledge as swords and their eloquence as blades. In this debate arena, they argue for truth and compete for knowledge. Listen to their witty remarks as they unleash this magnificent clash of wits!"

Zhang Chuyan spoke passionately, and as soon as he finished speaking, the people on the stage burst into applause.

Zhang Shuigen's face flushed red as he nudged the man next to him, "See? That's my son."

The man next to him forced a perfunctory smile, then turned around and saw his son sitting next to him, cracking a handful of melon seeds in his hand.

The sight of this made the man angry, and he slapped the child on the head without mercy. "Eat, eat, eat! What else can you do besides eating? Look at that dog."

We are all from the same village, why is there such a big difference? We eat the same food.

Zhang Shuigen was a little unhappy. "My dog ​​has a big name, Zhang Chuyan."

The man snorted and said nothing.

Zhang Shuigen stopped talking to him and stared intently at the stage.

"Before the competition begins, please allow me to introduce today's judges. They are: Principal Jiang of Huaqing Academy in Kyoto, Principal Min of Wutong Academy, Master Du, Principal Gu of Qiushi Academy, Master Huo, Master Shi, as well as representatives of the villagers of Taohua Village, Village Chief Gu Huangping, Li Clan Elder Li Siyuan, and Wang Clan Elder Wang Dafu..."

Every time Gu Yuhe mentioned someone, there would be applause from the stage.

Inside the private room, when Jiang Luli was mentioned, Wan's eyes lit up. She quickly stretched her neck to look outside. "Yao'er, look at that young man. He's so handsome."

"I heard he's the principal of Huaqing Academy. That's the top institution of learning in Dagan. If you can marry him, your brother can attend Huaqing Academy."

Song Yao's face turned grim. "Mom, what am I to you? A daughter or a tool to help my brother?"

Mrs. Wan didn't expect her daughter to say such a thing, and she didn't know how to respond for a moment.

No one outside knows about the lawsuit in the private room.

The judges have been introduced and the competition can finally begin.

Gu Yuhe. "Now, the debate officially begins. The first topic is 'Which is more effective in maintaining national stability: literary talent or military strategy?' The affirmative side argues that literary talent is more effective in maintaining national stability, while the negative side argues that military strategy is more effective in maintaining national stability."

Zhang Chuyan. "Now, please welcome our participating teams!"

As he finished speaking, ten men emerged from the back, wearing different colored clothing and sitting on either side. Gu Yuhe. "The contestants are already in place, but I imagine many of you don't recognize them yet. So, let's have the contestants introduce themselves first."

As he said this, he handed the loudspeaker in his hand to the contestant on the affirmative side on his left.

Su Yichen held the loudspeaker, his palms covered in sweat.

He was very scared, but at this moment he was extremely grateful that his family members could not be there to watch because of the long journey. Otherwise, if he did not perform well, he would be beaten to death by his father.

He only came to his senses when the person next to him pulled his clothes.

He tightened the speaker in his hand and stood up. "Literature can bring peace to the world with a pen, and debate can determine right and wrong with a mouth. The first debater is Su Yichen."

Second debater Qin Mo

"Third debater of the affirmative side, Jiang Huaijin"

"Zhao Hegui, the fourth debater of the affirmative side"

"Chen Jingzhi, the fifth debater of the affirmative side"

Everyone: "Greetings to the judges and the audience."

After saying that, he bowed.

As soon as the words were spoken, the first speaker on the opposing side also stood up.

"I have stored ten thousand volumes of books in my belly, but I refuse to bow my head in the wilderness. Yin Siqi, the first speaker of the opposing team"

"Second speaker of the opposing side, Lin Yuxiao"

"Third speaker of the opposing side, Lu Jinglan"

"Opposition's fourth debater Xiao Jincheng"

"Li Xiuzhu, the fifth debater on the opposing side"

In unison: "Hello everyone!"

There was thunderous applause from the audience.

Dean Min stroked his goatee and nodded with great satisfaction.

"Not bad, not bad. The spirit is very good."

Gu Jiayue also laughed, as if she was being praised. "President Min, don't just look at it. You have to grade the self-introduction too."

Each judge has a form that breaks down each process of the entire competition, and clearly states the full score for each process and the deduction criteria. This makes it easier for everyone to score and prevents large differences in scores.

Of course, there is nothing in the last column, which is a free score and depends entirely on the judges' preferences.

Back to the competition stage.

After the self-introduction, the competition began.

Gu Yuhe: "Now, the first speaker of the affirmative side will open his argument. Each side is limited to half a quarter of an hour."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hua Chao, who was in charge of timing, struck the gong.

As the first speaker for the affirmative side, Su Yichen was the first to stand up. "Today, we have gathered here to discuss the question: 'Literary talent or military strategy, which is more conducive to national security and stability?' We firmly believe that literary talent is more conducive to national security and stability."

At this point, he actually calmed down. It's not that he hadn't debated with others before, but it wasn't this formal.

All the preparations of the past few days were in my mind, and as soon as I opened my mouth, everything came out naturally.

"Literary talent is the crystallization of wisdom, the accumulation of knowledge, and the manifestation of morality. Throughout history, the contribution of literary talent to the stability of a nation is obvious."

"First, literary talent can promote education and correct people's hearts. The Book of Rites states, 'In establishing a state and governing the people, teaching is the first priority.' Using literary talent to promote education can help the people understand propriety, morality, shame, and abide by the rules. When the people are nurtured by benevolence and have good intentions, society will naturally be harmonious and orderly. This is the foundation for a stable state..."

"Secondly, civil officials are good at governing the country and understanding the laws. A wise and virtuous ruler must rely on the assistance of civil officials. Civil officials, with their profound literary talents, formulate reasonable laws and plan strategies for governing the country... Military strategies, while capable of achieving military victories, are incapable of properly handling the daily affairs of state and ensuring long-term peace and stability."

"Third, literary talent facilitates diplomacy, transforming hostility into friendship. Relations between nations do not rely solely on military force. By effectively utilizing literary talent, with wise words and clever strategies, we can resolve disputes and maintain peace... If we rely solely on military strategy, we will be constantly engaged in war, causing frequent conflict and devastating suffering for the people, and our nation will struggle to prosper."

"To summarize, literary talent plays a vital role in promoting education, governing the country, and facilitating diplomacy, all contributing to the stability of a nation. Therefore, we firmly believe that literary talent is even more crucial to the stability of a nation. This is an indisputable truth. May we all learn from this and use the power of literary talent to promote national prosperity and safeguard world peace."

As soon as Su Yichen finished speaking, the incense lit next to Hua Chao burned out.

The timing is just right.

"Well, well said."

There were many audiences on the stage, including villagers. They seemed to understand what was said, but from Su Yichen's tone and body language, as well as the students in front nodding and discussing while listening, they felt that Su Yichen's words were particularly good.

When they heard someone cheering, they also applauded.

Hua Chao quickly lit another incense stick, and Yin Siqi quickly stood up to express his opinion.