Before the elementary school students could even get into position, they felt a sudden dizziness, and by the time they realized what was happening, the little girl had already left them off the stage.
Did she lift herself up and throw herself down? Feng Ziqi's face turned bright red. Huo Xiaolong on the stage was so dazzling. The audience from Fengyuelou applauded and cheered for her. Suddenly, the little girl felt a little sore. She sniffed twice, trying to hold back her tears.
Huo Xiaolong, you've taken care of yourself all over again.
It was the people around you who gave you a second chance at life, showing you what it feels like to be alive.
"Class A! Huo Xiaolong! Wins!"
Hou Xiangxiang and Da Ni'er had long anticipated their little sister's victory. Seeing the little dumpling return with her head held high, the two girls immediately poured her tea and fanned her gently.
The twins sitting next to her swallowed hard. Luckily, it was Hou Xiangxiang, not her, who made the move at the prefectural governor's mansion that day. Even if all the children in the prefectural governor's mansion were combined, they wouldn't be enough to beat Huo Xiaolong.
"Next round! Debate! Everyone, please take a short break and prepare yourselves," the Chancellor announced from the stage.
All students stood up, paid their respects to the chief officiant, and then the ceremony ended.
Debate is equivalent to a debate, with the topic as the central idea and both sides arguing their points logically.
The classics have nurtured scholars throughout the world, but are the words of the sages always correct? If one cannot think critically or refute them, the books are lifeless objects.
The art of debate teaches students that no matter where they are, they should have their own ideas and not blindly follow others.
Students from Class A and Class D sat facing each other, quietly waiting for the chief instructor to announce the topic.
“There was a strong young man in the city who worked hard every day, barely earning enough to support his elderly mother and himself. When his mother fell critically ill and they could no longer afford money, the man stole to save her, and was arrested. Should the man be punished or released due to his suffering?”
The chief priest gestured to the teachers of the two classes, inviting them to come up and draw lots.
Feng Yuandao and Guo Fengnian took out the slip of paper, glanced at it, bowed to each other, and handed the slip of paper to the chief priest.
The old man raised his voice and continued.
"Class A! The debate of admitting guilt and accepting punishment."
"Class B! A debate on the bitterness of human relationships."
"Everyone, please!"
The two teachers sat at the front of their respective classes, watching the students writing furiously, with smiles on their faces. Only Huo Xiaolong from Class A stared at him longingly.
Feng Yuandao nodded to her. In fact, this gentleman had been teaching Xiao Tuanzi for so long that he understood her a little. The child was young, and Huo Xiaolong had never liked this kind of verbal sparring.
If she wants to do something, she will cut off all obstacles in her path, forging ahead without hesitation or slack.
The little dumpling herself didn't know how to debate this matter; she had her own internal scales to weigh right and wrong. It was easy for her to give orders and tell everyone the desired outcome, but to argue with others about such things was extremely difficult.
It's nothing, I'm just bad with words.
"The student believes that the man is usually diligent and honest, and has never done anything wrong. The crime he committed today was all because of his filial piety. Therefore, he should be given a chance to correct his mistake. After his mother recovers, he will never make such a mistake again."
"Where do you place the laws of Great Yan? You're just going to let this theft go? Forgive my bluntness, but such behavior is hard to accept."
These two arguments are more prevalent among the younger children, particularly those in Class B. Children at this age don't yet have a strong sense of right and wrong, and are more easily swayed by emotions and empathy.
"So he just stood by and watched his mother die? Filial piety is the most important virtue. He couldn't even do the most basic thing of repaying his parents' kindness. He's a disgrace to humanity!"
The students in Class A were at a loss for words. They had brought up the concept of "hundred virtues"—what could be more important than the life of one's own family member? Besides, she was their mother who gave birth to them and raised them.
"That's not the case!"
Sun Zixi stood up. The little girl, dressed in a school uniform and wearing a blue headband, spoke loudly.
"He is first and foremost a citizen of Great Yan! And then he is himself. No matter whose son he is, he is a citizen of Great Yan. Without Great Yan, he would not exist. He has violated the laws of Great Yan, and his crime will be punished!"
"Then his mother..."
Sun Ziyang put down his calligraphy brush and stood next to his younger sister, saying...
"How many people in the world die of illness without money for treatment? Are they all supposed to steal? What if stealing isn't enough? Should they rob? Or kill?"
"You are not her, how can you know the suffering in her heart when your mother is bedridden? How can someone who works hard and toils every day be the villain you speak of?"
The young girl released her hands, flicked her sleeves twice, and adopted a more feminine posture before the table to continue speaking.
"The law! The most important thing is fairness! No matter what his purpose is, he cannot disregard the laws of the Great Yan. If we release him today, what if other people like Zhang San and Li Si go out to burn, kill, and rob in the streets to save their mothers and fathers? How should the magistrate judge them then? Release them all? What about the victims? Who will seek justice for them?"
“What if he stole the victim’s life-saving money? What if he stole the victim’s mother’s life-saving money?” Sun Ziyang asked rhetorically from the side.
The students in Class B frowned, looking at the main debater whom the teacher had previously appointed. The debater stood up and said...
"The situation you described is extremely rare. As a son, he had no choice. I believe that if you were in his shoes, you would make the same choice. Our mothers, who love us and give everything for us, deserve our utmost devotion."
He was using empathy to get the students to put themselves in his shoes. If you were in his situation, would you have done better? Would you have made the same choices as him?
“My mother deserves it, but she would never want us to do this,” the little girl said, looking at the other debater.
“Mother, she wouldn’t want her child to suffer any hardship because of her, especially since this is a serious crime that would land her in jail for mining. A mistake is a mistake, and if mistakes are not punished, people’s hearts will not be at peace.”
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