Chapter 209: Must One Take Sides to Enter Officialdom?

Chapter 209: Do You Have to Pick a Side to Get into Government?

"Have a seat."

"Zhuyu, bring the tea."

When Xu Qingxing held the steaming tea cup steadily in his hands, a light, elegant scent filled the air.

Despite this, he still felt like he was in a fog, as if in another world.

His father’s role was just to serve tea to Prince Duan, yet he was the first to drink the tea from Prince Duan’s attendant.

Xu Qingxing wasn’t the sharpest, but he could read the room.

He was riding on Lu Mingchao’s coattails.

A small favor deserves a big thank you.

If someone helps you out, you owe them big time!

Carving white jade, weaving red silk.

Lu Mingchao swirled her tea, took a sip, and her eyes lit up.

It was really good tea.

Xie Yan caught the spark in Lu Mingchao’s eyes. He sniffed lightly, thinking about where to get tea for Mingchao.

"Mr. Lu, how’s the tea?" Prince Duan asked with a smile.

Lu Mingchao’s lashes fluttered as she looked down, hiding her emotions. She replied smoothly, "Your Highness’s tea is the best."

Prince Duan’s smile faltered for a second, but his face stayed calm. "Mr. Lu, you don’t have to be so guarded all the time."

Lu Mingchao blinked but said nothing.

Prince Duan ignored her silence and turned to Xie Yan. "Mr. Xie, do you know today’s topic?"

"I haven’t had a chance to see it yet."

Xie Yan was calm and polite, but not stiff or submissive.

To Prince Duan, he seemed the picture of composure.

Prince Duan couldn’t figure out how Xie Yan stayed so calm.

Lately, he’d had his people dig into Xie Yan’s past.

His family were hunters. During a famine, they moved here with other refugees, settled in Changxi Village, and went back to hunting.

Everything was traceable—poor but clean.

Xie...

The surname Xie.

The suspicion in Prince Duan’s eyes vanished, replaced by calm and kindness.

At that moment, another drumbeat sounded from the main hall downstairs.

The massive scroll with the debate topic unfurled and hung on both sides of the stage.

The calligraphy was bold and fluid, evoking the imagery of dragons and serpents in motion.

"Must one always take sides in life?"

Lu Mingchao looked up in astonishment, her heart filled with silent shock.

Is the debate topic from Shouzhan Pavilion really this bold?

She glanced at Prince Duan, her brows slightly furrowed. After a moment of thought, it dawned on her, "Did Your Highness Prince Duan set this debate topic?"

Though it was phrased as a question, her tone left no doubt.

Prince Duan shook his head slightly, "Yes and no."

"The topic I proposed was 'Must one take sides to enter officialdom?'"

"Shouzhan Pavilion didn’t have the guts and changed my topic behind my back, though the revision isn’t bad."

"Mr. Lu, in your opinion, is it better to take sides or not?"

Lu Mingchao lowered her head, her lips subtly pursed.

Is he targeting her?

"If I had the choice, I’d let the strong be strong, like the breeze on the mountain. Let the unruly be unruly, like the moon over the river."

Prince Duan said with a meaningful tone, "Wishing doesn’t make it so."

"Tsk." Prince Duan fanned himself, "Seems your brother’s luck isn’t great."

Lu Mingchao frowned, stood up, and leaned on the railing to gaze at Lu Yao on the stage, his cold and detached demeanor as striking as ever.

During the draw, Lu Yao had drawn the affirmative side.

One must always choose a side.

Logically speaking, nothing is absolute; there’s no such thing as a certainty.

Seeing Lu Yao remain calm and composed, still like an immortal, Lu Mingchao’s eyes softened into a smile, and she sighed in relief.

Is his luck really that bad?

Not really.

Debate is about reasoning, knowledge, and eloquence.

Both Shu Yuan and Xie Yan had praised Lu Yao’s talent, calling him a once-in-a-generation genius.

"Mr. Lu, do you think your brother’s debate could sway you?" Prince Duan glanced sideways, his tone half-serious, half-joking.

Lu Mingchao replied calmly, "Whether he can persuade me isn’t important."

"What matters is that he can make Chu Hanyu admit defeat and win over the students watching at Shouzhan Pavilion."

Wouldn’t you agree, Your Highness Prince Duan?"

Prince Duan raised an eyebrow, "Seems you’ve got a lot of faith in your brother."

Lu Mingchao shook her head, "It’s not about confidence; it’s about closeness."

"Would I, an ordinary woman, not support my blood-related second brother, but instead cheer for Chu Hanyu, whom I don’t even know?"

The debate on the stage was in full swing.

Chu Hanyu's viewpoint had the natural advantage of being self-evident.

Yet, Lu Yao held his ground.

"Taking a stand for your position or preferences is still taking a stand, just as standing for fairness and justice is."

"That’s not true. Holding your own opinion and clarifying your position doesn’t require taking a stand."

Lu Yao smiled, his voice clear and cold, "Young Master Bright Moon, the right to not take a stand is earned by taking a stand."

"People inevitably have to take a stand."

"Refusing to take a stand means losing the chance to choose."

Chu Hanyu said, "Taking a stand isn’t the best path to gaining resources."

Lu Yao’s words lingered in Lu Mingchao’s mind.

Lu Mingchao seemed pensive, while Prince Duan was intrigued.

"I like the idea that 'the right to not take a stand is earned by taking a stand.'"

"And Mr. Lu’s ideal—'let the strong breeze brush the mountain, let the bright moon shine on the river'—can only flourish by taking a stand."

"Does Mr. Lu agree with me?"

Lu Mingchao muttered, "So noisy!"

"Mr. Lu, no one can avoid taking a stand in this world."

Suddenly, Lu Mingchao shot back, "Your Highness Prince Duan, have you taken a stand?"

Lu Mingchao’s boldness made Xu Qingxing’s heart race.

Sister Lu, you don’t have to be so aggressive.

Xu Qingxing felt uneasy, but when he glanced at Xie Yan, he was stunned.

Xie Yan seemed completely relaxed and unbothered?

Do the bold succeed while the timid fail?

Xu Qingxing recalled his father’s and Lu Yao’s warnings and held back his mediating words.

Prince Duan admitted plainly, "Of course I have."

"Between you and Sun Zhiye, I sided with you."

Lu Mingchao feigned surprise, "Wasn’t it about upholding justice for the people?"

The debate on stage raged on.

Time crept by, moment by moment.

Lu Yao concluded the debate on the platform with the statement, "To abstain is to declare, and to not take sides is itself a stance."

Lu Yao’s victory was undeniable.

"To abstain is to declare, and to not take sides is itself a stance."

"Mr. Lu, much like the so-called 'pure ministers' in the imperial court."

"People claim pure ministers avoid factions and self-interest, staying loyal and self-preserving. Yet, by choosing to be 'pure,' they’ve already taken a side."

"In this world, no one can truly remain neutral!"

Prince Duan’s voice suddenly echoed behind Lu Mingchao.

Lu Mingchao’s heart fluttered as she turned, her voice soft and tinged with apology, "This humble woman is ignorant of court affairs and unworthy of Your Highness's gracious concern."

"The debate between my brother and Young Master Bright Moon made the necessity of taking sides clear, with both arguments nearly equally compelling."

"My understanding pales in comparison to my brother’s and Young Master Bright Moon’s."

"In my view, I’d prefer to assess the situation and decide whether taking sides is advantageous."

"I genuinely wish to form a friendship with you."