MMB Chapter 39 A Battle of Words
Chapter 39 A Battle of Words
Before Ye Yixian could make a move, Lu Yuan chuckled, completely unfazed by Zheng Jiarui's imposing aura.
His expression was calm, his gaze steady as he looked at the other person, and he slowly spoke: "Since the class representative is so confident and speaks with such certainty, I can't help but ask, where does this confidence come from? And what makes you so sure that the homeroom teacher will definitely favor you?"
"Heh." Zheng Jiarui gave a disdainful sneer and uttered two words, "Grades."
She directly used his academic achievements to intimidate him, clearly intending to make a big deal out of Lu Yuan's weaknesses.
In the past, Lu Yuan would indeed have been rendered speechless by this trump card.
After all, his grades had consistently ranked at the bottom of the school for years, making him a well-known bottom-of-the-class student.
Zheng Jiarui's eyes were filled with intense smugness as she looked at Lu Yuan with an arrogant sense of victory: "Lu Yuan, I don't need to explain the reasoning to you. When Li Xian reports you for disrupting the evening study session to the teacher, no matter how he reminds you or argues about right and wrong, you will be the one who is in the wrong in the end."
"This is the confidence that results give us."
"No matter how wealthy your family is or how flamboyant your behavior is outside of school, once you enter No. 1 High School, academic performance will always be the most important thing. Those with good grades have more say."
Zheng Jiarui's words were forceful and resounding.
This argument was extreme yet incredibly realistic, and none of the people present could easily refute it.
Especially in an environment like No. 1 High School, which prioritizes college entrance and highly values scores, top students naturally enjoy preferential treatment and advantages.
Even if Lu Yuan only made a minor mistake today, and Li Xian was the one who made a greater mistake, the teacher would still subconsciously favor Li Xian, who had the better grades.
With only three months left until the college entrance examination, all teachers will subconsciously be tolerant of the flaws of top students and will not easily criticize them.
On the other hand, students like Lu Yuan, who are at the bottom of the class, are at a disadvantage from the start in any conflict with top students, regardless of the reason or right or wrong. It is simply a case of overestimating one's own abilities.
All eyes turned to Lu Yuan, their expressions varied and complex.
It was mixed with the mockery, scorn, pity, and a hint of resentment hidden in the shadows.
Li Xian was overjoyed, but secretly regretted his earlier panic and lapse in judgment, forgetting to use his academic record as his most lethal trump card to confront Lu Yuan.
Suppressing Lu Yuan by using points might be somewhat unfair, but the current situation is urgent, and such decorum cannot be taken into account.
Looking at Zheng Jiarui, who was speaking eloquently beside him, Li Xian felt that she had a commanding presence and was calm and capable, truly deserving of the title of a woman who was just as capable as any man.
Just when everyone thought that Lu Yuan would inevitably suffer a crushing defeat and lose face in this verbal battle, he suddenly shook his head slowly and gave a faint smile.
His smile held a hint of disdain, yet also a touch of confident composure.
Ye Yixian's heart tightened, filled with anxiety. She couldn't help but wonder if Lu Yuan had lost his composure because of these words.
Guilt and worry intertwined, gripping her heart tightly.
"What are you laughing at?" Zheng Jiarui asked impatiently, his brows furrowed.
"It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of something rather funny."
Lu Yuan stood with his hands on his hips, meeting the puzzled gazes of the entire class, and spoke in a clear and distinct voice: "It seems that in your eyes, judging right and wrong, and measuring merit and demerit, is ultimately reduced to just one standard: comparing grades."
"Of course." Zheng Jiarui raised his voice, his tone righteous and assertive. "As the ancients said, 'If you are in a position, you should do your job.' As a student, your duty is to study diligently, take exams, and achieve good grades. If you are on campus and spend your days being opportunistic, chatting and playing around, and neglecting your studies, then you are wasting your youth and failing your parents' hard work and your teachers' cultivation."
"Time is money, youth is fleeting, how can we afford to waste so many years? Youth is short-lived, learning is difficult, and the years of youth, though seemingly long, are actually gone in the blink of an eye. If you don't study hard and set goals when you're young, how will you stand on your own two feet in the future?"
"Since we're on campus, the core of the competition is naturally academic performance, and scores are the most direct standard for measuring learning outcomes. The college entrance exam in three months will still be decided by scores. Therefore, what's wrong with taking pride in grades and establishing oneself based on ability? What's wrong with me surpassing you with my excellent grades?"
Zheng Jiarui quoted extensively from classical texts, presenting his arguments in a progressive manner. He used popular proverbs to support his points and appealed to people's hearts with the themes of family ties and future prospects. His logic was meticulous and his words were sharp, making his remarks almost impeccable.
The entire class fell into a deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop.
Most of her classmates had already been convinced by her arguments, and the few who disagreed were unable to find any rebuttals and could only remain silent.
As Ye Yixian looked at Zheng Jiarui, who had a strong aura and sharp words, her heart sank and she became more and more worried about Lu Yuan.
Young people value their reputation most. Being targeted and suppressed in public would inevitably make Lu Yuan feel embarrassed afterward, no matter how calm he was.
She was filled with anxiety but powerless, only regretting that she couldn't stand up and say a single word in Lu Yuan's defense.
An impulsive thought flashed through my mind: why not just go up and beat that woman up?
But in an instant, she forcefully suppressed this rash idea.
Within the school campus, once a fight breaks out, regardless of the reasons or right and wrong, the one who is first to lose the moral high ground is always the impulsive one.
Acting impulsively will not only fail to help Lu Yuan, but will also cause him unnecessary trouble.
Ye Yixian stamped her foot in frustration, her heart filled with heartache and anxiety, yet she could only watch helplessly.
Faced with Zheng Jiarui's aggressive words, Lu Yuan calmly nodded and praised her in a flat tone: "The class representative has excellent eloquence. If it were before, I would have just thought you were talking nonsense after hearing so many grand principles from you."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Jiarui's face turned ashen, and anger surged within him.
Before she could react with anger, Lu Yuan abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming sincere: "However, now I have to admit that what you said does make some sense."
Zheng Jiarui choked for a moment, the rebuke that was on the tip of his tongue stuck in his throat, and he stared at Lu Yuan in astonishment, almost doubting that he had heard correctly.
Lu Yuan did not give up. After a moment's thought, he calmly retorted:
The Analects of Confucius states: "A gentleman is not a vessel."
"This means that a virtuous person should not be like a vessel, with a single function and limited use. By extension, judging a person's merits and demerits should never be confined to a single standard, much less define one's entire life based on a single score."
The Analects of Confucius, in the chapter "Wei Ling Gong," also states: "In education, there should be no discrimination." This means that education should not be based on wealth, social status, or natural talent. The essence of learning has never been merely about rote memorization and passing exams. It is understandable that schools value grades, but cultivating morality and character is the fundamental core of education.
Sima Guang had already reached a conclusion in his "Zizhi Tongjian":
A person who possesses both talent and virtue is called a sage.
A person who lacks both talent and virtue is called a fool.
A person whose virtue surpasses their talent is called a gentleman;
Those whose talent surpasses their virtue are called petty people.
"It is evident that prioritizing grades over moral character is putting the cart before the horse and has endless drawbacks. Even if a person is exceptionally knowledgeable and has outstanding grades, if they lack moral character, are narrow-minded, and selfish, they will ultimately become a petty person whose talent outweighs their virtue, and over time, they will inevitably cause trouble."
"Although my grades are poor, I am law-abiding, I don't cause trouble, I don't harm others for personal gain, I don't hurt my relatives and friends, and I certainly don't disturb others' studies. I stay true to myself, walk the right path, and am content with what I have—what's wrong with that?"
Lu Yuan imitated Zheng Jiarui's debating style, citing classical texts, providing detailed evidence, logically connecting each point, and speaking forcefully, making him even more persuasive.
"Awesome! Brother Yuan is awesome!"
Gao Zhe reacted the fastest, immediately cheering loudly. Even if he didn't understand the profound allusions, he could feel Lu Yuan's overwhelming aura, his eloquence and vision completely crushing his opponent.
Inspired by him, many classmates nodded in agreement and clapped and cheered in hushed tones.
Even Jiang Yiqing, who should have stood on Li Xian and Zheng Jiarui's side, was deeply impressed by Lu Yuan's reasoned and insightful rebuttal and subconsciously raised her hand to applaud.
But seeing that her companions all looked solemn and remained silent, she could only awkwardly withdraw her hand and forcefully suppress her inner agreement.