The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 275

Xu Wan chuckled and ruffled his hair, saying, "While your confidence is truly endearing, you must remember that Qin Ye is also very strong. So, there's a chance you might lose."

The little troublemaker pouted unhappily. "Does Mother think I'll lose? Don't you believe I'm the best?"

Xu Wan smiled warmly. "Of course, I think you're the best. But victory and defeat are never certain—otherwise, what would be the point of competition?"

Hearing this, the little troublemaker brightened up. Grinning, he declared, "Then I'll work even harder to defeat Qin Ye!"

He had been saying this for nearly two years, and even his classmates in the advanced class chanted it alongside him countless times. Yet, in every exam, he had trailed behind Qin Ye, never quite catching up.

But now, things were different. Qin Ye had not only noticed him and remembered him but had also proactively challenged him.

Qin Ye must be afraid of him now!

Hahahahaha… I really have grown stronger!

Xu Wan shook her head helplessly and went to the desk to write. Zong Jincheng obediently refrained from disturbing her, instead resting his chin on his arms as he watched her from a nearby small round table.

Hehe, Mother is putting her mind to work for me again—she's drafting a debate topic for Qin Ye and me. She's so gentle, writing with such focus and grace. Even though she isn’t wearing glowing robes, she still seems to radiate light.

The room was warm from the stove, and the little troublemaker's small hands were toasty. With his head resting on his arms, his large, dark eyes blinked quietly—uncharacteristically silent.

"Aren’t you going to ask me what the debate topic is?" Xu Wan asked as she wrote, not even looking up.

Zong Jincheng perked up and grinned. "Whatever it is, I’ll crush it! I’m invincible—he can take whatever side he wants!"

Xu Wan burst into laughter. "You little rascal… such arrogance."

Zong Jincheng quickly corrected her. "It’s confidence! The mark of true skill!"

"Mhm, mhm." Xu Wan nodded dismissively, choosing not to expose him.

"True skill," indeed. Perhaps there was some truth to it now, but not before. From the moment she had met him, this boy had been brimming with unshakable pride—yet he constantly accused Qin Ye of arrogance, as if he’d never looked in a mirror himself.

"The debate topic is ready," Xu Wan announced.

The little troublemaker leaped from his stool and trotted over to read it. Written in elegant calligraphy, the topic read:

"In ancient times, a kingdom was plagued by corrupt officials, leaving its people in poverty. If one day, the ruler ordered you to enact reforms, what would you do? Affirmative stance: Accept the task. Negative stance: Refuse the task."

A clear dichotomy.

Historically, those with a strong sense of justice and patriotism would unhesitatingly accept such a task, while those prioritizing self-preservation would find excuses to decline.

Zong Jincheng tilted his head curiously. "So, which side am I taking? And which side is Qin Ye on?"

Xu Wan smiled. "Which side do you want?"

Generally, the affirmative stance was easier to argue—not only because it occupied the moral high ground but also because history tended to glorify noble actions, providing ample examples to cite.

But the little troublemaker had almost always been assigned the negative stance in past debates. His strength lay in adopting the opponent’s perspective and launching unexpected, sharp rebuttals.

Zong Jincheng lifted his chin proudly. "I can handle either! I’m an all-round champion, the unbeatable debater!"

Xu Wan nodded with amusement. "Very well. Then we’ll send this to the Qin residence and let Qin Ye choose."

"Let him pick! As the senior debater, I ought to give Qin Ye—that little rookie—a fair chance," Zong Jincheng said with a smirk.

Xu Wan shook her head, laughing.

At the Qin residence, Qin Shi was utterly stunned when he heard his younger brother had challenged Zong Jincheng. He had never imagined Qin Ye would take the initiative to issue a challenge—it was completely unlike him.

But lately, his brother had been facing difficulties. Though his grades had improved, Qin Shi couldn’t shake a sense of unease. Now, with this debate against Zong Jincheng, he didn’t hold much hope—assuming it was just a casual match—until he saw the topic:

"...Accept or refuse?"

If it were Qin Shi himself, though society might scorn him, he would likely choose the latter. He knew his own limits—rashly accepting such a task wouldn’t just fail to help the ruler but could also bring disaster upon himself and his family.

But Qin Ye was different. He would probably...

Qin Ye looked up decisively, his eyes bright and resolute. "I choose to accept. Send our reply to the Zong family."

"Yes."

Qin Ye’s affirmative response came swiftly.

The debate was scheduled for seven days later, on the morning the results of the Four-Academy Joint Exam were announced, to be held at Qingbo Academy.

The topic remained a closely guarded secret. Even as the other students and tutors grew restless with curiosity, neither Xu Wan nor Zong Jincheng revealed a word.

As ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‍Xu Wan put it: "No one may assist Zong Jincheng in any form. He must face Qin Ye independently to ensure complete fairness in this debate."

The secrecy and formality only heightened the anticipation.

Shen Yibai scratched his head in frustration. "Come on, Jincheng, you’re being way too tight-lipped! What’s the topic? We could all learn from it—it’s not like we’d help you even if we knew!"

He Zheng nodded vigorously. "Big Bro, we’re dying to know! Just tell us—I promise we won’t help you… Wait, no, we can’t even out-debate you in the first place! Auntie’s worrying too much!"

Zong Wenxiu chuckled helplessly. "It’s not about whether you can out-debate him. Even offering a minor idea would count as cheating. Do you really want to ruin his fair match against Qin Ye?"

The three troublemakers nodded eagerly. "Yes! We really do!"

Qin Ye—the top-ranked Childhood Scholar, a future top-scoring scholar in the making.

And Zong Jincheng—the strongest debater in their advanced class, even astonishing their tutors.

The clash between these two would be intense.

Wei Xinglu asked timidly, "Can you at least tell us who’s taking which side? I want to know if Jincheng has the advantage."

The little troublemaker rolled his eyes. "I’m unbeatable—I’ll dominate no matter what side I take. Now move aside, I need to prepare my arguments."

"Wait, Big Bro, let me help you find books! What kind do you need? Historical biographies? Geography?" He Zheng tried to fish for hints while offering assistance.

Zong Jincheng flashed him a smile—then instantly turned stern. "You three have the Childhood Scholar exams in a few months. Shouldn’t you be studying? He Zheng, especially you—this is your second attempt. If you don’t reclaim first place..."

Seeing his raised fist, He Zheng immediately surrendered. "I’m going, I’m going! I’ll definitely get first place for you, Big Bro!"

Zong Wenxiu stifled a laugh, shaking his head in amusement.

A couple of days later, even the Crown Prince inquired about the debate. But Zong Jincheng remained tight-lipped, refusing to reveal the topic even to him, insisting he wanted to defeat Qin Ye fairly on his own merits.

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The Crown Prince smiled approvingly. "Then I wish you success in your debate."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"