Seeing that everyone was paying attention to this reward, Liu Zhongqing spoke calmly.

"It's very simple. There is a debate topic that has been quite famous since ancient times. It's called the 'Wangba Debate'."

As soon as these words came out, everyone present exchanged looks in surprise, obviously very surprised by this question.

This "Wangba Debate" discusses whether the monarch's rule should be "kingly" or "hegemonic". In ancient times, Mencius and Xunzi gave different explanations to this issue.

And what does Liu Zhongqing mean when he brings this out today?

Qin Mo had a vague hunch that Master Liu might be targeting the prince when he raised this topic.

Liu Zhongqing saw everyone's expressions and knew that these people had guessed his purpose.

But he was not in a hurry to explain, he just observed everyone's expressions.

So what about discussing the monarch's policies? If Liu Zhongqing wanted to replace him in the future, he would naturally not care about this.

But the students present are different. Some of them are from poor families. If His Highness had not launched the imperial examination this time, they would not have had the opportunity to become officials.

I’m afraid these people will find it inappropriate to discuss the ways of being a king here, right?

Sure enough, after Liu Zhongqing was silent for a moment, he found that the expressions of these people became solemn.

Liu Zhongqing raised the corners of his lips contemptuously and chuckled, "It seems that you all know very little about this issue."

If you don't dare to say anything now, I'm afraid you will be weak in front of Li Yunxing in the future. How can Liu Zhongqing need to rely on him?

Ning Gang stood in a corner of the hall, looking neither humble nor arrogant.

She had already seen some clues from Liu Zhongqing's eyes and tone.

Master Liu is trying to win over people. He wants to use this debate to select talents and consolidate his power and status.

He smiled slightly, stepped forward and said, "In that case, I would like to say a few words to show my shame."

"Oh? Mr. Ning, I wonder what you have to say?"

Ning Gang can be regarded as one of the best young men in the capital. He has gained a lot of support by virtue of his prestige and connections among the people.

The fact that he can stand out among so many famous families in the capital shows how powerful he is.

Not only did Liu Zhongqing treat him differently, but even these poor students also looked at Ning Gang with new eyes.

"Throughout history, although every monarch advocates benevolence and putting the people first, their actions are far from it."

"During the Spring and Autumn Period, heroes were chasing profit. If the late emperor had not single-handedly brought peace to the world, how could there have been a peaceful and prosperous age where the people could live and work in peace and contentment?"

"So, although tyranny sounds cruel, it is the way to govern a country. People's hearts have always been unpredictable. If there is no strong means to suppress it, it will lose control. Only iron and blood can stabilize the situation."

Ning Gang talked eloquently, causing everyone to nod in agreement.

After hearing this, Liu Zhongqing also stroked his beard and nodded with satisfaction.

This Ning Gang is indeed a talented person. Compared with his father, he will definitely be better than his father in the future.

"Well said."

Ning Gang bowed humbly and said, "Master Liu, you are so complimentary."

"Brother Ning's words are right." Liu Zhongqing affirmed again.

Other students also agreed.

"Does anyone else present have a different opinion?"

Ning Gang is now at the forefront. If others want to win the debate, they must come up with better answers.

Therefore, for a while, no one dared to come forward to answer.

Some people also took advantage of this to flatter Ning Gang, saying, "Master Ning, your literary talent is indeed outstanding, and we are willing to be inferior to you."

Ning Gang smiled and thanked him.

For a time, Ning Gang's limelight overshadowed the others.

It seems that even the position of number one scholar can only be in Ning Gang's pocket.

"Xiao, Xiaosheng has something to say."

Suddenly, a timid voice came, causing everyone to turn their attention.

It turned out to be Qin Mo. He had never shown his face in front of so many people. Now that everyone was staring at him, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

"If you have anything to say, just say it. Don't be shy and lose the face of my court man."

Hearing this, Qin Mo raised his eyes and looked at Liu Zhongqing.

He dug his nails into his flesh to stop himself from speaking tremblingly.

"Xiaosheng is the leader of Xuzhou's Jieyuan Qinmo. Xiaosheng believes that the way of the world should be the 'king way' first."

"Domineering itself is a kind of violence and cruelty. If you rule the world with kingly rules, the people will definitely suffer misery and even be killed. Wouldn't that be a traitor?"

"All living things in this world are transformed by the principles of heaven and earth. A monarch who implements benevolent government with love for others can govern the world well."

"Hegemony unites the world, but if the world wants to last long, it must be governed by the king's way! The king's way is the monarch who cares about the life and death of the people and loves the people! This is Xiaosheng's understanding."

Qin Mo's words were resounding and every word was spoken from the bottom of his heart, shocking everyone present.

"Yes, he is worthy of being the leader of Xuzhou's Jieyuan. He is really broad-minded."

Liu Zhongqing nodded and looked at Qin Mo differently.

His reaction made Qin Mo breathe a sigh of relief and at least say what he was thinking.

Naturally, Ning Gang would not let Qin Mo steal his limelight like this, "But Mr. Qin, although the king's way sounds excellent, people in this world always tend to follow the crowd and win. This is human nature. The king's way reverses the relationship between justice and benefit.

In the relationship between people, if you put the word 'righteousness' first, you don't understand the sinister nature of human nature. If everyone is so naive, then how can there be war, displacement, poverty and other man-made disasters in this world?"

Ning Gang's words not only refuted Qin Mo's views, but also insinuated that Qin Mo was a pedantic and ignorant person.

Qin Mo naturally heard the deep meaning in Ning Gang's words, but he was not afraid and still looked directly at Ning Gang openly.

"Although Mr. Ning's words are somewhat biased, they are also reasonable."

"The imperial power of our Wu Dynasty is higher than that of all officials, but all forces in the world cannot be alone. If they all act in a domineering manner, how can we talk about the righteousness of the monarch and his ministers?"

"Is it possible that Mr. Ning came to take part in the imperial examination because of the pressure of the imperial power?"

This sentence actually choked Ning Gang, and he paused before speaking slowly.

"Although I'm not here for the exam, I don't want to see the people displaced and famine spreading across the land."

"That's right. If you don't have a heart of benevolence, how can Mr. Ning be worthy of becoming a great man in the world?"

This time it was Ning Gang's turn to be speechless. It was impossible for him to admit that he was doing it for his own selfish interests in order to refute Qin Mo, right?

The debate between the two men was like a clash of swords, with no one gaining the upper hand.

Finally, Ning Gang puffed his sleeves and snorted coldly, then sat down in his seat.

Liu Zhongqing looked at Qin Mo with interest, with vague admiration in his eyes.

Qin Mo is a rare talent who has read poetry and books at a young age.
Chapter completed!