The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 243

Pan Hongzhi truthfully said, "Jin Cheng has been making rapid progress in his studies, though occasionally his performance fluctuates and isn't very consistent."

The little devil's smug face instantly changed.

He immediately turned his head to look at Pan Hongzhi, signaling with his eyes: What's going on, Teacher? How come you're praising me one moment and then tattling on me the next? When have I ever been inconsistent? I've always been at the top!

Pan Hongzhi didn't need to hear him speak to imagine the boy's loud protests. His lips twitched as he added, "Jin Cheng's ideas are quite good, but his foundation hasn't quite caught up yet."

The little devil looked indignant.

What part hasn't caught up? He was now a well-read scholar! He even had manners, knowing not to interrupt when adults were speaking!

That awful Teacher Pan, always missing the chance to praise me, the great prodigy.

Hmph!

Xu Wan chimed in, "That's true. You really need to catch up, or next year's autumn exam will be tough."

The little devil exploded at this, all his earlier restraint vanishing: "Tough for me? I'm a Childhood Scholar, a genius Childhood Scholar. At my current learning speed, I'll definitely be first in the class!"

Everyone knew that in the Childhood Scholar exam, Zong Wenxiu was only one rank above Zong Jincheng. After several days of debate, everyone agreed that Zong Jincheng had long surpassed Zong Wenxiu. So even if he was a bit arrogant, it was justified—he was the most capable among them.

Xu Wan chuckled, "Little one, isn't your goal to defeat Qin Ye?"

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‍little devil crossed his arms and declared proudly, "Qin Ye is no match for me either. I'm unbeatable in debates."

Xu Wan said quietly, "The autumn exam doesn't include a debate section. And do you really think you're invincible? That debate you had the other day—do you believe any of the teachers here could crush you right now?"

The little devil was incredulous. "How is that possible?"

That day, everyone had been amazed by his performance. Even his brother had been thrown off balance by his arguments.

How could it be... how could it be that in just a few days, the teachers could all out-debate him?

After Xu Wan finished speaking, Pan Hongzhi stepped forward and said with a smile, "Jin Cheng, how about a debate with me?"

A few days ago, when Zong Jincheng presented his debate argument, they had all been stunned. His approach was incredibly novel. But no matter how novel, it had too many weak points. With a little thought afterward, they had come up with counterarguments.

The young scoundrels craned their necks, eager to see how the teachers would dismantle Zong Jincheng's seemingly flawless logic. Even Zong Wenxiu was curious.

Zong Jincheng, under everyone's gaze, braced himself and said, "Fine, I'll debate you! I'm not afraid!"

The debate didn't last long.

Zong Jincheng brought up his "pig farming theory" again, and Pan Hongzhi countered by taking the offensive, focusing on the perspective of a good official. He listed the benefits that good officials brought to the people through their actions, then presented several examples for Zong Jincheng to choose from, steering the debate back on track.

Zong Wenxiu listened in awe, finally understanding why Pan Hongzhi had won.

You had to firmly stick to your own argument, not get led astray by your opponent's logic. Once you fell into their rhetorical trap, you'd be forced to make choices within their framework.

No wonder every time he thought he was making the right choice, he was still stuck spinning in his brother's logic!

So that's how it is... that's how it is!!

"Jin Cheng, do you want to continue the debate?" Pan Hongzhi asked with a smile, finally feeling relieved.

It seemed he could still handle this job. His career was safe for now.

The little devil, his face dark, sat down heavily amidst the teasing from Shen Yibai and Wei Xinglu, letting out a loud huff.

This is too much, way too much.

Mom actually had Teacher Pan publicly humiliate me in front of everyone. How am I supposed to dominate the class now?

As the little brat sat down, defeated, the others clapped and cheered for Pan Hongzhi.

Pan Hongzhi, ever humble, said, "The other teachers here are all better than me. You should seek their guidance in private."

The four private tutors nodded in satisfaction, appreciating Pan Hongzhi's tact. Laughter filled the study, and the little devil, furious, plugged his ears.

Ugh, you're all so annoying, so hateful!!

Seeing the inflated little brat somewhat deflated, Xu Wan stepped forward again and said, "The next debate will be in a month. The topic is: In ancient times, there was a county called Wei County. It had a large population, but the soil was unique and unsuitable for growing crops. The court had to provide disaster relief every year, spending tens of thousands of taels, yet it seemed like a bottomless pit. The question is: When the Wei County magistrate requests disaster relief again, should the court approve it?"

"Huh?? What county is Wei County?" Zong Wenxiu was the first to ask. He didn't remember any place like that in their dynasty.

Xu Wan rubbed her nose and admitted, "I made it up."

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The young boys: "..."

Xu Wan coughed and said, "If it's made up, you can argue freely. Here's a hint: read up on the *Geographical Records*. This debate won't have fixed sides. Over the next month, prepare arguments for both positions. We'll draw lots to decide who argues which side."

The boys looked at each other, a bit confused, but trusting Xu Wan, they nodded in agreement.

The private tutors understood best. Madam Xu was stretching out the learning period to familiarize them with geographical knowledge. Preparing arguments for both sides would make the children consider issues more thoroughly. By starting with the end goal, she was ensuring they internalized their knowledge and applied it flexibly.

After Xu Wan left, the little devil chased after her.

He hadn't listened to the new debate topic at all. His mind was filled with resentment toward his mother, and as he caught up to her, he launched into a verbal attack: "You don't love me anymore. You had Pan Hongzhi humiliate me. You're biased. You only care about them, not me."

Xu Wan wasn't surprised by his pursuit. Seeing the little brat pouting like an angry dumpling, she found him both adorable and pitiful.

She remembered people saying that love often feels like a debt, but this little devil always felt like she owed him. Help... how could someone be so free of self-doubt? She was both envious and jealous.

Xu Wan patiently smiled and said, "Little one, I'm helping you improve. Think about it—Pan Hongzhi is only a provincial scholar. You're aiming to be the top scholar. If you can't even out-debate a provincial scholar, how will you compete with hundreds of thousands of candidates for the top scholar title?"

The little devil frowned, angry but also confused. "Is that really all it is?"

Xu Wan chuckled. "Yes. In front of everyone, I didn't want to embarrass you. I gave you three days to write an essay, but what did you hand in? A half-hearted effort, with poorly written examples. Look at your brother's essay—two thousand words, well-argued. And yours? You win two debates and get cocky. Remember the tortoise and the hare? If you keep this up, even He Zheng will surpass you."

The little devil hung his head, chastised. He pouted and said, "What's the point of writing so many examples? Doesn't everyone already know them?"

Realizing his mother's gaze was on him, the little devil quickly raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I know I was wrong. I'll go back and write a proper one. I'll show you a new version tomorrow, okay?"