xymnovel Chapter 39: The Debate
Chapter 39: The Debate
The private room was quiet.
This time, even Wen Tingyun and Li Ang turned their attention to Li Shangyin.
The difference is that the former's eyes were mostly filled with helplessness, while the latter's eyes carried a hint of doubt.
Li Shangyin poured himself a cup of wine, held it in his hand, but did not drink it. Holding the gilded porcelain cup, he remained silent for a long time before speaking.
"Perhaps it's just an obsession. Can't I, Li Yishan, pass the imperial examination and enter officialdom based on my own talent?"
"In today's court, factional strife is rampant, official corruption is rampant, lower-ranking officials curry favor with their superiors, and high-ranking officials are forming alliances with eunuchs. If I, who have the ambition to govern the country and save the people, cannot even take this first step, how can I talk about bringing peace and order to the world?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Tingyun and Duan Chengshi were speechless for a moment, unsure of how to respond.
They have a million reasons to continue persuading Li Shangyin to bow his head.
However, no matter the reason, they cannot overcome the obstacle in their hearts.
Perhaps it is precisely because of this that the three of them were able to become such close friends...
After a long silence, Duan Chengshi sighed, took a swig of wine, and said, "Yishan walked the righteous path, but in this world, it's too difficult for those who walk the righteous path!"
His tone was filled with deep melancholy, making the atmosphere in the private room somewhat somber.
Clearly, Li Shangyin was not the only one who felt bewildered by the affairs of the court and the current political situation.
In the midst of this silence, Li Ang suddenly burst into laughter.
At first it was a faint smile, but a moment later it turned into a loud laugh.
This action left everyone present somewhat puzzled.
"Erlang, what's wrong with you...?"
Li Ang wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes, picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. Then, he slammed the glass down on the table and said...
"I laugh at Li Yishan, you're so pedantic!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Shangyin's expression turned rather unpleasant. Even Wen Tingyun and Duan Chengshi couldn't help but stand up and reach out to support Li Ang, saying...
"Erlang, you're drunk."
However, Li Ang shook his head and said, "Brother Duan, Fei Qing, don't stop me. Today, I will wake this pedantic fool up with my words!"
Seeing this, the two looked even more helpless. However, at this moment, Li Shangyin raised his head and said.
"Don't stop me, all of you. I really want to know. I only want to be upright and impartial, not to form factions or join groups, and to enter officialdom based on my own talent and learning. How is that considered being pedantic?"
"Does that mean we have to emulate those sycophants and opportunists to avoid being considered pedantic?"
His tone was clearly angry, indicating that he was already furious.
However, this cannot be blamed on Li Shangyin.
After all, for scholars, integrity and moral character are what they value most.
Li Ang's words were tantamount to a direct denial of his long-held beliefs, which naturally angered him.
Seeing this, Li Ang shook his head, but asked a question.
"Since that's the case, let me ask you, Yishan, do you intend to enter officialdom for high positions and wealth, to leave your name in history, or to serve the country and save the people?"
This time, not only Li Shangyin, but also Wen Tingyun and Duan Chengshi were somewhat surprised.
"What kind of question is that? Of course, it's the latter. If it can bring peace to the court and happiness to the people, I, Li, would gladly never serve as an official again in my entire life!"
"Is that the truth?" Li Ang asked again.
But this tone only angered Li Shangyin more. He immediately stood up and angrily said, "Li Erlang, what exactly do you mean? Do you think I, Li Shangyin, am a petty person who covets fame and fortune?"
Seeing that the atmosphere was getting tense, Duan Chengshi quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Yishan, please don't be angry. How could Erlang have meant that?"
As he spoke, he looked at Li Ang, implying that he should take this opportunity to back down.
However, Li Ang did not take the bait, instead saying, "That's not necessarily true!"
This further fueled Li Shangyin's anger. He paced back and forth in the private room several times before finally standing in front of Li Ang.
"Li Erlang, you have insulted me for no reason today. If you cannot give me an explanation, then I, Li Yishan, will sever all ties with you and pretend that I have never known you as a friend."
Such words are considered a very serious statement among scholars.
Seeing this, Duan Chengshi sighed silently and stopped trying to persuade him.
Things have come to this point, and it's no longer just a verbal dispute.
If they insist on persuading them, they might end up getting themselves involved as well.
All they can do now is pray that their new friend can come up with a plausible explanation...
Li Ang certainly didn't intend to break off relations with Li Shangyin. He was counting on this young Li Du to write more poems for him in the future. How could he just let him go like that?
The reason for doing this is simply to get the other person to change their stubborn views.
Li Ang also stood up, facing Li Shangyin opposite him. With a solemn expression, he asked.
"Since you claim that you entered officialdom to serve the country and save the people, then let me ask you, could you do this as a local official, or as a commoner?"
Upon hearing this, Li Shangyin immediately guessed the meaning behind Li Ang's words and retorted.
"Of course, it is possible to do this if one becomes an official, but if one tramples on one's principles in order to become an official, then sooner or later I will also become one of those people who only seek wealth and glory and indulge in the troubles of factional struggles."
"Mencius said, 'When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven.' I, Li Yishan, cannot benefit all under heaven now, but at least I can cultivate my own virtue!"
The logic behind these words was clear, and they anticipated what Li Ang was about to say, unsurprisingly causing Li Ang's expression to freeze.
But Li Shangyin was being far too simplistic in thinking that he could refute Li Ang based solely on these points.
Shaking his head, Li Ang continued, "Mencius's saying about cultivating one's own virtue does not mean living in seclusion to avoid the world and seeking fame and fortune, but rather cultivating oneself and nurturing one's character in preparation for the right time to act."
"Yishan, you just said that if one tramples on one's principles in order to become an official, one will sooner or later fall into the shackles of factional strife. Then let me ask you, if people like you fail the imperial examinations repeatedly, what kind of people will occupy the court?"
"Your current actions may seem like upholding the righteous path, but they are nothing more than satisfying your so-called morality. Does that mean that the court isn't corrupt just because of you?"
After he finished speaking, Li Shangyin was slightly taken aback, and then suddenly fell silent.
He was an upright gentleman, but there's a saying: "A gentleman can be deceived by his principles."
When it comes to moral blackmail, these Tang Dynasty people are far inferior to Li Ang.
In fact, not only Li Shangyin, but also Wen Tingyun and Duan Chengshi, who were standing nearby, fell into deep thought after hearing Li Ang's words.
Compared to Li Shangyin, they were not as extreme as the former, but their thoughts were basically the same; otherwise, they wouldn't have gathered here, sighing helplessly at the political situation, yet taking little action...
Just then, Li Ang's voice rang out again, saying, "The Book of Jin says that I did not kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me. Just now, you all said that the current state of the court is in ruins because treacherous officials have seized high positions, while ambitious people have been relegated to low-ranking posts."
"But if ambitious people like Yishan remain fixated on and hesitant about the methods of entering officialdom, and thus fail the imperial examinations, wouldn't they be handing over the court to those treacherous and sycophantic men who rise to power through flattery and bribery?"