The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 279

At this point, Zong Jincheng’s earlier tension and fear toward Qin Ye had completely vanished, replaced by the temper that had been provoked by Qin Ye’s sharp retorts earlier. His face darkened as he began countering every move with precision.

Immerse in the debate, his words were sharp and insightful: "As you said, Shang Yang had the most favorable conditions among all reformers. Aside from the opposition of the nobility, everyone else, willingly or unwillingly, supported him. But he took things too far, offending powerful ministers, even the crown prince, and leaving himself with few allies. He made too many enemies, to the point where after he was torn apart by five horses under the new emperor’s order, even the common people cheered. Yet the world isn’t just black and white—Shang Yang could have had a better future—"

Qin Ye listened quietly, not interrupting.

Zong Jincheng closed his eyes briefly before reopening them, painting a more harmonious and plausible scenario: "If, during his reforms, he had offended fewer people and made more allies instead of relying solely on the monarch’s support; if, when the crown prince made a mistake, he hadn’t rigidly pushed for his execution; if he had compromised on less critical issues instead of making countless enemies and earning the people’s hatred; if, after the success of his reforms, he hadn’t grown arrogant—then perhaps he wouldn’t have invited so much resentment and hostility."

He Zheng was stunned. Big Bro was really bringing his A-game.

Yes, Qin Ye was strong.

But Big Bro was also the star of their elite class.

He might not lose, right? He Zheng thought.

Go, Big Bro!

Hearing Zong Jincheng dissect the flaws of Shang Yang’s reforms from a different angle, Qin Ye felt a stir within him. It was true—Shang Yang could have avoided his tragic fate after succeeding in his reforms.

This applied not just to governance but to life as well. He had always pursued Shang Yang’s radical methods to strengthen the state, but he had never considered the consequences—both for others and himself.

Before, he had thought that even if he ended up like Shang Yang, it would be worth it—to trade his life for the Qin Empire’s greatness.

But now, he wondered if there might be a better way.

Qin Ye suddenly smiled.

He rarely showed emotion, and his smile was just a faint upward curve of his lips—so subtle that almost no one noticed, except Qin Shi.

Qin Shi was baffled. Why was his little brother smiling after being debated against? He thought Jincheng had made excellent, well-rounded points.

Qin Ye felt that the question that had troubled him for months had finally found its best answer. Coming to debate Jincheng had been the right choice—this brash kid really had a talent for policy arguments.

Though he had found what he was looking for, the debate wasn’t over yet. Qin Ye’s mind remained sharp; he wasn’t so easily swayed. He steadied himself and brought the discussion back to the topic: "What you’ve described only improves Shang Yang’s outcome, but it still confirms that deep down, you acknowledge the value of his reforms. So, between accepting and abandoning, I still choose acceptance. Will you still choose abandonment?"

"Pfft—" Shen Yibai was the first to burst into laughter.

Wei Xinglu also struggled to hold back his laughter, whispering to He Zheng, "Now Jincheng finally understands how you felt—rambling on and on, only for his words to be turned into support for the other side."

He Zheng felt vindicated but didn’t dare laugh. Trembling, he muttered, "Big Bro’s glaring at us. Keep it down."

Xu Wan watched the furious little demon on the field and the confident, razor-sharp Qin Ye, thinking to herself: The little tyrant who always ruled the elite class had finally met a formidable opponent.

Debate on. Win or lose, everyone would gain something from this.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

Zong Jincheng had poured out his arguments only for Qin Ye to snatch them up and use them against him. He was so angry he almost slammed the table, but he restrained himself, his round face darkening as he pressed on: "Abandonment. I refuse the reform mission. The debate topic states that corrupt officials dominate the court—meaning aside from the resistance of the nobility, there are other obstacles. This situation is closer to Wang Anshi’s reforms, where internal and external forces were at odds, making reform nearly impossible. Taking it on recklessly would only bring trouble, even cost me my life."

Qin Ye: "So what if corrupt officials dominate? Kill them. The reform is proposed by the ruler—he’ll back you. What are you afraid of?"

Zong Jincheng snapped: "You think corrupt officials are like cats and dogs, to be killed at will? Throughout history, rulers needed justifiable reasons to execute or wage war. Otherwise, they’d lose the people’s support, be condemned for millennia, or even incite rebellions that plunged the nation into chaos. And when war breaks out, it’s always the common people who suffer."

The moment these words left the little demon’s mouth, everyone stared at him.

Realizing what he’d just said, a chill ran down his spine. In his anger, he had accidentally revealed something he shouldn’t have.

Making the ruler lose the people’s support, inciting rebellion—these were the exact words Zhai Li had once used to threaten the crown prince. And at the time, only Zong Jincheng had been present.

The little demon regretted it instantly, wishing he could take it back.

But spilled water couldn’t be gathered. The kids of the elite class burst into applause, even Qin Shi joining in, praising how well he’d spoken.

Qin Ye’s gaze lingered on him, slowly realizing that this person understood far more than he had expected.

Just how many more surprises did he hold?

"If you can’t kill the corrupt officials, weaken their power—promote them in name but sideline them, transfer them to insignificant positions. There are countless ways to remove them. The court is ruled by the sovereign—no corrupt official can stand in his way. Reform is urgent—how can you abandon it for such flimsy reasons? Try again."

Little Demon: "!!!"

Damn Qin Ye! Bastard Qin Ye! How dare you refute me like this? How dare you keep pushing back, over and over? Are you the reincarnation of a debate demon?!

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍little brat was so flustered his brow was sweating. Stuck with the hardest side of the debate, exhausted and unable to outmaneuver Qin Ye’s sharp logic, this uphill battle was brutal.

"Need a break?" Qin Ye asked.

Though his words sounded considerate, to the little demon, it felt like a taunt straight to his face. He bristled: "No! Keep going!"

Xu Wan, seeing the debate growing increasingly heated and realizing how much time had passed, finally stepped in: "Let’s take a fifteen-minute break. Drink some water. No helping from the sidelines."

Zong Wenxiu thought: Auntie is overthinking it. With Jincheng and Qin Ye this strong, even if we all teamed up, we wouldn’t stand a chance.

With Xu Wan’s intervention, the elite class swarmed around Zong Jincheng, cheerfully offering him tea, water, and towels. He Zheng even dutifully massaged Big Bro’s shoulders.

Qin Shi, alone, brought tea to his little brother, praising him generously: "Xiao Ye, you performed exceptionally well today. And I can tell—you were being unusually gentle with Jincheng."

Otherwise, given his little brother’s nature, his words would have been far more merciless.