NCCnovel Chapter 610 War of Words
Chapter 610 War of Words
He is the son of Li Wei, the Minister of Revenue. He is quite prestigious among the children of the powerful and wealthy. He acts in a low-key manner but maintains his style.
At this moment, he looked at Wang Wen with admiration in his eyes. In his opinion, it was really commendable that a child from a farming family could face Chen Dezheng's bullying and challenge in such an occasion where powerful people gathered, and still be able to remain calm and refute with reason and evidence. This kind of temperament and talent far exceeded that of many children from famous families.
When Chen Dezheng saw that it was Li Qi who was speaking, his originally arrogant attitude was instantly suppressed, and his face turned pale and red.
Among this crowd, the ones he feared most were His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Li Qi.
The reason was simple. Li Qi's father, Li Wei, held both the positions of Minister of Revenue and Minister of Works of the Tang Dynasty, wielding immense power, controlling the nation's finances and holding considerable influence in the court. His own father, on the other hand, was merely a Vice Minister of Revenue, a mere subordinate to Li Wei. This disparity in rank made Chen Dezheng, like a mouse meeting a cat, he dared not act presumptuously when facing Li Qi.
He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, his heart filled with resentment, but he was helpless. He could only suppress his anger and swallow his resentment back into his stomach.
When Wang Wen saw someone standing up to praise him, his face remained calm. He was neither carried away by the praise nor timid at all.
He bowed respectfully to Li Qi, his movements standard and steady, and said in a clear voice, "Thank you for the compliment, sir."
Seeing Wang Wen so calm and humble, Li Qi's favor for him doubled. He quickly returned the greeting and said with a sincere smile, "No need to thank me, I was just speaking frankly."
"Your insights are truly rare, and I admire them."
After saying that, Li Qi turned around and looked directly at Chen Dezheng. There was a warning in his eyes, as if telling Chen Dezheng not to embarrass Wang Wen anymore.
Chen Dezheng felt uneasy under this gaze and lowered his head involuntarily, not daring to look directly into Li Qi's eyes. He didn't dare to say another word for a moment. He was as uneasy as a child who had made a mistake. He lost face in front of everyone, but he didn't dare to get angry.
"Brother Li, this is wrong."
At this moment, a voice broke the brief silence. Everyone turned to look and saw Xu Wang, smiling broadly, walking out of the crowd with graceful steps.
Xu Wang was the son of Xu Jingzong, the Minister of Rites. He had been well-read since childhood and was deeply influenced by etiquette. He was eloquent and well-known among the children of the powerful.
He walked up to Chen Dezheng, patted him on the shoulder gently to comfort him, and then said with a smile: "I think what Brother Chen just said is not unreasonable."
He paused briefly, his eyes slowly scanning the people around him, and continued, "Our fathers were all key figures in the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty's current prosperity, the people's ability to have ample food and clothing, literacy, and a peaceful old age, all of this is inseparable from the tireless efforts and hard work of our fathers."
"They offered advice at court and managed people's livelihoods at the local level, making tremendous contributions to the stability and development of the Tang Dynasty."
As he spoke, he raised his head slightly, a look of pride on his face, showing the glory of his family to everyone.
"Your fathers were all meritorious officials who made great military achievements and outstanding contributions to the Tang Dynasty."
After saying this, Xu Wang turned his gaze towards Wang Wen, a hint of disdain in his eyes: "But, this man is just a commoner's son, relying solely on his eloquence to blindly show off Your Majesty's great principles."
"We all know that your Majesty's ideas are good, and anyone can speak of them. However, some people, who clearly have made no real contribution to the development of the Tang Dynasty, keep harping on your Majesty's words all day long. In my opinion, this is pure empty talk."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, emphasized his tone, and wore a hint of sarcasm on his face: "Your Majesty once said that empty talk will ruin the country."
"I didn't quite understand it before, but today, after meeting this young man, I suddenly realized that this is what they call a person who talks nonsense and harms the country."
As soon as Xu Wang said this, the children of officials who were originally embarrassed by Wang Wen's rebuttal showed smug smiles on their faces again.
They whispered to each other and looked at Xu Wang with admiration.
"As expected of the son of Minister of Rites Xu Jingzong, he speaks clearly and flawlessly, with every word perfectly weighted. He's infinitely more brilliant than Chen Dezheng."
Many children of officials in the crowd thought so, and expressed admiration for Xu Wang's eloquence and words. At the same time, they were also belittling Wang Wen and maintaining the so-called dignity of their powerful circle.
When Li Qi heard this, a look of displeasure flashed in his eyes.
He knew in his heart that with his identity and status, it would not be difficult for him to help Wang Wen refute Xu Wang.
But he was full of curiosity. How much potential did this rural boy have?
He decided to hold back and see how Wang Wen would respond. He wanted to know how much literary talent this young man had in his heart, and whether he could really stand out again in this verbal battle and bring more surprises to everyone.
Wang Wen remained calm upon hearing Xu Wang's words, without the slightest sign of panic. He bowed slowly and asked calmly, "Excuse me, sir?"
Xu Wang still had a smile on his face. He raised his head slightly and answered with a hint of pride: "Xu Wang, the son of Xu Jingzong, the Minister of Rites."
After saying this, he also returned a generous bow. It seemed polite, but in fact, he had a condescending attitude, showing his superiority in front of everyone.
"Then may I ask Master Xu Wang, do you know anything about the disasters that befell the aristocratic families of the Tang Dynasty?"
Wang Wen raised this question calmly.
When Xu Wang heard this, his heart suddenly tightened, and he instantly understood what Wang Wen was going to say next.
He nodded and said casually, "The calamity of aristocratic families is known to everyone in the Tang Dynasty."
"Back then, the aristocratic families controlled government and monopolized resources, leading to a dark court and miserable lives for the people."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, a look of vigilance in his eyes: "But I still want to remind you, we are not a noble family, don't label us like that casually."
After hearing this, Wang Wen nodded without comment and said calmly, "Of course you are not a noble family, but according to your thinking, Master Xu, you will soon become one."
His voice was not loud, but it stirred up a storm in the hearts of the crowd. The powerful and influential children around him looked at each other in confusion, and for a moment, the entire hall fell into silence.
Everyone was waiting for Wang Wen's next explanation, wanting to know why he made such shocking remarks.
If this kind of thing is not explained well, it would be going against all officials in the world.
You must know that in the current Tang Dynasty, people are afraid of the word "aristocratic family" like a tiger.