"Senior Bian Rang, are you stupid?"
Stupid? Am I stupid?
Bian Rang was a bit stunned. He felt that Lu Yu's words were not very damaging but extremely insulting.
As a renowned scholar in the Han Dynasty, famed for his erudition and eloquence, someone was openly calling him stupid at this very moment.
And yet, the one speaking these words... was merely an unknown youth barely over ten years old. In Bian Rang's opinion, this boy wasn't even worthy of being his disciple!
Bian Rang's face immediately turned green. Lu Yu was publicly humiliating him.
Cao Cao, standing behind the main hall, had a blank expression. At some point, he had stood up. He was extremely eager for Lu Yu's next words.
"Hmph..." Bian Rang let out a cold snort. "Boy, if you can solve this problem of the three hundred thousand Yellow Turban rebels' farmland, draft animals, and farming tools, I, Bian Rang, will admit defeat!"
"If you cannot, stop showing off your verbal skills and go home to study for a few more years!"
His words became increasingly sharp and cold. Anyone could tell that Bian Rang was genuinely angered.
Angering this eloquent scholar often had severe consequences. It was widely known in scholar circles that Bian Rang, alongside "Ni Heng," was considered a "Master of Verbal Combat" and a "Great Scold."
It was understood in the Han Dynasty scholar circles that there was an unwritten rule: it was better to offend a gentleman than to offend a scold!
...
Compared to Bian Rang's stern and sharp words, Lu Yu's speech remained gentle, his expression still relaxed.
It was as if everything was under his control.
"Senior Bian Rang constantly talks about annihilating the Yellow Turbans, speaking with absolute certainty, yet to this day... he doesn't even know what the Yellow Turbans are. How laughable, how laughable."
Reaching this point, Lu Yu's tone rose slightly.
"The Yellow Turbans are peasants! Draft animals, farming tools... peasant folk already have them. They carry them with them when they join the army, so there's no need to spend a single coin!"
"As for farmland? The land in Yan Province has been ravaged by war for several years, and a large amount of land is now desolate and ownerless. It simply needs Duke Cao to issue a decree in his capacity as the Governor of Yan Province, and all this ownerless land will be brought under official control, thereby allowing these three hundred thousand peasant folk to cultivate it!"
"In truth, all that's needed are some seeds! From what I know, seeds are very cheap. A bag costing five *zhu* coins can buy quite a lot."
Lu Yu's clear and resonant voice echoed throughout the yamen, lingering in the air, unceasing!
Lu Yu's voice was not loud, but every word, every sentence was deafening and thought-provoking...
A hint of suspicion appeared in Bian Rang's eyes.
He recalled that in past battles between the imperial army and the Yellow Turbans, the spoils of war were precisely farming tools and draft animals... In other words, Bian Rang realized that Lu Yu wasn't spewing sophistry but presenting objective facts. Facts spoke louder than eloquence!
This left Bian Rang, a man known for his quick wit and adaptability, speechless.
Hoo...
Bian Rang let out a cold breath.
Why had he overlooked the fact that the Yellow Turbans were peasants? They might be rebelling, but why would they carry farming tools with them? They truly had been deceived by these rebels...
At this moment, Bian Rang's expression became extremely displeased.
Cao Cao in the back hall, Xun Yu and Xun You beside Lu Yu, as well as countless clan members and scholars, all involuntarily showed looks of astonishment.
The aristocratic families and renowned scholars of the realm had never farmed, nor had they ever been peasants.
Therefore, they naturally did not know that farming tools and draft animals were the very lives of peasants! Let alone rebelling, even when fleeing for their lives, peasants would carry them. This was not only their sole property but also their hope for survival.
It was for this reason that the three hundred thousand Qing Province Yellow Turbans had very few warhorses but a large number of draft animals...
"Hahahaha..."
Seeing the somber atmosphere in the yamen, Wei Hong immediately burst into laughter. "Wenli, I thought it would cost a fortune! Haha, it's merely the seeds needed for farming. How much can that cost? My Wei family can afford this small sum, hahahaha..."
Uh...
This made Bian Rang even more embarrassed. So... many of the problems arising from the surrender of the three hundred thousand Yellow Turbans were... were so easily resolved?
Resolved in a few words by this youth before him...
That wasn't the main point. The main point was that this youth's reasoning was sound and logical... This was truly awkward.
In Bian Rang's view... if earlier Lu Yu had merely dragged his face along the ground, then now... it was more than just dragging; it was whipping him, pricking him with needles, stomping on him with his feet... torturing him in every way imaginable!
"Haha..."
Cao Cao in the rear hall of the yamen couldn't help but stroke his beard and laugh. "Zi Lian, did you hear? This little fellow has solved two pressing major problems!"
Speaking of this, Cao Cao couldn't help but narrow his eyes. Peeking through the crack of the door, he looked at Bian Rang, and at these gentry and scholars.
The surrender of three hundred thousand Yellow Turbans and how to resettle them was a problem, but... more troublesome than that was how to persuade the clans and scholars of Yan Province to accept the Yellow Turbans!
But it was precisely these few words from Lu Yu that had suddenly resolved these two major dilemmas, these great troubles!
In fact, in Cao Cao's opinion, this wasn't the most important point. The most important point was that the one resolving these two big problems was his eldest son!
Haha...
At this moment, Cao Cao's mood was like a Bulbasaur eating a crispy potato chip and entering Mickey's Clubhouse – wonderfully excellent.
Cao Hong also nodded his head, repeatedly sighing... "This kid is truly a talent!"
...
"Senior Bian Rang? Do you have any further questions?" Seeing that the usually adept debater Bian Rang was silent, Lu Yu asked proactively.
Since this verbal battle had begun, he intended to debate Bian Rang into submission, lest Bian Rang speak carelessly after leaving the yamen... and badmouth him and Cao Cao, leading to a song of sorrow...
To be honest, Lu Yu still wanted to preserve Bian Rang as much as possible, at least to let him survive...
If this fellow died, his friend Tao Qian would have to break ties with Cao Cao, and Lu Bu would then collude with the local clans and scholars to secretly seize Yan Province.
This land would once again be engulfed in war, possibly even threatening the safety of himself, Lu Yu, and sister Zhaoji. This was a matter that could escalate with a single move.
Therefore, Lu Yu was giving Bian Rang ample opportunity to turn the tables. Didn't you like to argue? Today, we will debate openly, in front of the Yan Province clans and scholars, to determine who is superior and who is defeated!
"You... you... you..."
With three consecutive "you"s, Bian Rang pointed at Lu Yu and reprimanded, "This is merely your personal opinion..."
"You are spouting nonsense, boy. What you've said is nothing more than an ideal scenario."
"No matter how you debate, these rebels have indeed rebelled and participated in the Yellow Turban Uprising. Your analysis of their situation is ultimately just one person's opinion!"
"Nobody knows what they are truly thinking! In my opinion, the proper way is to nip the problem in the bud and completely eliminate the possibility of rebellion from these rascals, and eliminate the hidden dangers within Yan Province!"
As expected, a stubborn duck's mouth is hard to persuade. This is very much like Bian Rang. After all, this fellow dared to point at Cao Cao's head and call him the descendant of an eunuch, so what else couldn't he say?
However...
Lu Yu had long anticipated this. This was like a debate. Bian Rang's arguments were all laid out in the open. If his point about grain could no longer be attacked, then he could only shift to the issue of trust. And precisely on this point, Lu Yu was well-prepared.
"Senior Bian Rang, permit your junior to ask a few questions? Have you ever been a refugee? Do you know the feelings of refugees? Do you know what refugees think in their hearts? Have you ever put yourself in the shoes of these poor people and considered their perspective?"
"If you have done none of these, then I can only say that Senior Bian Rang has read books to no avail, read books to death, and at this age, you have truly read your brain into stupidity!"
...
...