Chapter 34: Regret (Please support!)

Zhu Hao presented his views, which drew rebuttals from others, but once he retreated, the remaining candidates found themselves unable to articulate anything of substance.

At that moment, the only one capable of offering any personal perspective was young Master Jing. However, he was still adjusting to this format of open debate. Even if his background in the county magistrate's office had provided him with some experience, and his upbringing had granted him insights and capabilities far beyond his peers, he still appeared somewhat green compared to Zhu Hao.

Yuan Zonggao remarked, "To argue that 'if a prince breaks the law, he is punished the same as a commoner' is perhaps too radical. However, the idea that 'if the law is not enforced, it is because those at the top violate it' is quite sound; one must ensure that laws are observed from the top down in order to truly educate the populace."

By both expressing his own opinion and affirming certain aspects of Zhu Hao's thoughts, Yuan Zonggao managed to address all sides.

Young Master Jing stepped forward. "The student believes that 'if teaching is not strict, the teacher is at fault.' Even if a prince commits an error, he cannot be held entirely to blame; the teacher bears some responsibility. As for the law not being enforced due to those at the top, consider that the Crown Prince is the successor to the throne and cannot be punished; instead, his tutor Prince Qian was punished, and his teacher Gongsun Jia was branded. Therefore, a prince breaking the law cannot be treated exactly the same as a commoner."

At this point, Master Jing knew that if he did not speak up, he would be completely overshadowed by Zhu Hao. It was rare for him to possess even that much insight.

Zhu Hao asked in a clear, resonant voice, "If a prince breaking the law is not to be punished the same as a commoner, then why were his tutor Prince Qian and his teacher Gongsun Jia punished?"

Master Jing’s young face turned crimson, and he was unable to produce a new argument for a long time.

*Using Legalist theory to refute Legalist thought? My boy, you are too young. Speaking recklessly is the easiest way to dig your own grave. You should learn more about debate techniques.*

Yuan Zonggao nodded with a smile. "This was merely to discuss your understanding of a single statement; there is no need for such sharp confrontation. Does anyone else have an opinion?"

At this moment, the most embarrassed were the candidates who hadn't said a word.

"Then let us state our views in order." Yuan Zonggao gave everyone a chance to speak. He looked at Zhu Hao first and said, "You seem to have a deep understanding of this. Let us begin with you."

Zhu Hao replied, "If the scholar does not cultivate his virtues and lacks propriety, and the commoner does not know propriety and yet propriety is imposed upon them, it is not true propriety. If a scholar knows the law but breaks it, he is not fit to be an official. If punishment is applied from below to above, the legal framework and moral order will not endure. A gentleman knows what he should do and what he should not; if he knowingly does what he should not, he uses the law to disrupt the legal and moral order. When a prince breaks the law, if he is punished the same as a commoner, and the law is applied from the top down, then the law shall endure."

Zhu Hao briefly clarified his point: propriety must be practiced from the top down, and the law must also be applied from the top down. Those above must set an example for those below, rather than merely restricting the commoners while exempting the elite. This was the most fundamental spirit of the rule of law. Yet, in a feudal dynasty, such a spirit was almost impossible to realize; it remained a beautiful vision.

After expressing his views, Zhu Hao retreated back into line.

The remaining children looked at one another, their faces blank; it was clear they could not comprehend his words. Even Yuan Zonggao fell into deep thought. For an old scholar like him, the question of whether to rule by man or by law could not be summarized in a few words.

It was only because Zhu Hao possessed the deep-seated idea of "all men are equal" that he could articulate such thoughts, which perfectly aligned with the Legalist concept of equality before the law.

"Very well, Zhu Hao, your views have been heard. You may leave now. Who else has an opinion? Speak up quickly."

After a long while, Yuan Zonggao regained his senses. He gave Zhu Hao a long, deep look before ordering the guards to escort him out of the mansion, signifying that Zhu Hao had completed all his exams for the day.

...

Zhu Hao followed a palace guard out of the East Gate of the Prince’s mansion. He was in a good mood; he had expressed everything he wanted to during the exam. As the saying goes, "Man proposes, God disposes"—everything now depended on fate.

"Young Master Hao, are you... alright?" Yu San asked, hurrying forward to greet him the moment he saw him emerge.

Zhu Hao nodded.

Yu San did not care about the content of the exam, offering only flattery: "Young Master Hao is so clever; it would be a waste of talent to enter the Prince's mansion. You will definitely have no trouble."

In truth, Zhu Hao thought the same. But such selection exams were often internally decided; if it were truly based on exam results, wouldn't everyone be able to enter the Prince of Xing's mansion? They were merely creating an illusion of fairness and impartiality; the final outcome would likely be pre-determined.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard a child's voice from behind: "Wait a moment."

Zhu Hao turned and saw it was young Master Jing. Apparently, Master Jing was the second candidate to state his views and successfully leave the mansion.

"Is there something?" Zhu Hao stopped to ask.

Master Jing trotted over, his breathing slightly labored, yet his face was stern. He carried himself like a miniature adult, displaying a maturity beyond his years. After walking up to Zhu Hao, he scrutinized him carefully before saying, "I didn't expect you to be so capable. Which teacher do you study under? When you have time... I would like to pay a visit."

Zhu Hao replied, "I’m self-taught. Do you believe me?" He didn't want to discuss much with Master Jing and turned to leave.

"Don't go yet," Master Jing persisted. "Can I see you again? If you have time... I would like to discuss academics with you."

Perhaps Master Jing sensed the gap in knowledge between himself and Zhu Hao. If his opponent were much older, the setback might not have been so great, but the problem was that Zhu Hao was about his age, yet his insight was far superior. He had been faster in the calligraphy round, his penmanship had been praised, he had answered every question correctly in the second round, and in the third round of debate, he had stood head and shoulders above the rest. This was something a child accustomed to being called a "prodigy" since birth could not immediately accept.

Zhu Hao smiled. "If we are lucky, we will both enter the Prince's mansion to study with the young prince. We can discuss academics then."

The implication was clear: unless they both became companions to the young prince, this would likely be their last chance to meet.

"Young Master, you’ve come out? Let’s go! The Master is waiting..." At that moment, servants from the county magistrate's office had arrived to greet their young master, only to find him ignoring everyone else, his eyes fixed solely on Zhu Hao.

"Master Jing, you are the child of an official, while I come from a military household. Our backgrounds and upbringings are entirely different. If it weren't for this exam, we would likely never have crossed paths... Only by entering the Prince of Xing's mansion would our paths converge. Farewell!"

Zhu Hao didn't waste any more words. He bowed to Master Jing with a smile and left, accompanied by Yu San.

...

Inside the Prince of Xing's mansion, Yuan Zonggao sent the candidates away and immediately took the documents compiled by the clerks, including the transcript of the final debate, to see Prince Zhu Youyuan.

"Chief Steward Yuan, you could have just notified me of the results. Why come in person?" Zhu Youyuan hadn't taken the matter to heart; selecting a companion for his child was a task for his Chief Steward—why did he need to intervene personally?

Yuan Zonggao replied, "Please, Your Highness, take a look at the content of the final examination."

He handed the records to Zhu Youyuan. As the Prince opened the file and saw the topic, a smile appeared on his face. It was clearly an issue he often debated with his advisors—a critique of the current government's merits and flaws. But when he read Zhu Hao's remarks, his smile slowly faded, and his expression turned solemn.

"Is this... the argument of one of those... children?" Zhu Youyuan found it hard to believe.

Yuan Zonggao nodded. "If I had not set the topic myself and known for certain it had never been leaked, I would truly suspect that someone had leaked it in advance and hired a master to summarize and organize the response. Even so, to be able to respond in such a way—calm, confident, and without blindly pandering to the atmosphere of the Prince's mansion—is truly astonishing."

Zhu Youyuan said, "Come to think of it, for a child to express his own views without fearing the powerful is commendable. He will surely achieve great things in the future. He should be kept in the mansion."

"However..." Yuan Zonggao's face clearly showed his hesitation.

Zhu Youyuan asked, puzzled, "Is it possible this child does not wish to stay in the Prince's mansion?"

"No, that is not it!" Yuan Zonggao shook his head. "I asked the officials in the Chief Steward's office who were selecting the companions and learned that this child is the son of Qianhu Zhu of the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."

The statement brought the conversation to a standstill. It was clear that the Zhu family had been sent to Anlu to monitor the Prince’s mansion. Even if the Prince hadn't explicitly acknowledged it before, how could he be completely unaware?

"The Zhu family..." Zhu Youyuan’s face darkened. "Is it your intention, Chief Steward, not to let him into the mansion?"

Yuan Zonggao shook his head again. "As I said before, if we do not let him in, those in the capital who covet our mansion will only intensify their efforts. Conversely, if we bring this child into the mansion and take precautions, letting him carry out useless information—making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood—it will leave the watchers in a difficult position."

"Since you have already thought it through, Chief Steward, why the concern?" Zhu Youyuan had actually considered this himself. He wasn't afraid of a mole bringing information out; he was afraid of not having the ability to send information out, and even more afraid of not knowing who the enemy was or what methods they might employ.

Yuan Zonggao sighed. "It is just a pity that such a talent cannot be truly brought under Your Highness's command. If he could grow up alongside the Heir Apparent and offer counsel in the future... he could have been the Heir's right-hand man."

Only then did Zhu Youyuan realize that Yuan Zonggao's regret was that such a talent came from a family hostile to the mansion and could not be used for their own purposes.

"How many talents are there in this world? Since ancient times, cases like 'Zhongyong's decline' have been everywhere; why fret over one person? Do you have any other candidates in mind, Chief Steward?"

Zhu Youyuan’s implication was: since we can choose Zhu Hao and use him while knowing he is a spy, shouldn't we also choose a companion for my son who has genuine talent?

Yuan Zonggao replied, "The son of the new magistrate of Changshou also has remarkable talent and could serve as a companion. As for daily studies, where a study partner and playmate are needed, the son of Lu, the Commander of the Guards... though young, he is spirited and could be used."

Yuan Zonggao recommended Master Jing because his exam results were second only to Zhu Hao's, making him a rare example of a child who could handle a high-pressure situation. As for recommending Lu Bing, it was not based on his scores at all. It was because Lu Bing was from the mansion itself—a "member of the family"—whose loyalty could be guaranteed. Even if his studies were not excellent, as long as he studied and played alongside the young prince, he would be loyal to him. When they grew up, he could be treated as a confidant. Why worry whether his talent met the standard?