"This is sophistry!"
Faced with this situation, Han Yuan stepped forward of his own accord. His inheritance bore traces of the Legalist School, and he had some attainments in Mind Arts and rhetoric. He understood the power of momentum and could see that Qiu Yan could not be allowed to continue speaking.
"We did not come today to discuss your governance. In the end, it was still you who destroyed..."
"These acts of Sages and Worthies, of the ancient worthy men, were for the Human Path, meant to guide the Human Path. The academies and teachings behind all of you likewise seek to benefit the Human Path. The court's governance is not merely closely tied to the Human Path—it is itself a part of the Human Path. Why can it not be discussed?"
With a faint, mocking smile, Qiu Yan interrupted him again and asked, "Could it be that your teachings exist only for the sake of speaking, your studies only for the sake of studying? That you pore over the classics until your hair turns white merely so that one day you may come debate Qiu and make Qiu admit defeat?"
"Of course not." Han Yuan frowned and said sternly, "Do not use words to confuse us either. We came only to ask that you stop placing so many portraits of Sages and Worthies together in one room. You must understand that the thoughts of Sages and Worthies do not lie in a room, but in one's heart. What is more, anyone can enter your Sage Worthies Hall. That gives people the mindset of reaping without sowing, which instead harms the advancement of the Human Path."
He knew that compared with Qiu Yan, they were actually at a disadvantage. Qiu Yan was a true Grand Chancellor. Though he did