Fiery Blaze and Autumn Water: Neither is inherently superior or inferior.

Zhu Yingtai's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Brother Liang asked her to set the questions. That shows he values ​​her.

A warm feeling welled up in her heart, along with a hint of inexplicable joy.

Liang Shanbo smiled and said, "You are my sworn brother, so it would be unfair to Brother Wang if you were to set the question. I would like to ask you to avoid the classics that we have discussed before and set a fresh question."

Zhu Yingtai nodded, composed herself, and adopted a calm demeanor. Her gaze lingered on Liang Shanbo and Wang Shu's faces for a moment before she asked Wang Shu, "Brother Wang, have you read the *Chu Ci*?"

Liang Shanbo looked at Wang Shu.

Wang Shu nodded: "Of course I've read it."

Liang Shanbo nodded in agreement: "I've read it too."

Among the dozens of books in his collection was the "Songs of Chu," which he had already memorized thoroughly.

The "Chu Ci" does not refer to the works of Qu Yuan alone, but rather to the title of a collection of poems compiled by Liu Xiang of the Western Han Dynasty and annotated by Wang Yi of the Eastern Han Dynasty, which was widely circulated. It contains seventeen volumes of Chu poems from the Warring States period to the Eastern Han Dynasty, totaling more than 26,000 characters.

Among them, the works of Qu Yuan and Song Yu constitute the core and essence of the entire "Chu Ci" (Songs of Chu). In addition to the works of Qu Yuan and Song Yu, "Chu Ci" also includes imitations by Jia Yi, Huainan Xiaoshan, Dongfang Shuo, and others from the Han Dynasty.

Zhu Yingtai said, "In that case, I will use the *Chu Ci* as the topic. Your debate will revolve around the *Chu Ci*. As for the specific topics, you two can decide for yourselves."

For the past two days, she had been reading with Liang Shanbo in the library at noon. She was reading "Chu Ci" but had not yet discussed the book with Liang Shanbo. Now she wanted to take the opportunity to have Liang Shanbo debate with Wang Shu.

All eyes in the hall returned to Liang Shanbo and Wang Shu.

Wang Shu lowered his head, pondered for a moment, then raised his head and looked directly at Liang Shanbo: "Brother Liang, I have a question."

Liang Shanbo nodded slightly: "Brother, please ask."

Wang Shu's clear voice echoed throughout the lecture hall: "Among the works of Chu Ci, Qu Yuan's is magnificent and extraordinary, stunning and brilliant. Although Song Yu's works are not as good as Qu Yuan's, they are still clear and melodious, forming their own style. Later scholars mostly regard Qu Yuan as the ancestor of Chu Ci and Song Yu as Qu Yuan's successor."

He paused, his gaze sharpening slightly: "But when I read the *Chu Ci*, I had a question. Qu Yuan's works are filled with indignation and loyalty. He was trusted but doubted, loyal but slandered, and had nowhere to vent his pent-up anger, so he poured all his resentment into his poems. The *Li Sao* has more than 370 lines, every line is blood, every word is tears. The *Nine Chapters* is even more poignant, making one's heart ache when reading it."

His voice deepened slightly: "But Song Yu's work is completely different. 'Nine Arguments' begins with the theme of 'sorrow in autumn,' describing a person's disappointment and loneliness. Although the words are beautiful and the imagery is serene, it lacks Qu Yuan's fierce determination of 'though I die nine times, I will not regret it,' and it lacks the magnanimity of 'I sigh deeply and wipe away my tears, lamenting the hardships of the people's lives.'"

His gaze met Liang Shanbo's directly: "Therefore, I would like to ask Brother Liang: Between the poems of Song Yu and Qu Yuan, which is superior? Did Song Yu ultimately inherit Qu Yuan's spirit, or did he deviate from it?"

These words caused a slight ripple of emotion among the people in the hall.

This question seems simple, but it is actually tricky.

Qu Yuan is the soul of the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu) and the progenitor of all Chinese prose-poetry. Although Song Yu is also included in the Chu Ci, he has always been regarded as an appendage of Qu Yuan.

Wang Shu's question, seemingly about the merits of Qu Yuan and Song Yu, was actually asking what the true spirit of the Chu Ci is. Is it Qu Yuan's loyalty, indignation, and fierce spirit, or Song Yu's personal disappointment and melancholy?

If we say that Qu Yuan was superior to Song Yu, then Song Yu's works are merely ornate in language, but fall short in spirit. If we say that Song Yu inherited Qu Yuan's spirit, then where is Qu Yuan's unwavering resolve—"Though I die nine times, I will not regret it"—reflected in Song Yu's "Nine Arguments"?

Zhu Yingtai's gaze fell on Liang Shanbo, and she secretly felt a pang of worry for him.

This is a difficult question to answer.

The hall was quiet.

Liang Shanbo was silent for a moment, then spoke, his voice unhurried: "Brother Wang, that is a good question. The question of whether Qu Yuan or Song Yu is superior has indeed been a topic of endless debate throughout the ages."

He paused, then looked calmly at Wang Shu: "However, I believe that Brother Wang has asked the wrong question in itself!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was taken aback.

Wang Shu raised an eyebrow slightly: "Did you ask the wrong question?"

Liang Shanbo nodded: "You asked the wrong question."

His voice remained calm: "Brother Wang, by comparing Qu Yuan and Song Yu, you are saying that Qu Yuan is Qu Yuan, and Song Yu is Song Yu. They are two different people, two different paths, and two different spirits. Then we stand aside and judge who is superior and who is inferior."

He shook his head: "But such a comparison is meaningless."

Wang Shu frowned: "Why is it meaningless?"

Liang Shanbo did not answer directly, but instead asked, "Brother Wang, let me ask you this: If there were a pine tree and a cypress tree, and you asked me which was taller, the pine or the cypress, how should I answer?"

Wang Shu was taken aback.

Liang Shanbo continued, "Pine trees have their own appearance, and cypress trees have theirs. Pine trees are upright and tall, while cypress trees are gnarled and twisted. You may prefer the uprightness of pine trees and say that pine trees are superior to cypress trees; others may prefer the gnarled and twisted appearance of cypress trees and say that cypress trees are superior to pine trees. Such comparisons are merely a matter of personal preference; how can they possibly reach a conclusion?"

His voice rose slightly: "Qu Yuan and Song Yu are the same. Qu Yuan has his own style, and Song Yu has his own style. Qu Yuan is like a raging fire, and Song Yu is like autumn water. A raging fire has its fiery intensity, and autumn water has its serene tranquility. How can you say that a raging fire is superior to autumn water?"

Wang Shu's eyes widened in surprise.

Liang Shanbo looked directly at Wang Shu and continued, "Moreover, Brother Wang just said that Song Yu's works lack the fierce spirit of Qu Yuan, who would 'not regret even if he died nine times.' That's certainly true, but have you ever thought about why Song Yu wrote 'Nine Arguments' in the first place?"

Wang Shu's eyes flickered.

Liang Shanbo asked and answered himself: "The opening of 'Nine Arguments' is 'Alas, the atmosphere of autumn!' Song Yu wrote about autumn, about the withering of grass and trees, and the decay of all things. Why did he write about autumn? Because he felt sorrow in his heart."

His voice deepened: "But where does this 'sorrow' come from?"

The hall was silent. Everyone was looking at Liang Shanbo.

Liang Shanbo slowly said, "After Qu Yuan was exiled, he wandered by the riverbank, his face haggard and his appearance withered. A fisherman saw him and asked him what was wrong. Qu Yuan said, 'The whole world is muddy, but I alone am clear; everyone is drunk, but I alone am sober. That is why I was exiled.' The fisherman advised him to go with the flow, but Qu Yuan said that he would rather be buried in the belly of a fish than have his pure whiteness tarnished by the dust of the world."

His gaze swept over the crowd: "This was Qu Yuan's choice. He died to prove his integrity and to die for his principles. His 'Li Sao' and his 'Nine Chapters' are a reflection of this spirit. He would rather be consumed by flames than live as a broken piece of jade."

His voice lowered: "But what about Song Yu? Song Yu was Qu Yuan's disciple, a student Qu Yuan took in during his later years in Chu. He witnessed firsthand how Qu Yuan was exiled, how he wandered by the riverbanks, how he became emaciated, and how he ultimately threw himself into the Miluo River!"

His gaze towards Wang Shu held a hint of something unreadable: "Brother Wang, if you were to witness your teacher suffer such a fate for upholding righteousness, how would you feel?"

Wang Shu's lips moved, but he didn't speak.

Liang Shanbo continued, "After Qu Yuan's death, the State of Chu declined day by day and was eventually destroyed by Qin. Song Yu lived to that time. He watched helplessly as his homeland fell, and as the State of Chu, to which Qu Yuan had devoted his life, was reduced to ruins. How could he not feel sorrow?"

His voice rose slightly: "However, Song Yu's sorrow and Qu Yuan's sorrow are not the same kind of sorrow. Qu Yuan's sorrow is like a raging fire. He had resentment, anger, and unwillingness in his heart, so he wrote 'Li Sao,' knocking on the gates of heaven above and seeking the lost woman below, galloping on the edge of myth and reality to vent his anger."

He paused, then continued, "Song Yu's sorrow is like autumn water. It's not that he wasn't indignant, it's not that he wasn't angry. But his indignation and anger, after the passage of time and the blow of national ruin and family destruction, are no longer raging fire, but have turned into autumn water."

The autumn waters are so clear that they reflect the shadows of all things. Therefore, when Song Yu wrote "Nine Arguments," he was depicting the desolation of autumn, the withering of vegetation, and the disappointment and loneliness of life. This wasn't because he lacked Qu Yuan's fierce spirit, but because he faced a world that could no longer be fought against with mere fierceness.

Qu Yuan faced the incompetence of the King of Chu, the jealousy of the partisans, and a Chu state that still had potential. Therefore, he was angry, he resisted, and he was unwilling to accept defeat. Song Yu faced the death of Qu Yuan, the fall of Chu, and a world beyond redemption. Therefore, he grieved, he sighed, and he felt deep sorrow.

He paused, then said, word by word, "The fierceness of Qu Yuan and the sorrow of Song Yu are not a difference of superiority or inferiority, but a difference of circumstances. Qu Yuan was consumed by flames, while Song Yu cleansed his heart with autumn waters. Flames and autumn waters are neither inherently superior nor inferior!"

His gaze swept over everyone in the hall, finally settling on Wang Shu: "That's why I said, Brother Wang, you asked the wrong question! You shouldn't have asked who was superior, Qu Yuan or Song Yu. You should have asked what Qu Yuan's fiery passion and Song Yu's tranquil autumn waters each illuminated!"

The hall was completely silent.

Wang Shu remained silent for a long time, then lowered his head, cupped his hands to Liang Shanbo, and said, "Brother Liang's words have enlightened me."

He raised his head and looked at Liang Shanbo with a solemn expression: "When I was young, I read the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu), and I always felt that there was an inexplicable gap between Qu Yuan and Song Yu. Qu Yuan was like a raging fire, while Song Yu was like autumn water. I always felt that Song Yu was missing something. After hearing what you said today, Brother Liang, I realize that it's not that I don't understand Song Yu, but that I'm reading Song Yu through the lens of reading Qu Yuan."

He sincerely said, "Thank you, Brother Liang. I have lost this debate!"

These words moved everyone in the hall.

Not long after the debate between Wang Shu and Liang Shanbo began, Wang Shu said only a few words before telling Liang Shanbo, "I have lost."

How could someone like Wang Shu lose so easily to Liang Shanbo, a new student who was three years younger than him?

In fact, what seemed like an easy argument was actually due to Liang Shanbo's sharp debating skills. After a round of debate, Wang Shu realized he had indeed asked the wrong question. If even the question was wrong, how could he possibly argue?