The entire hall was silent!
At the entrance, someone was carefully pressed against the wall; these were Lantern Bearers from other divisions watching the show.
Xia Chen's words hadn't stopped; he continued, as if intending to shatter Cui Hu's Dao Heart in one fell swoop.
“You were born into the Cui clan of Qinghe, inheriting the title of Yunyang Lord from birth, and your aunt is the current Empress. You have carried these imprints since you were born. You wouldn't think that you've reached where you are today entirely through your own abilities, would you?”
“My Great Wu has nineteen states, an immensely vast territory, and countless talented individuals. Yet, there are innumerable people who are talented but remain unrecognized.
If you didn't have these imprints on you, and were just an ordinary person, let alone becoming a Lantern Bearer Hall Master in your early twenties, you probably wouldn't even be able to enter the Lantern Bearers' gate!
People should be grateful to their ancestors and understand their own capabilities. Do not attribute all your achievements to your own abilities.
That we can reach where we are today, including all the court officials and their achievements, requires the right time, place, and people, none of which can be missing.
Some things cannot be achieved by effort or ability; the watershed of life is amniotic fluid. Being born into a good family is the most important thing!”
Xia Chen's words were like a resounding bell, striking people's ears!
Everyone subconsciously felt that this was sophistry, heresy, and utter nonsense, yet they couldn't think of how to refute it at the moment.
Some even nodded involuntarily; Xia Chen's words seemed to awaken their minds.
Indeed! The watershed of life is amniotic fluid. While Acquired effort and ability are important, being born into a good family is the most crucial!
“Don't think I'm only saying this to him; these words are for all of you too!”
Xia Chen pointed at Cui Hu, then slowly surveyed everyone present.
“Although you all consider yourselves small figures among the Lantern Bearers, in reality, to ordinary commoners, you are already unattainable big figures!
Every one of you who could enter the Lantern Bearers, didn't you rely on your fathers and ancestors?
Only when your father died or grew old could you smoothly take his place and join the Lantern Bearers. Isn't that also relying on connections?!
It's just that your connections aren't as great as mine, and your background isn't as strong as mine, so you have to call me your superior.
Essentially, what difference is there between you and me? We all merely stood on a starting point that ordinary people wouldn't even dare to imagine, relying on the glory of our ancestors.
The reason you are angry and refuse to obey me is simply because you resent not having a background and status like mine!
Each and every one of you is utterly ridiculous!”
Xia Chen pointed at the crowd, facing hundreds of people from the Eagle Eye Division alone, but at this moment, no one present dared to meet Xia Chen's gaze.
Because everything Xia Chen said was true; they were all connected by relations. The Lantern Bearers could not be entered by effort; the Lantern Bearers' succession was mostly through father-to-son inheritance.
Or one could become an auxiliary member of the Lantern Bearers, and then through several generations of effort, finally be promoted to a full Lantern Bearer.
Cui Hu was crestfallen, like a drenched chicken, completely devoid of fighting spirit at this moment.
Xia Qian looked at Xia Chen with admiration; his Young Master's eloquence was truly formidable, leaving everyone present speechless.
Li Xi, on the other hand, looked at Xia Chen with a strange gaze. He had considered many ways to break the deadlock, such as suppressing them with force, or calling Commander Ma Song to support Xia Chen.
But he never expected Xia Chen to control the situation with just a few words.
“Becoming a Captain was indeed due to my family background; there’s nothing I can deny about that. But my being favored by His Majesty, transferred from the Imperial Guards to the Lantern Bearers, and becoming your superior, that relies on my personal ability!”
Xia Chen was relentless, changing his tone, and delivering another heavy blow to them.
“If I heard correctly, the military defense map case was primarily investigated by the Eagle Eye Division, wasn't it?”
As soon as Xia Chen finished speaking, everyone's expressions changed.
“What do you want to say?”
Lu Chen, who had been silently enduring, finally couldn't hold back. He stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Xia Chen.
“Ah, Lu Chen, speaking of which, you personally led the team to arrest the person who stole the military defense map, didn't you? It's just that you even arrested the wrong person.
You got the direction wrong; do you think it's possible to reach the destination?”
Xia Chen looked at Lu Chen, whose face was grim.
“What exactly do you want to say?” Lu Chen gritted his teeth. Xia Chen's words were like daggers piercing his heart, causing him, who was always proud, immense pain.
“I just see that you still seem unconvinced, and you just asked what right and qualification I have to be your superior?
Excuse me, I'm a narrow-minded person and I love to lecture others. Since you have doubts, I’ll gladly explain it to you!”
Xia Chen's expression was calm, making it impossible to discern whether he was happy or angry at that moment.
“Why can I come to the Lantern Bearers?
Why can I be your superior?
Because I am smarter than you!
Because I am more capable than you!
Because I solved the case that you couldn't!
That's why I came!
Therefore, I am the Director!
And you are just a Hall Master!
So, are you convinced now?”
A series of “because” and “therefore” statements, each word like a great bell, struck people's hearts, making their faces pale.
“I am not convinced!”
Lu Chen's eyes were bloodshot. Thinking that his adoptive father, Lu Li, had been purged and overthrown because of the person in front of him, he clenched his fists, wanting to cleave this person in half with a single strike.
Xia Chen slowly walked towards Lu Chen, the distance between them no more than a zhang. Xia Chen gazed into Lu Chen's bloodshot eyes and slowly spoke.
“If you're not convinced, you can strike. Isn't your long blade right by your side? A swift draw, and perhaps you could cleave me in half!”
Xia Chen smiled, giving off a sense of madness. Everyone felt that their superior seemed a little insane.
So insane that he didn't even care about his own life or death. They knew Lu Chen's temper well; in such a furious state, Lu Chen might really strike!
The atmosphere in the entire hall solidified at this moment. Lu Chen's gaze was like a blade, as if he was measuring the trajectory of a strike.
Li Wei was terrified, fearing that Xia Chen would be split in half and bleed on the spot the next moment.
“Hahahahaha! Do you take me for that idiot Zhao Yu?
On your first day in the Imperial Guards, you deliberately lured Zhao Yu into attacking you, then claimed righteousness, used your influence to oppress others, not only beating Zhao Yu but also using him to establish your authority, killing the chicken to warn the monkeys, and finally expelling him from the Imperial Guards. Do you think I'm that brainless?”
Lu Chen suddenly laughed. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were like still water, devoid of any emotion.
He was just a hair's breadth away from being successfully provoked by Xia Chen into losing his temper completely and acting irrationally.
Regardless of whether he could successfully kill Xia Chen, just the act of insubordination alone would surely lead to a terrible end for him.
Xia Chen's gaze was calm, not showing disappointment. It was merely an improvised, casual move, and Xia Chen was not surprised that the other party did not take the bait.
If he were so easily driven to irrationality, then this Dark King, who held immense power during the Empress's reign, commanded the Lantern Bearers, and successfully annihilated the Surveillance Institute and the Imperial City Bureau, would be too disappointing.
Xia Chen revealed a satisfied smile. Although this was a younger, lower-tier version, not yet evolved into the final version of the Dark King, gold cannot be hidden.
Such a person is more challenging to win over!
…