Liu Bei temporarily stayed in the camp outside Jiangling City. As the governor of Nanjun, Zhou Yu was considered the master, so he naturally had to entertain Liu Bei well.
Even if he knew that Liu Bei was staying in Jiangling and was suspected of buying people's hearts, Zhou Yu would not be so petty at this time. After all, Jiangling was under his actual control.
The Jiangling family is not a fool. Their roots are in Jiangling. How could they send people to follow Liu Bei instead of himself, the governor of Jiangling?
Moreover, during this period of time, as Zhou Yu began to organize Jiangling's government affairs, many aristocratic families had sent their children to serve as officials to help Zhou Yu manage Nanjun.
After all, Zhou Yu was born into a noble family. The noble families would definitely look at Zhou Yu more favorably than a Han clan clan member who came out of nowhere.
In addition, Zhou Yu is a local snake, and Liu Bei is just a passerby. He will leave sooner or later. Do you still need to think about the choice? !
Yes, you don’t need to think about it, but there will always be people who don’t think so.
For example, Pang Tong.
Pang Tong has been staying in Nanjun City. He was there when Cao Ren controlled Nanjun. Now that Zhou Yu controls Nanjun, he is still there.
Pang Tong is an uncle and nephew to Pang Degong, but the Pang family is a big family. The blood relationship between Pang Tong and Pang Degong is already very distant. It can only be said that the relationship is that of uncle and nephew.
However, when Pang Tong was young, he was not favored by others because of his appearance. On the contrary, Pang Degong cherished his talent and introduced him to Sima Hui. As a result, Sima Hui's sentence "the crown of Nanzhou scholars" made Pang Tong famous.
After becoming famous, Pang Tong got acquainted with Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu and others. Their relationship was quite complicated. They admired each other's knowledge and ability, but also often quarreled with each other.
The relationship between Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang is not bad, and the relationship between Xu Shu and Pang Tong is also good, but the relationship between Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang is not good, but it is not bad, and they can be regarded as ordinary friends.
When two smart people get together, there is a bit of a comparison mentality, but this is nothing.
However, when it comes to looking at people, the two of them are surprisingly consistent.
Both of them looked down upon Liu Biao, the herdsman of Jingzhou, and Pang Tong was more radical. He even looked down upon Zhou Yu.
As for Zhou Yu's appearance, at first glance, he just relies on his pretty face and has no ability.
Cao Cao's army was defeated and fled, but Zhou Yu actually stayed in the south of the Yangtze River for more than ten days before crossing the river to attack Jiangling. This was a waste of opportunity.
If he had crossed the river earlier and not given Cao Ren time to gather his soldiers, would the battle for Jiangling City have taken more than half a year? !
Anyway, this is how Pang Tong thinks of Zhou Yu, so the aristocratic families in Jiangling City have appointed Zhou Yu as an official. The Pang family also wants to have a good relationship with Zhou Yu, but Pang Tong just can't stand Zhou Yu.
At this time, General Liu Bei of the Left visited Pang's mansion in person and sent many gifts, which attracted Pang Tong's attention.
Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang are not close, but there is no conflict between Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang. They are just two smart people competing with each other.
Pang Tong would not choose Liu Bei just because Zhuge Liang became an official. This is related to his own fame and career, and is not just for anger.
So Pang Tong also paid a visit to Liu Bei in the name of gratitude, wanting to see if Liu Bei's ambition and talent were worthy of Pang Tong's assistance.
When Liu Bei and Pang Tong chatted like this, their brain waves seemed to be in sync with each other.
Moreover, the two of them chatted all day long. When the conversation started, Liu Bei spent the night in Pang Mansion and activated his ultimate skill - sleeping on the same bed.
Then Pang Tong couldn't run away.
Why did Liu Bei suddenly visit Pang Mansion? !
Zhang Xi encouraged him.
How did Liu Bei know Pang Tong? !
Zhang Xi encouraged him.
How did Liu Bei know that Pang Tong had great talent? !
It was Zhang Xi who encouraged him.
Zhang Xi had long guessed that Pang Tong was in Jiangling City.
During the Battle of Chibi, he didn't see Pang Tong offering any serial schemes, so Zhang Xi guessed that Pang Tong should have taken the historical route and hid in Jiangling City.
Therefore, after Zhou Yu captured Jiangling City and was busy with official duties and had no time to pay attention to Jiangling City's talents, Zhang Xi began to secretly inquire about Pang Tong.
But Pang Tong hid himself very well. If he didn't want to come out to see anyone, even if Zhang Xi found Pang's house, he still wouldn't be able to see him.
The Pang family was the leader of the Jiangling family, and Zhang Xi did not dare to act recklessly in the Pang family. People said that Pang Tong was not here, and Zhang Xi could not go in to search for people.
Fortunately Liu Bei came, and then Zhang Xi told Liu Bei that there was a great talent in Jiangling City who was friends with Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu and others, and was praised by Sima Hui as "the crown of Nanzhou scholars". In order to increase Liu Bei's interest, Zhang Xi The saying in the novel "Crouching dragon and phoenix, one of them can make peace for the world" has been brought out.
Sima Huizhen never said this, it was Luo Guanzhong who said it.
But in order to prevent Liu Bei from not thinking highly of Pang Tong at first like in history, Zhang Xi deliberately quoted these words to increase Pang Tong's weight.
In fact, Zhang Xi really thought too much.
Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu already had a high status in Liu Bei's heart, not to mention Sima Hui's comment that Liu Bei already believed in Pang Tong's talent.
However, Zhang Xi had nothing to say about "crouching dragon and phoenix chick", but it made Liu Bei want to test Pang Tong.
But fortunately, Pang Tong's knowledge is really profound, and he is consistent with Liu Bei's ambitions and stance. He is not as ugly as written in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Although it is a bit dark to be looked down upon by Liu Bei, Pang Tong's appearance is still normal. Within the scope of aesthetics.
Therefore, Liu Bei and Pang Tong talked happily and slept together on the same couch until they left Pang Tong's mansion the next day. Liu Bei formally extended an official invitation to Pang Tong.
"I deeply admire you for your great talent. Now I would like to invite you to be the Zhonglang. I would also like to ask you to come out to help me and support the Han Dynasty together!"
Liu Bei bowed and clasped his hands and said to Pang Tong.
Pang Tong also had a look of emotion on his face, and he bowed in return and said, "General Meng, I dare not disobey you. Please return to the camp first. After the general has finished taking care of the family affairs, he will go to the camp to meet the lord."
Zhang Xi looked at it and was happy.
The lord has been summoned, but Pang Tong can't run away.
That guy Zhou Yu, even if he wants to force Pang Tong to serve as an official, there is nothing he can do. Pang Tong is already a lieutenant in General Zuo's mansion.
When he thought of that guy Zhou Yu gnashing his teeth, Zhang Xi wanted to laugh at who made him call himself "shameless" a few days ago.
The more Zhang Xi thought about it, the more he felt happy. Even Pang Tong kept muttering in his heart. He heard that Zhang Yuanzhang was also a wise man. When he saw it today, how could he be so unworthy of his name? !
Zhang Xi didn't know that Pang Tong had made such an evaluation of himself in his heart, but he continued to happily accompany Liu Bei back to the camp.
As for Zhou Yu, he was really not as angry as Zhang Xi thought.
Zhou Yu had not met Pang Tong at this time, so it was naturally impossible for him to know what Pang Tong's talent was.
Most of the flattery among celebrities these days is exaggerated. It's not like I haven't seen so-called celebrities in Jiangdong. They are good at quoting scriptures and talking about everything.
But when it comes to governing the country and using troops to defeat the enemy, these people have to stand aside.
Instead of listening to them, it is better to listen to Zhang Zibu and pretend to surrender. Where did the great victory in Chibi and the occupation of Nanjun come from?
Another thing, what Zhou Yu really values is not Pang Tong, but the Pang family.
The Pang family's reputation in Jingzhou is too high, and their personal connections are quite complicated, so Zhou Yu mainly wants to use the power of the Pang family to quickly comfort the situation in Jiangling City and restore Jiangling City's production as soon as possible.
Zhou Yu just needs the Pang family to serve as an official. As for whether this person is Pang Tong, Pang Lin, or who is from the Pang family, Zhou Yu doesn't care now.
In addition, Jiangling City is now in dire straits and there are too many government affairs. Zhou Yu really doesn't have time to see Pang Tong, and naturally he doesn't care whether Pang Tong was abducted by Liu Bei.
He didn't care if he was kidnapped, as long as the Pang family sent someone else to serve as an official. Anyway, he just wanted a name, and it would be the same for anyone.
Three days later, after Pang Tong sorted out his family affairs, he went to Liu Bei's camp outside the city in person, met with Liu Bei, and took up the post of Zhonglang in General Zuo's Mansion.
The first thing Pang Tong did after taking office was to help Liu Bei analyze whether he should go to Jiangdong to meet Sun Quan and ask for a place at Youjiangkou.
And Pang Tong's attitude towards this matter was-go!
Zhang Xi was not happy at that time, and hurriedly reiterated the risks of leaving, and asked Liu Bei to wait for Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang's reply before making a decision.
But Pang Tong began his first show of talent.
"Zhou Gongjin has the intention to harm the lord, but this time the lord goes to Chaisang, there is no danger!" Pang Tong persuaded Liu Bei, "First, Zhou Gongjin stationed troops in Jiangling, and although he has made great achievements, he is not allowed to leave without permission. Anyone who is unfavorable to the lord can only write a letter. Secondly, Lu Su is assisting Sun Toulu in Chaisang. He is the initiator of the covenant. He will definitely maintain the covenant with all his strength and protect the lord. Thirdly, Sun Toulu's young Cheng Cheng Karma, who originally had no achievements to convince others, but now he has defeated Cao Cao and is famous all over the world. At this time of high spirits, how can he betray the alliance without authorization and make the world laugh?!"
Pang Tongtong cited three examples at once to prove that Liu Bei's trip to Jiangdong was just a near miss. Even if Zhou Yu wanted to assassinate Liu Bei, Sun Quan and Lu Su would not agree.
That makes sense. But what if? !
Zhang Xi still felt that this was too risky, and once again advised Liu Bei, saying, "Although Pang Zheng's words are reasonable, my lord, don't you hear that "the son of a rich man cannot sit down in the hall"? My lord is concerned about the safety of the whole army, how can we take it so easily?" Are you in danger?! After Xi’s opinion, it’s not too late to make a decision after gaining the trust of Commander Zhuge and Commander Xu.”
Pang Tong suddenly frowned and said, "Since ancient times, who has achieved great things, how can there be one who has not taken risks?! In the past, Emperor Gaozu also had the emergency of the Hongmen Banquet, didn't he turn the danger into a disaster?! My lord, when going to Chaisang this time, just be careful and there will be no serious problems. That’s it.”
What makes it "no big deal"? !
If you like taking risks so much, no wonder you will be shot as a hedgehog in the future.
Zhang Xi still wanted to persuade him, but Liu Bei had already made his decision at this time.
"There is no need to persuade Yuan Zhang anymore, I have made up my mind." Liu Bei waved his hand, smiled, and said to Zhang Xi, "I will bid farewell to Zhou Gongjin in the future. I will go to Chaisang to meet with General Sun in person to discuss the matter of Youjiang Estuary."
".promise!"
(End of chapter)
