After a pause, Kong Ming continued: "I was in Poyang to express my condolences to you. When Jiang Qian came to see you, he was very graceful and elegant. I expressed my condolences to you for your talent, civility and military strategy. In the Battle of Chibi, I used fire to defeat Cao. I thought of you." You were majestic and heroic at that time, and I cried bitterly for your premature death. Your loyalty and righteousness gathered the breath of a heroic spirit and will last forever. The feelings of mourning for you are real. The sorrow is like a thousand knots in the intestines. Your death makes me sad. The three armies are saddened, the Lord of Wu is weeping for you, and my friends are weeping for you. I actually don’t have much talent, so I asked you for some strategies to help Soochow fight against Cao’s thieves. You are still alive, so what worries do I have? Farewell, Zhou Yu! If you have a soul in heaven, you can identify my sincerity. From now on, I have lost a close friend. It is really painful!" I finished reading the article about the sacrifice. , Kong Ming lay on the ground and burst into tears, tears pouring down his face, looking very sad.
The generals communicated with each other and said: "Others say that Kong Ming and Zhou Yu are life-and-death rivals. After seeing the process of Kong Ming's sacrifice today, I am afraid it is not what the rumors say."
Lu Su felt a little sad when he saw Kong Ming was so sad, and thought to himself: "Kong Ming is really a passionate person, but Zhou Yu is too narrow-minded, and it's his own fault."
After the sacrifice was completed, Lu Su set up a banquet to entertain Kong Ming. After the banquet, Kong Ming said goodbye and left.
Just as he was about to get off the boat, a man suddenly appeared on the river bank. He was wearing a Taoist robe, bamboo crown, soap ribbon and plain shoes. He grabbed Kong Ming's arm with his hand and laughed: "You made Zhou Yu so angry, and now you come to express your condolences. Are you bullying us, Soochow?" Talented?"
Kong Ming quickly looked back at the man and found that it was Pang Tong, Mr. Fengchu, who was as famous as himself.
Kong Ming also laughed, and the two boarded the ship together and talked about some past things.
Kong Ming left a letter to Pang Tong, saying: "I guess Sun Quan will definitely not reuse you. If you feel dissatisfied here, you can go to Jingzhou to support Liu Bei with me. Liu Bei is a very kind man. If you can listen to other people's advice, you will definitely live up to your lifelong talent and learning."
Pang Tong nodded and said goodbye to Kong Ming, and Kong Ming returned to Jingzhou by himself.
Lu Su sent Zhou Yu's coffin to Wuhu. After Sun Quan took it, he burst into tears and ordered that it be buried in his hometown. Zhou Yu had two sons and a daughter, the eldest son Xun and the second son Yin. Sun Quan treated them well.
Lu Su said: "My talents are very average, and I am afraid that I will disappoint the recommendation of Governor Zhou Yu. In fact, I am not qualified. I can recommend someone to help the lord. This person is knowledgeable in astronomy, geography, strategy, and Guan Zhong and Le Yi is equal, and his military skills can keep pace with Sun Wu and Wu Qi. Zhou Yu has used his suggestions many times before, and Zhuge Liang also admires him very much. He is in Jiangnan now, why not reuse them?"
Sun Quan was very happy after hearing this and went to ask the man's name.
Lu Su said: "He is from Xiangyang. His surname is Pang, his given name is Tong, his courtesy name is Shiyuan, and his Taoist name is Mr. Fengchu."
After hearing this, Sun Quan said: "I have heard about this man for a long time. Since he is here, please come and meet him."
So Lu Su invited Pang Tong to see Sun Quan. After saluting, Sun Quan saw Pang Tong himself with thick eyebrows and raised nose, dark face and short beard, and a strange appearance. He felt a little unhappy, so he asked: "What you usually learn are mainly what?"
He replied: "There is no fixed thing, everything is adaptable."
Sun Quan asked again: "How does your talent and learning compare with Zhou Yu?"
Pang Tong laughed after hearing this and said, "What I study is different from Zhou Yu's."
Sun Quan relied on Zhou Yu the most. Seeing Pang Tong's loud tone and seeming to despise Zhou Yu, he became even more unhappy and said to Pang Tong: "Then you should step aside first. I will invite you again when I have use for you!" "
Pang Tong knew what the problem was, sighed and left.
Lu Su was very surprised when he found out, and asked, "Why doesn't my lord reuse Pang Tong?"
Replied: "I just asked him some questions and found that this man is very crazy. What's the use?"
Lu Su advised: "During the Battle of Chibi, someone once offered Cao Cao a serial plan, which became a meritorious feat. Your lord must know about it."
Sun Quan said: "This is Cao Cao himself who wants to nail all the ships. How can it be called an achievement? I swear I will not use this person."
Lu Su had no choice but to come out and say to Pang Tong: "It's not that I don't recommend you, it's because Wu Hou is unwilling to reuse you. If you stay patient, there will be other opportunities."
Pang Tong was very disappointed after hearing this and just sighed.
Lu Su said: "Is it because you have no idea about Wu?"
Pang Tong did not answer.
Lu Su said again: "You have the talent of Kuangji, and you can display your grand ambitions and hegemony wherever you go. Can you tell me the truth, where are you going?"
Pang Tong said: "I want to go to Cao Cao."
Lu Su said: "You are casting your pearl in the dark. You can go to Jingzhou to join Liu Bei. I am sure he will reuse you."
Pang Tong said: "That's what I mean. What I said before about defecting to Cao Cao is all lies."
Lu Su nodded and said: "I will definitely write a letter to you. If you assist Liu Bei, I will definitely let the Sun and Liu families have no conflicts and attacks, and we can attack Cao's thieves together."
Pang Tong said: "This is also my lifelong ambition!" So he asked Lu Su to write a letter and go to Jingzhou to meet Liu Bei.
At this time, Kong Ming did not return from his inspection in the four counties of Jingzhou. A guard came to report: "Pang Tong, a famous scholar from the south of the Yangtze River, came here specially to seek refuge."
Liu Bei had also heard about Feng Chu's reputation for a long time, so he asked him to come in to meet him. Pang Tong didn't go to pay homage when he saw Feng Chu. When Liu Bei saw that Pang Tong's appearance was really ugly, he was naturally not very happy, so he asked: "You It’s not easy to come all the way, isn’t it?”
Pang Tong deliberately did not take out the letters between Lu Su and Kong Ming, but just replied: "I heard that the emperor's uncle was recruiting talents, so I came here specially to join him!"
Liu Bei said: "Jingzhou has just been pacified, and there are no vacancies. One hundred and thirty miles northeast of this place, there is a county named Leiyang County, which is short of a county magistrate. I feel sorry for you to appoint it first. If there is something more important later, Position, I will definitely use you again!"
Pang Tong thought: Liu Bei is not very frivolous towards me, and he is ready to impress me with his talents and knowledge. Seeing that Kong Ming is not here, he can only reluctantly say goodbye and take office.
When Pang Tong arrived in Leiyang County, he ignored the affairs at all. He drank and had fun all day long and ignored all the lawsuits. This matter soon spread to Liu Bei, saying that Pang Tong had messed up the affairs of Leiyang County. Liu Bei was very angry and said: " A bad scholar dares to mess with my laws!" So he ordered Zhang Fei to take his troops to patrol the county in the south of Jingzhou, saying: "If there are people who are unfair and do not abide by the law, just stop them and ask them, I'm afraid things are not clear. Wherever we are, let Sun Qian go with him."
