According to Liu Bei's instructions, Zhang Fei took Sun Qian to Leiyang County. All the local officials came out to greet him, but the county magistrate was not seen. Zhang Fei asked: "Why didn't your county magistrate come?"
He replied: "It has been more than a hundred days since Magistrate Pang took office. He has not had much involvement in the affairs of the county. He drinks every day until late at night. He has been drunk for a long time. He must be drunk today." Didn’t get up.”
Zhang Fei was very angry after hearing this and was about to capture him. Sun Qian advised: "Pang Tong is a wise man and cannot be treated as an ordinary person. Let's go to the county government to ask him first. If he is unreasonable, then we will punish him." .”
So Zhang Fei entered the county government office, sat on it, and asked the county magistrate to see him.
Pang Tong was disheveled, sleepy-eyed, and not yet fully awake. Zhang Fei said angrily: "My brother regarded you as a talent and made you the county magistrate. Since you are neglecting the county magistrate's affairs like this."
Pang Tong laughed after hearing this and said, "General, what do you think I have neglected in the county?"
Zhang Fei said: "You have been here for hundreds of days, and you are drunk and dreaming every day. Haven't you neglected the political affairs here?"
Pang Tong smiled slightly and said: "In this small county of less than a hundred miles, it is difficult to decide on some very small matters! General, please sit down for a while and let me decide." After saying that, he asked other people to assist him. All the events of more than a hundred days were presented and a decision was made on the spot. Some officials who were dissatisfied with Pang Tong took out all the case files and told the actual situation. They called the defendants over and knelt on the ground. Pang Tong approved the document in his hand. The verdict of the trial was spoken with the mouth, and the confession was listened to with the ears, and the merits and wrongs were recorded without making any mistakes. The people all kowtowed in submission.
In less than half a day, all the matters of hundreds of days were dealt with. Pang Tong threw the pen to Zhang Fei and said: "What other wasteful things are there in the county! Cao Cao and Sun Quan seemed to have it easy for me, let alone something like this." In a small county town, there’s nothing to be surprised about!”
Zhang Fei was very surprised when he witnessed what happened. He got down from his seat and said, "Sir, you are a man of great ability. I am disrespectful. I will definitely recommend you in front of my brother."
Pang Tong took out Lu Su's recommendation letter, and Zhang Fei said, "Why didn't you take it out when you first went to meet my brother?"
Pang Tong said: "If you take it out from the beginning, it seems that I recommended it specifically for this purpose."
Zhang Fei remembered Sun Qian's words, turned around and said to Sun Qian: "If you hadn't persuaded me, I would have lost a very talented person!" So he said goodbye to Pang Tong and returned to Jingzhou to see Liu Bei and tell him what happened. , when Pang Tong's talent was mentioned, Liu Bei was very surprised and said: "It's my fault that I have to treat a talented person like this!"
Zhang Fei handed Lu Su's recommendation letter to Liu Bei, opened it and read it. The content was: Pang Tong did not have the talent to govern a small county with a hundred miles. He came to join the emperor's uncle, hoping that he could be reused so that he could display his talents. If you judge people by their appearance, I am afraid that you will lose your lifelong learning and let others take advantage of it, which would be a pity!
After reading it, Liu Bei was sighing when someone suddenly reported that Kong Ming was back. Liu Bei connected and Kong Ming said: "I heard that Pang Tong is here. How is he doing recently?"
Liu Bei said: "I sent him to Leiyang County, and the locals said he likes to drink."
Kong Ming smiled and said: "Pang Tong is very talented, and his knowledge is ten times more than mine. I once wrote a letter to recommend him. I wonder if my lord has read it?"
Liu Bei said: "I just got Lu Su's recommendation letter today, but I didn't see Mr.'s recommendation letter."
Kong Ming said: "People with great talents often become drunk and confused when placed in a small place, and have little interest in small things."
Liu Bei nodded and said, "If it weren't for what my third brother said, I would have almost lost such a talented person!" So he asked Zhang Fei to go to Leiyang County to personally invite Pang Tong back to Jingzhou, and Liu Bei personally walked down the steps to apologize. , Pang Tong took out Kong Ming's letter at this time.
Liu Bei read the meaning in the book and said that after Feng Chu arrives, he must reuse it.
Liu Bei was very happy and said: "Sima Hui said before that Wolong and Fengchu can stabilize the world. Now that I have obtained them, there will be a chance for the prosperity of the Han Dynasty." So he worshiped Pang Tong as his deputy military advisor, Zhonglang General. Discuss the big strategy with Kong Ming, train the sergeants, and then conquer.
This matter soon spread to Xuchang, saying that Liu Bei had Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong as his advisers. He was recruiting troops and horses, accumulating grass and grain, and was connected with Soochow. Sooner or later he would launch an expedition to the north.
After Cao Cao heard about it, he was a little worried, so he discussed the southern expedition with other counselors. Xun You said: "Zhou Yu died not long ago. We can attack Sun Quan and then attack Liu Bei."
Cao Cao said: "If we go on an expedition, I'm afraid Ma Teng will attack Xudu. When we were in Chibi, there were rumors in the army that it was an invasion of Xiliang. We have to be on guard now, and I sent Xu Shu to guard it at that time. Unfortunately, he met a thief on the road and lost his life."
Xun You said: "In my opinion, it is better to recruit Ma Teng as the general to conquer the south first, and send him to conquer Sun Quan. We can use this method to lure him to Xudu, and get rid of this person first, then there will be no obstacles to the southern expedition. "
Cao Cao was very happy after hearing this and sent people to Xiliang to summon Ma Teng.
Ma Teng, also known as Shoucheng, was born after General Ma Yuan of Fubo in the Han Dynasty. His father's name was Su and his courtesy name was Zishuo. During the reign of Emperor Huan, he was a county lieutenant in Langan County, Tianshui. He later lost his official position and lived in Longxi, where he lived with the Qiang people and married a Qiang girl. Ma Teng has a majestic appearance and a very kind personality, and others respect him very much. At the end of Emperor Ling's reign of the Han Dynasty, the Qiang people rebelled one after another. Ma Teng recruited militiamen to defeat the bandits. Because of his merits in defeating the bandits, he was named General of the Expedition to the West and became brothers with General Han Sui of the West.
Because Cao Cao issued the edict with Emperor Xian's will, Ma Teng had no choice but to discuss it with his eldest son Ma Chao, saying: "Since I and Dong accepted the edict on clothes and belts, I and Liu Bei jointly agreed to punish thieves. I didn't expect that Dong Cheng died. Liu Bei It kept failing. I was in a small place like Xiliang and couldn't help Liu Bei. Now I heard that Liu Bei had taken Jingzhou into his hands. I was about to respond to him and jointly fight against the thieves. At this time, Cao Cao came and issued an edict to recruit him. Me, what’s the reason?”
Ma Chao said: "Cao Cao was ordered by the emperor to summon my father. If he didn't go, he would definitely blame us for treason. So he could only go to Xudu according to the meaning of the edict, and then act in secret. Then his previous ambitions could be Cast.”
Ma Dai objected, saying: "Cao Cao has ulterior motives. If my uncle goes like this, he will definitely harm you!"
Ma Chao said: "I am willing to gather all the soldiers and horses in Xiliang and follow my father into Xuchang to avenge and eliminate harm for the world. What is there to worry about?"
Ma Teng said: "Lead the Qiang soldiers and protect Xiliang yourself. I will take Ma Xiu, Ma Tie and Ma Dai with me to Xudu. Cao Cao saw that you were in Xiliang and that Han Sui was helping you, so he shouldn't Dare to harm me!"
