第一小说网

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第137部分（第1页）

〃Where　is　the　Magistrate？〃　asked　Zhang　Fei。

〃Ever　since　his　arrival；　a　hundred　days　ago　and　more；　he　has　attended　to　no　business；　but　spends　his　days　from　morn　to　night　in　wine…bobbing　and　is　always　intoxicated。　Just　now　he　is　sleeping　off　a　debauch　and　is　not　yet　risen。〃

This　raised　Zhang　Feis　choler；　and　he　would　have　dismissed　the　offender　forthwith　had　not　his　colleague　said；　〃Pang　Tong　is　a　man　of　great　ability；　and　it　would　be　wrong　to　deal　with　him　thus　summarily。　Let　us　inquire　into　it。　If　he　is　really　so　guilty；　we　will　punish　his　offense。〃

So　they　went　to　the　magistracy；　took　their　seats　in　the　Hall　of　Justice；　and　summoned　the　Magistrate　before　them。　He　came　with　dress　all　disordered　and　still　under　the　influence　of　wine。

〃My　brother　took　you　for　a　decent　person；〃　said　Zhang　Fei；　angrily；　〃and　sent　you　here　as　magistrate。　How　dare　you　throw　the　affairs　of　the　county　into　disorder？〃

〃Do　you　think　I　have　done　as　you　say；　General？〃　said　Pang　Tong。　〃What　affairs　have　I　disordered？〃

〃You　have　been　here　over　a　hundred　days　and　spent　the　whole　time　in　dissipation。　Is　not　that　disorderly？〃

〃Where　would　be　the　difficulty　in　dealing　with　the　business　of　a　trifling　county　like　this？　I　pray　you；　General；　sit　down　for　a　while　till　I　have　settled　the　cases。〃

Thereupon　Pang　Tong　bade　the　clerks　bring　in　all　the　arrears　and　he　would　settle　them　at　once。　So　they　brought　in　the　piles　of　papers　and　ordered　the　suitors　to　appear。　They　came　and　knelt　in　the　hall　while　the　magistrate；　brush　in　hand；　noted　this　and　minuted　that；　all　the　while　listening　to　the　pleadings。　Soon　all　the　difficulties　and　disputes　were　adjusted；　and　never　a　mistake　was　made；　as　the　satisfied　bows　of　the　people　proved。　By　midday　the　whole　of　the　cases　were　disposed　of；　and　the　arrears　of　the　hundred　days　settled　and　decided。

This　done；　the　Magistrate　threw　aside　his　pen　and　turned　to　the　inquisitors；　saying；　〃Where　is　the　disorder？　When　I　can　take　on　Cao　Cao　and　Sun　Quan　as　easily　as　I　can　read　this　paper；　what　attention　from　me　is　needed　for　the　business　of　this　paltry　place？〃

Zhang　Fei　was　astonished　at　the　mans　ability；　rose　from　his　seat；　and　crossed　over；　saying；　〃You　are　indeed　a　marvel；　Master。　I　have　not　treated　you　respectfully　enough；　but　now　I　shall　mend　you　to　my　brother　with　all　my　might。〃

Then　Pang　Tong　drew　forth　Lu　Sus　letter　and　showed　it　to　Zhang　Fei。

〃Why　did　you　not　show　this　to　my　brother　when　you　first　saw　him？〃　asked　Zhang　Fei。

〃If　I　had　had　a　chance；　I　would　have　done　so。　But　is　it　likely　that　one　would　just　take　advantage　of　a　letter　of　mendation　to　make　a　visit？〃

Zhang　Fei　turned　to　his　colleague　and　said；　〃You　just　saved　a　wise　man　for　us。〃

Sun　Qian　and　Zhang　Fei　left　the　magistracy　and　returned　to　Liu　Bei　to　whom　they　related　what　had　happened。

Liu　Bei　then　seemed　to　be　conscious　of　his　error　and　said；　〃I　have　been　wrong。　I　have　behaved　unjustly　to　a　learned　person。〃

Zhang　Fei　then　gave　his　brother　the　letter　in　which　Lu　Su　had　remended　Pang　Tong。　Opening　it　he　read：

〃Pang　Tong　is　not　the　sort　of　person　to　be　met　with　in　any　days　march。　Employ　him　in　some　capacity　where　extra　ordinary　talent　is　required；　and　his　powers　will　declare　themselves。　Beware　of　judging　him　by　his　looks；　or　you　may　lose　the　advantage　of　his　abilities；　and　some　other　will　gain　him。　This　would　be　a　misfortune。〃

While　Liu　Bei　was　feeling　cast　down　at　the　mistake　he　had　made；　as　shown　by　the　letter；　they　announced　the　return　of　Zhuge　Liang。

Soon　Zhuge　Liang　entered　the　hall；　and　the　first　question　he　put　after　the　formal　salutations　was：　〃Is　Directing…Instructor　Pang　Tong　quite　well？〃

〃He　is　in　charge　of　Leiyang；〃　replied　Liu　Bei；　〃where　he　is　given　to　wine　and　neglects　his　business。〃

Zhuge　Liang　laughed；　saying；　〃My　friend　Pang　Tong　has　extraordinary　abilities　and　ten　times　my　knowledge。　I　gave　him　a　letter　for　you；　my　lord。　Did　he　present　it？〃

〃This　very　day　I　have　received　a　letter；　but　from　Lu　Su。　I　have　had　no　letter　written　by　you。〃

〃When　a　person　of　transcendent　abilities　is　sent　to　a　paltry　post；　he　always　turns　to　wine　out　of　simple　ennui；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。

〃If　it　had　not　been　for　what　my　brother　said；　I　should　have　lost　a　great　scholar；〃　said　Liu　Bei。

Then　he　lost　no　time；　but　sent　Zhang　Fei　off　to　the　northeast　to　request　Pang　Tong　to　e　to　Jingzhou　City。　When　he　arrived；　Liu　Bei　went　out　to　meet　him　and　at　the　foot　of　the　steps　asked　pardon　for　his　mistake。　Then　Pang　Tong　produced　the　letter　that　Zhuge　Liang　had　given　him。　What　Liu　Bei　read　therein　was　this：

〃As　soon　as　the　Young　Phoenix　shall　arrive；　he　should　be　given　an　important　post。〃

Liu　Bei　rejoiced　indeed　as　he　read　it；　and　he　said；　〃Water　Mirror　said　of　the　two　men；　Sleeping　Dragon　and　Young　Phoenix；　that　any　man　who　obtained　the　help　of　either　of　them　could　restore　the　empire　when　he　would。　As　I　now　have　them　both；　surely　the　Hans　will　rise　again。〃

Then　he　appointed　Pang　Tong　as　Vice　Directing　Instructor　and　General；　and　the　two　strategists　began　training　the　army　for　its　work　of　subjugation。

News　of　these　doings　came　to　the　capital；　Xuchang；　and　Cao　Cao　was　told　of　Liu　Beis　two　strategists　and　of　the　army　in　training　and　the　stores　accumulating　and　the　league　between　his　two　chief　enemies。　And　he　knew　that　he　had　to　expect　an　attack　sooner　or　later。　So　he　summoned　his　strategists　to　a　council　for　a　new　campaign。