第137部分(第3/7 页)

　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　Bei's　two　strategists　and　of　the　army　in　training　and　the　stores　accumulating　and