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Whereupon Pang Tong was invited to the Palace and introduced. The formal salutations over, Sun Quan was disappointed with the man's appearance, which was indeed extraordinary. Pang Tong had bushy eyebrows, a turned-up nose, a dark face, and a stubby beard. So Sun Quan was prejudiced against Pang Tong.

“What have you studied,” asked Sun Quan, “and what are you master of?”

Pang Tong replied, “One must not be narrow and obstinate; one must change with circumstances.”

“How does your learning compare with that of Zhou Yu?” asked Sun Quan.

“My learning is not to be compared with his in the least; mine is far greater.”

Now Sun Quan had always loved his late general, and he could not bear to hear him disparaged. This speech of Pang Tong only increased his dislike. So he said, “You may retire, Sir; I will send for you when I can employ you.”

Pang Tong uttered one long sigh and went away.

When he had gone, Lu Su said, “My lord, why not employ him?”

“What good would result; he is just one of those mad fellows.”

“He did good service at the Red Cliffs fight, however, for it was he who got Cao Cao to chain his ships together.”

“It was simply that Cao Cao wished to chain his ships together. No credit was due to this fellow. In any case I give you my word that I will not employ him. That much is certain.”

Lu Su went out and explained to Pang Tong that the failure was not due to lack of recommendation, but simply a whim of Sun Quan, and he must put up with it. The disappointed suitor hung his head and sighed many times without speaking.

“I fear you are doomed to constant disappointment here,” said Lu Su. “There is nothing you can hope for, eh?”

But still Pang Tong was silent.

“With your wonderful gifts, of course you will be successful whithersoever you may go. You may take my word for that. But to whom will you go?”

“I think I will join Cao Cao,” said Pang Tong suddenly.

“That would be hinging a gleaming pearl into darkness. Rather go to Liu Bei, who would appreciate you and employ you fittingly.”

“The truth is that I have been thinking of this for a long time,” said Pang Tong. “I was only joking just now.”

“I will give you a letter to Liu Bei; and if you go to him, you must try to maintain peace between him and my lord and get them to act together against Cao Cao.”

“That has been the one desire of my life.”

Pang Tong took the letter offered by Lu Su and soon made his way to Jingzhou City. He arrived at a moment that Zhuge Liang was absent on an inspection journey, but the doorkeeper announced him and said he had come to throw in his lot with Liu Bei. He was received, for he was no stranger in name.

When Pang Tong was admitted, he made the ordinary salutation but did not make an obeisance and this, coupled with his ugly face, did not please his host.

“You have come a long and arduous journey,” said Liu Bei.

At this point the suitor should have produced his letters from Zhuge Liang and Lu Su, but did not. Instead he replied, “I hear, O Imperial Uncle, that you are welcoming the wise and receiving scholars, wherefore I have come to join your service.”

“The country is decently peaceful now, and unfortunately there is no office vacant. But away to the northeast there is a small magistracy, Leiyang, which needs a chief. I can offer you that post until there should be something more fitting.”

Pang Tong thought this rather poor welcome for a person of his talent. But his friend was absent, so he could do nothing but control his annoyance and accept. He took his leave and started.

But when he arrived at his post, he paid no attention to business at all; he gave himself up entirely to dissipation. The taxes were not collected nor were lawsuits decided.

News of this reaching Liu Bei, who was angry and said, “Here is this stiff-necked pedant throwing my administration into disorder.”

So Liu Bei sent Zhang Fei to the county with orders to make a general inspection of the whole county and look into any irregularities and disorders. But as Liu Bei thought there might be some tact needed, Sun Qian was also sent as coadjutor.

In due course the inquisitors arrived at Leiyang, where they were received by the officials and welcomed by the people at the boundary. But the Magistrate did not appear.

“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 Fei's 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 hail of justice, and summoned the Magistrate before them. He came with dress all disordered and still under the influence of wine.