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“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 man's 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 commend you to my brother with all my might.”

Then Pang Tong drew forth Lu Su's 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 commendation 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 sage.”

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

“Pang Tong is not the sort of person to be met with in any day's 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 person,” said Liu Bei.

Then he lost no time, but sent Zhang Fei off to the northeast to request Pang Tong to come 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 Blooming-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 Blooming-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.