"Stop—" Liu Qi shouted, and asked hurriedly: "Which Fengchu are you talking about?"
Liu Pan turned around and said with a smile: "How many phoenix chicks are there in Jingzhou? Of course they are the phoenix chicks of Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Chick."
"Pang Tong?" Liu Qi was pleasantly surprised and grabbed Liu Pan and said, "Didn't he go to Jiangdong? Where is he now?"
Liu Pan smiled and said, "Pang Shiyuan has been in Xiangyang for more than a month, but his whereabouts have been erratic. I made inquiries from many sources and visited him in person before I invited him here."
Liu Qi was excited and urged, "Take me there quickly!"
With Crouching Dragon and Phoenix in hand, and with Xu Shu added in, there will be no shortage of talented advisers.
Without bothering to meet Liu Biao, the two brothers first came to Liu Pan's mansion, where Pang Tong was being entertained as a guest.
In the study, a strange man with a dark face, thick eyebrows and a raised nose was seen drinking alone. He had a short beard along his face and at first glance he looked like Mao Shiba!
No wonder everyone says Pang Tong is ugly. He looks like a chivalrous hero, completely different from the lofty scholar-officials. What good comments can those famous critics give him
Liu Qi entered the room and clasped his fists, saying, "I have long heard of your great name, but I have never met you. It is an honor to meet you today."
Pang Tong knew it was Liu Qi who came without any introduction. He stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "General, you resisted Cao Man and protected Jingzhou. As a citizen of Jingzhou, I should thank you."
Liu Pan also stepped forward to introduce himself. The three of them exchanged greetings and took their seats.
Although he had met Zhuge Liang before, Liu Qi was still a little excited when he met Fengchu for the first time.
Pang Tong is different from Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu. He is an orthodox pure strategist. Similar to Guo Jia and Xun You, he is only responsible for planning strategies and cannot lead troops to fight.
Some people even commented that Pang Tong's strategy was better than Zhuge Liang's.
If he had not been competitive and eager to make achievements which led to his early death, perhaps the fate of Shu Han would have had a different ending.
After the tea, Liu Qi got straight to the point and said, "I am a humble man who has inherited the ambition of the Emperor's uncle to revive the Han Dynasty. Although I have to protect Jingzhou, Cao Cao will never give up. Moreover, the affairs of the country, eliminating cruelty and destroying traitors, are not something that can be done by one person. I have gathered virtuous people to repay the country. I have admired your talent for a long time. I hope you can help me. I will be honored!"
Pang Tong put down his wine glass, stood up and saluted, saying: "It is what I wish for, but I dare not ask for it! Today, the world is in chaos, with tigers and wolves rising up. Although Jingzhou is safe, it is surrounded by enemies, and I am always worried about the disaster. Now that the general has turned into a dragon and leaped into the sky, I am a citizen of Jingzhou, how dare I not do my best to protect my home and country, this is the ambition of a real man!"
Liu Qi pulled Pang Tong to sit down and laughed, "I've often heard the children's song in Jingzhou say, 'If you can get one of the Crouching Dragon and the Phoenix, you can pacify the world. I'm so lucky to have the help of the two gentlemen. I will be like a fish in water, conquer the whole country and restore the country."
Pang Tong said with a smile: "General, you have been keeping a low profile and making a stunning debut. This is a blessing for Jingzhou and the Han Dynasty! Now that you have driven Cao Cao away, your name is known all over the world. You are also a relative of the Han Dynasty. You are loyal and will help to revive the Han Dynasty. You will surely win the hearts of the people and can accomplish the work of Emperor Gaozu."
Liu Qi clasped his fists and said, "Sir, your words make sense, but to revive the Han Dynasty is like fighting for the whole world. The road to eliminating the bandits is long and arduous. I am guarding Jingzhou as if I were walking on thin ice. I dare not be careless in the slightest."
Pang Tong said: "Jingzhou has Sun Quan in the east and Cao Cao in the north, so it is difficult to achieve success. Yizhou has a population of one million, vast land and riches, which can be used for great undertakings. Liu Zhang is weak and cannot defend, and Yizhou is in turmoil, with people's hearts divided. If the general can enter Sichuan and occupy Guanzhong, go out of Qishan to plan for Chang'an, and obtain the two capitals, then the Han Dynasty can be revived!"
Liu Qi nodded slightly. "The world is divided into three parts, and Kong Ming also gave some advice. It is true that heroes think alike. However, Liu Zhang and I are from the same clan, and I have no official teacher. I still have to wait for the right time. At present, Jingnan is not settled. Do you have any countermeasures?"
Pang Tong smiled and twirled his beard, saying, "General, when you first took over Jingzhou, you defeated Cao's army and established your prestige in Nanyang and Nanjun. However, the four counties in southern Jingzhou are vast and sparsely populated. They rely on their remoteness to stand on their own and need to establish their prestige to win the support of the people. Now that the north has been temporarily pacified, why don't you inspect the four counties, use both kindness and force, decide on military power and personnel, and combine the four counties into one province, appoint a governor to lead the troops, inspect the river bank, and protect Jingzhou from danger."
Liu Qi suddenly realized, "Sir, your words are truly true. Touring the four counties can both establish authority and calm people's hearts, killing two birds with one stone."
Jingnan had just experienced the Zhangjin Rebellion. After Liu Biao sent troops to quell the rebellion, he appointed Han Xuan, Zhao Fan and Liu Du as county governors, but these people were not familiar with Liu Qi.
As the newly appointed lord of Jingzhou, this is a process of power transition. Liu Qi's prestige in southern Jingzhou is still low. If he wants to have a stable rear, it is best for him to go there himself and appoint his confidants. This is the long-term plan.
However, compared with Liu Bei, Liu Qi still has obvious advantages. At least these people are Liu Biao's subordinates and will not openly rebel, so there is no need to send troops to attack them.
Pang Tong asked Liu Qi to inspect the four counties in order to alert the enemy and test the intentions of the four people. While they had not yet formed a force to act, Cao Cao only contacted Zhao Fan to resolve the hidden danger as soon as possible.
After a moment's hesitation, he told Pang Tong about Zhao Fan's collusion with Cai Mao and his secret dealings with Cao Cao.
The original plan was to go directly to Guiyang, kill Zhao Fan by surprise and force him to surrender. If an official notice was issued, it might cause Zhao Fan to feel uneasy and lead to chaos.
Pang Tong laughed when he heard this and said, "Zhao Fan is cowardly and has no strategy. Cao Cao has his troops stationed in Nanyang but he dares not raise an army. What's more, you are now at the peak of your power. I think that although he is uneasy, he will not dare to make trouble. To be on the safe side, I am willing to go to Lingling in person. As long as Liu Du and his son are willing to obey your orders, Zhao Fan will be alone and helpless. What can he do?"
Liu Qi was delighted and said, "If you go to Lingling, you will surely be able to convince Liu Du and his son. If Changsha, Guiyang, and Lingling are stable, I think Wuling Jin Xuan will also be able to understand the current situation."
Pang Tong said: "The Jin family originally came from the Xiongnu, and they are famous for their loyalty and filial piety. They have been eunuchs for seven generations. Their ancestors have always compared themselves to the loyal and good people of the Han Dynasty. If the general wants to revive the Han Dynasty and eliminate the bandits, the Jin family will surely accept him with pleasure."
"Sir, that's a great idea!" Liu Qi agreed deeply.
Pang Tong also had the ability to judge and identify people. When it came to the customs and people of Jingzhou, perhaps even Zhuge Liang could not compare to him as a local and he had a more thorough understanding of many things.
Liu Qi admired Pang Tong's casual wisdom, so his speech and behavior became much more relaxed. He was not like Zhuge Liang and others, who talked about state affairs all the time and had to be careful with their words, which was very laborious.
This does not include the literati and celebrities summoned by Liu Biao. If they made the slightest move that was not in accordance with etiquette, they would be accused of being arrogant and disrespectful to the wise and the elderly.
Therefore, Liu Qi still likes to be with Zhang Fei, Gan Ning and others. He doesn't have to stick to too many conventional etiquettes and can act according to his own will. He can also use popular language without quoting from classics. That is a happy life.
Pang Tong saw that Liu Qi was not as pretentious as other children of aristocratic families. Not only was he forthright in his words, but many of his insights were also original and astonishing. He felt that this man was unfathomable.
The three of them drank and talked happily. Liu Qi used tea instead of wine. They had a very enjoyable conversation and did not stop until the evening.
Liu Qi returned to the palace and asked Liu Biao to write a letter to persuade Lai Gong and Wu Ju to make peace. He ordered people to issue an official document and inspect the four counties in southern Jing and build the Dongting Water Fort three days later.