三国演义英文版-第188章

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〃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　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　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　mend　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　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　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　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　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。
Said　Xun　Yu；　〃Sun　Quan　should　be　first　attacked；　because　of　the　recent　death　of　their　ablest　general　Zhou　Yu。　Liu　Bei　will　follow。〃
Cao　Cao　replied；　〃If　I　go　on　such　a　distant　expedition；　Ma　Teng　will　fall　upon　the　capital。　While　I　was　at　the　Red　Cliffs；　there　were　sinister　rumors　of　this；　and　I　must　guard　against　it。〃
Xun　Yu　said；　〃The　best　thing　that　occurs　to　me　is　to　obtain　for　Ma　Teng　the　title　of　General　Who　Subdues　the　South　and　send　him　against　the　South　Land。　Thus　he　can　be　enticed　to　the　capital　and　got　rid　of。　Then　you　can　have　no　fear　of　marching　southward。〃
Cao　Cao　approved；　and　soon　Ma　Teng　was　summoned　from　Xiliang；　a　frontier　territory　in　the　west。

＇e＇　Ma　Yuan　（BC　14…AD　49）　a　general　who　first　served　Wang　Mang；　then　join　Liu　Xiu　in　restoring　Han　Dynasty。　In　his　life　of　career；　Ma　Yuan　contributed　much　to　Liu　Xiu's　success　by　putting　down　rebellions　throughout　the　empire　and　abroad。　。。。。。
Ma　Teng　was　a　descendant　of　the　famous　leader　Ma　Yuan*；　General　Who　Quells　the　Waves。　His　father's　name　was　Ma　Sui。　Ma　Sui　had　held　a　minor　magistracy　in　Tianshui　in　the　reign　of　Emperor　Huan；　but　had　lost　it　and　drifted　west　into　the　West　Valley　Land　where　he　got　amongst　the　Qiang　Peoples；　one　of　whose　women　he　took　to　wife。　She　bore　him　a　son；　Ma　Teng。　Ma　Teng　was　rather　over　the　mon　height；　and　bold…looking。　He　was　of　a　mild　disposition　and　very　popular。　But　in　the　reign　of　Emperor　Ling；　these　Qiangs　made　trouble；　and　then　Ma　Teng　raised　a　force　and　put　it　down。　For　his　services　he　received　the　tile　of　General　Who　Corrects　the　West。　He　and　Han　Sui；　who　was　known　as　mander　Who　Guards　the　West；　were　pledged　brothers。
On　receipt　of　the　summons　to　the　capital；　Ma　Teng　took　his　eldest　son；　Ma　Chao；　into　his　confidence　and　told　him　some　of　his　former　life。
〃When　Dong　Cheng　got　the　Girdle　Edict　from　the　Emperor；　we　formed　a　society；　of　which　Liu　Bei　was　one；　pledged　to　put　down　rebellion。　However；　we　acplished　nothing；　for　Dong　Cheng　was　put　to　death　and　Liu　Bei　was　unfortunate；　while　I　escaped　to　the　west。　However；　I　hear　that　Liu　Bei　now　holds　Jingzhou；　and　I　am　inclined　to　carry　out　the　plan　we　made　so　long　ago。　But　here　I　am　summoned　by　Cao　Cao　and　what　is　to　be　done？〃
Ma　Chao　replied；　〃Cao　Cao　has　the　mand　of　the　Emperor　to　call　you。　If　you　do　not　go；　that　will　mean　disobeying　an　imperial　mand　and　you　will　be　punished。　Obey　the　summons　in　so　far　as　to　go　to　the　capital；　where　you　may　be　able　to　arrange　to　carry　out　your　original　intention。〃
But　Ma　Teng's　nephew；　Ma　Dai；　held　other　opinions　and　opposed　this。
Said　he；　〃Cao　Cao's　designs　are　unfathomable。　If　you　go；　Uncle；　I　fear　you　will　suffer。〃
〃Let　me　lead　the　army　against　the　capital；〃　said　Ma　Chao。　〃Can　we　not　purge　the　empire　of　evil？〃
But　his　father　said；　〃You　must　take　mand　of　the　Qiang　troops　for　the　defense　of　our　territory　here。　I　will　take　with　me　your　two　brothers　and　your　cousin。