Chapter 232
Strategists can’t ascend the throne? Volume Seven, Eight Hundred Qin Chuan, Chapter 232: The Sleeping Dragon and the Phoenix Chick.
Pang Tong?
This is clearly not just a case of sharing a name; it’s the Pang Tong from Jing Province.
His arrival surprised Qiao Yan a bit, and honestly, who could blame her?
Even someone unfamiliar with the history of the Three Kingdoms would probably remember that line: “Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Chick, with one of them, you can stabilize the world.”
Whether they can stabilize the world is one thing, but the fact that Pang Tong is rated the same as Zhuge Liang by Sima Hui clearly shows he’s not just any nobody.
Hearing about the meeting between Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, especially in a near-contentious manner, felt strangely like they were destined to cross paths.
Due to Xun Yu’s suggestion, Zhuge Liang had moved from Xuzhou to Bingzhou and enrolled in Leping Academy. Unlike history, he didn’t try to escape the battles in Jing Province; instead, he met with Pang Tong from Jingxiang at Hongwen Hall in Chang’an. Who says that isn’t fate?
Excitedly, Qiao Yan set down her pen and stood up to head toward Hongwen Hall.
Whether out of some odd curiosity or what, it was a pity that Yang Xiu was off playing messenger for Lü Bu over a reading comprehension issue and wasn’t here to witness this historical reenactment.
He really should see this amusing scene!
But unlike their little spat in Luoyang, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong’s debate felt more like a rigorous debate.
As she walked into Hongwen Hall, she noticed the two young men of similar ages standing facing each other, surrounded by a crowd of older scholars. It was quite a sight.
The boy opposite Zhuge Liang looked ordinary but had a remarkable presence. According to the messenger, he had apparently looked simple and kind before speaking, but once he did, his brilliance shone through.
“Sounds a bit like Xun Junshi, doesn’t it?” Qiao Yan remarked with interest.
Cui Jun, who welcomed her inside, had no idea whether her fascination was for the already observed Zhuge Liang or the newly appeared Pang Tong.
“I just found out that Pang Tong is fourteen this year, and he’s from the Pang family in Xiangyang. He came to Chang’an with his cousin Pang Shanmin to check out the sights,” he said.
When he said this, he pointed to a younger man of about twenty in the crowd, adding, “His father is the recluse Pang De.”
Cui Jun redirected the conversation, continuing, “Pang Tong heard good things about Hongwen Hall and asked his cousin to bring him here. He hadn’t planned on speaking much, but today someone mentioned Xu Zijiang and Xu Wenxiu, referencing early character evaluations. He and Zhuge Liang chatted a bit, and they ended up debating.”
“I caught that,” replied Qiao Yan.
Even though she got here quickly, debates don’t take long to ignite.
With talents like Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, they might be young, but they’ve got plenty of knowledge under their belts, so there won’t be any circular arguments.
Not having heard the earlier exchanges didn’t hinder her from grasping both sides’ points from the later discussions.
Zhuge Liang believed that if character evaluations were to be made, they should focus on talents and abilities, as well as shortcomings, with thorough and appropriate reviews, adhering to the principles of honesty and accountability. Overblown claims or vague statements were a big no-no.
Pang Tong, on the other hand, maintained that in today’s chaotic times filled with disasters, it’s not as easy to find good people as it was in peaceful times. In this environment, good folks should be lauded more, so others can see them and perhaps feel inspired to do better.
“Speaking of which, it seems like this aligns quite well with Lord Guo Linzong’s initiative of launching an editorial section in the Leping Monthly Report,” Cui Jun mentioned.
Back then, the discussions weren’t just about random gossip involving Yuan Shao; they were meant to encourage good deeds among the people of Bingzhou.
But now that the folks in Bingzhou are properly fed and clothed, Qiao Yan felt this documentation had limited impact. Rather than focus on this, why not amp up the entertainment value of the monthly report?
She nodded, saying, “True, a more extreme example of this thinking would be Guo Linzong, who promotes reform and redemption in his evaluations of people.”
Thus, it’s fair to say Pang Tong’s viewpoint carries its own historical inevitability.
Yet, it doesn’t mean Zhuge Liang’s practical and truth-seeking stance is wrong either.
Placing someone in a high position who doesn’t deserve it only leads to greater societal harm.
However, Zhuge Liang added a twist by saying that this so-called “unsuitable match” should be defined as practical but not absolute.
Qiao Yan looked at her notes of the two’s arguments, casually flipping through and skimming their previous points.
It’s not hard to understand why Pang Tong might think this way.
His uncle, Pang De, was well-known for his character evaluations in the Jingxiang region and usually kept to himself, even living in seclusion on Lumen Mountain.
Pang Tong, still youthful and spirited, believed that if he could spearhead a movement for integrity, perhaps there wouldn’t be so many displaced people causing chaos in Nanyang, and Jingzhou wouldn’t suffer so many rebels.
Of course, he wasn’t demanding his uncle come out from hiding but wanted to become someone capable of evaluating others himself.
His passionate argument had the vibe of a rising star.
He might just be a potential firebrand.
Watching this unfold, Qiao Yan didn’t declare her support for either side; she merely smiled at the sight of Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong standing across from one another.
Though both were below the age for official appointments, she could see glimpses of future accomplishments in them, and that brought her joy.
As for the fact that only Zhuge Liang counted under her influence, while Pang Tong remained disconnected from this—
Wasn’t it obvious? He couldn’t run away since he was already in the Sili region!
This was also part of Qiao Yan’s confidence.
Even though her time at Hongwen Hall had been short, the gazes of the scholars weren’t solely on Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang; they also took notice of her arrival.
The Lady Lord, aged eighteen, with the golden seal and purple ribbon, was one-of-a-kind in Chang’an; no one could mistake her identity.
And uniquely, she still held military power after Liu Yu’s ascension, managing affairs without issue.
She had already convinced others like Xun Yu and Lu Zhi that her loyalty to the Han dynasty was unwavering.
But that was one thing; it didn’t change her designation as a powerful minister in everyone’s eyes.
Given the current situation where the world wasn’t united, many had indeed come here drawn by Liu Yu’s wisdom, but getting truly competent individuals to choose was another matter…
“It’s better to be out there serving Qiao Yan than sitting in the halls of power.”
So rather than sifting through the four masters of Hongwen Hall, I might as well go straight to Qiao Yan.
Who knows? I might just catch her eye and shoot straight to the top.
That’s exactly what gives Qiao Yan confidence in bringing Pang Tong on board!
But this gathering of gazes was putting some pressure on someone.
And that someone was obviously not Qiao Yan, nor was it Zhuge Liang or Pang Tong, who were both feeling like they had found worthy opponents. It was Tian Feng.
He was the one keeping records of speeches at Hongwen Hall, and despite their young ages, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong were certainly part of that record.
As luck would have it, the moment their debate started, he got drafted by Cui Jun.
Cui Jun really didn’t recognize Tian Feng; perhaps because they both spoke with a Hebei accent, he felt a certain familiarity and often chatted with him, unlike Xun Yu, who was told by Qiao Yan to act like he didn’t know Tian Feng.
But whether he truly didn’t recognize him or was faking it, Tian Feng now found himself in the spotlight.
As Qiao Yan reached for the earlier recorded papers, Tian Feng’s heart was already in knots, terrified that she might notice something off about him.
If anyone found out that Yuan Shao’s strategist had infiltrated the Chang’an Hongwen Hall, they’d probably laugh and call it a breach of conduct!
If he could ever go back, that is.
This could very well become one of Qiao Yan’s reasons to take down Yuan Shao.
He absolutely couldn’t leave such a blunder behind!
Tian Feng tried hard to blend into the background.
But as he was writing, he couldn’t help but marvel at how many talents Qiao Yan had gathered under her command, particularly the scholars from Yingchuan who had quickly grown in number as she supported the Emperor in Guanzhong, performing astonishing feats in law-making, land consolidation, and recruiting talents.
And now, there were these exceptionally talented young men.
Tian Feng looked at Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong and could easily imagine what kind of beings they would become in a few years.
But upon reflecting on the plethora of talents from Leping Academy, just two was hardly a comparison, so he decided to stop overthinking it.
Lost in thought, he kept writing, capturing the essence of their words without missing a beat.
Fortunately, this multitasking didn’t last long; just as he was about to unconsciously suggest, “Should remind the lord to stay alert,” Zhuge Liang’s comment, “Perhaps we should wait for facts to speak,” brought him back to reality and allowed him to pause his pen.
At that moment, both figures in debate turned their attention toward Qiao Yan.
Feeling the Marquis of Leping’s interest in their discussion, and perhaps embarrassingly impacting their regular communication, they first bowed apologetically to those around them, then stood still.
The sound of Qiao Yan clapping broke the momentary silence.
“This is quite interesting.”
Her remark was a compliment, as her next words drove it home: “Once, I witnessed Yang Dezu outside Dingzhong Temple in Luoyang, where Xu Zijiang commented, ‘A fledgling phoenix has a clear voice’ on the esteemed scholars’ discussions. Today, seeing your debate reminds me of those times.”
In that, she compared Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong to herself and Yang Xiu.
But those thinking it over noted the similarity.
Back in the day, Chen Ji was present; today, he was here too.
However, while Xu You, Xu Shao, and Chen Lin from back then were replaced by Xun Yu, Wang Yun, and Cui Jun today, it held just as much weight, if not more.
Not to mention having Qiao Yan, the Grand Marshal, here as well.
But this also made one think—just under eight years have passed, and Qiao Yan has gone from being called a “fledgling phoenix” to now being the one in command, also—
Today’s judge.
She said, “Back then, Mr. Zijiang gave me high hopes, leading to my audience with the Emperor. Now that I encounter this scene, if I can provide some feedback, it might just be a passing of the torch.”
Seeing that neither Zhuge Liang nor Pang Tong objected to her evaluation, she gestured, and soon someone brought paper and ink before her.
In that brief moment of preparing to write, her gaze casually swept over the crowd.
Hongwen Hall was fundamentally a place to scout talent for the Han court. As she needed to solidify her responsibilities while aiming higher, mingling too much with them wasn’t wise; it would be better to let them come to her naturally.
At least, she wanted to secure her position as Grand Marshal before arranging capable people in positions nearer to her.
So she had only visited here once right after it was established.
However, today’s unexpected debate between Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong provided her a reason to be here legitimately, as well as a chance to create a good story.
Who could say this wasn’t good fortune?
She paused briefly before quickly writing down twelve characters.
These twelve characters seemed to be a commentary on those two youths and also a couplet for this Hongwen Hall.
The paper read—
“Chit-chat with great scholars like the dignity of a phoenix, talents like dragons pass by.”
Once she finished these lines, she looked at Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong with a smile, saying, “You two are at a prime age; how about being called the ‘Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Chicks’? Although you haven’t learned all yet, it might be a bit much—this is to inspire young people to follow in your footsteps. But five years from now, I want to see this come true; do you two have the guts to try for that name?”
This “a bit too much” referred to Pang Tong’s stance, while the “this will come true” pretty much echoed Zhuge Liang’s thoughts.
Exchanging looks with each other, both Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong bowed deeply to Qiao Yan, replying, “We will live up to your words, Lord.”
Just as Qiao Yan envisioned, the ones once critiqued would stand in power today, witnessing young people spar and offering another form of hope; this would surely be a tale that would accompany the name of Hongwen Hall.
Neither of them sought solitude or retreat; each one had ambitions, and if this name helped them forward, it would undoubtedly be a pleasant surprise.
Only, one small problem…
After rising, Pang Tong noticed his cousin among the crowd and suddenly realized something.
He had come to Hongwen Hall to appreciate its scenery, yet now this “We will live up to your words, Lord” felt like he signed a five-year contract to sell himself!
Even if Qiao Yan didn’t explicitly demand he prove that “Phoenix Chick” name before her in five years, what are the odds he’d return to Jing Province having grown to rival Zhuge Liang?
Pang Tong looked at Zhuge Liang, who was just two years his junior, and couldn’t help but fall into thought.
He felt he had come to a definite conclusion.
