The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 29 Pang Tong advises Zhang Fei: Only by loving your soldiers can you win.

Zhang Fei came to find Liu Bei early in the morning.

However, they were stopped by the white-feathered soldiers guarding the gate.

The soldiers of the White Feather Army said, "The general and the wise man are still drunk and should not be disturbed." Zhang Fei asked, "Who is the wise man?" The soldiers of the White Feather Army said, "I don't know," only that they had heard Liu Bei shout, "With a strategist, I am like a fish in water."

This completely baffled Zhang Fei.

Before heading to find Liu Bei early in the morning, Zhang Fei encountered Zhuge Liang on the way.

The "water" mentioned by the White Feather Soldiers is definitely not Zhuge Liang.

But besides Zhuge Liang, who else could be Liu Bei's "water"?
No matter how much Zhang Fei pressed them for answers, the White Feather Soldiers guarding the palace claimed they "didn't know."

resignedly.

Zhang Fei had no choice but to return.

First, they sought out Xu Shu.

Xu Shu learned last night that Pang Tong had officially chosen Liu Bei as his lord, so he naturally knew who the "water" mentioned by the White Feather Soldiers was.

However, when it came to his lips, Xu Shu only said, "This man's talent and learning surpass mine tenfold, and he can be ranked alongside Zhuge Liang."

When pressed further, Xu Shu claimed that "Zhang Fei would know immediately upon seeing him," and no matter how much Zhang Fei pressed him, Xu Shu refused to tell the truth.

Zhang Fei was so eager to get in touch with Liu Bei that he sat idly in Liu Bei's outer courtyard for the entire morning.

After finally waiting for Liu Bei to wake up, Zhang Fei hurriedly shouted, fearing that the "water" he had been waiting for all morning had run away again.

Hearing Zhang Fei's call, Liu Bei couldn't help but laugh and say, "Yide is so impatient, he never learns his lesson. Please forgive him, strategist."

Pang Tong also laughed: "I was originally a minor official under Zhang, but now I have become the general's chief clerk overnight, and I am even serving as a military advisor alongside Kongming. It is only natural that Zhang would find it strange."

The phrase "impatient" and "Zhang the Registrar will find it strange" directly reduced Zhang Fei's rashness and rudeness to a trivial matter.

Although they only talked for half the night, the tacit understanding between Liu Bei and Pang Tong was like that of longtime friends.

"Huh? Mr. Pang?"

Zhang Fei looked at Pang Tong in surprise, changing the "Pang Shiyuan" he was about to say to "Mr. Pang".

Although Zhang Fei never showed compassion for his soldiers, he was commendable in respecting scholars and gentlemen.

Only those who have cultivated the habit of respecting and loving scholars and gentlemen in their daily lives can change their tune in an instant.

Pang Tong was slightly surprised and bowed: "I am Pang Tong, Pang Shiyuan from Xiangyang. I am honored by the Left General's high regard for me and have been appointed as Chief Clerk and Military Advisor. I am new to this important position and dare not slack off. I hope that Chief Clerk Zhang will not hesitate to teach me."

Although Zhang Fei already knew Pang Tong's name and courtesy name, Pang Tong used to refer to himself as "I am Pang Tong, the scribe of Zhuge Liang," rather than formally introducing himself as a scholar as he does now.

Zhang Fei quickly bowed in return: "You flatter me, Chief Clerk. Although I hold the title of Registrar, I am just a rough man who wields a spear. In terms of administrative ability, ten of me cannot compare to you, Chief Clerk. From now on, you may speak frankly whenever you are asked to do something."

Pang Tong was even more surprised.

He looked at Liu Bei with a puzzled expression.

Liu Bei laughed and said, "Strategist, there is no need to worry. Yide has always been humble in front of scholars and gentlemen. From now on, you can just give Yide any orders you may have."

"Although Yide respects scholars and gentlemen, he does not care for his soldiers; moreover, he is harsh in his punishments and fond of killing, often whipping his soldiers and keeping those who have been punished by his side. This is a path to disaster!"

"Although I have repeatedly warned him, Yide has never repented. I hope that the strategist can persuade him more in the future to prevent him from causing a great disaster in the future."

When Liu Bei exposed Zhang Fei's shortcomings in front of Pang Tong, Zhang Fei felt a burning sensation on his neck.

He argued, "Brother, I'm doing this for their own good! The more they sweat in peacetime, the less they bleed in wartime. If we don't whip and urge them on, they'll definitely slack off again."

“By keeping them around, I am telling them that although I have whipped them, I will also give them important responsibilities. I have always been fair in my rewards and punishments, rewarding those who deserve it and punishing those who deserve it.”

"I did nothing wrong!" If it were in front of others, Liu Bei would never expose Zhang Fei's shortcomings.

However, Liu Bei deliberately exposed Zhang Fei's shortcomings in front of Pang Tong, which had a deeper meaning.

When Liu Bei discovered that Guan Yu, who had always looked down on scholars, had become gentle and humble in front of Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei had an idea: Since Zhang Fei respected scholars and gentlemen, could he find a truly virtuous and wise man to persuade Zhang Fei?
Originally, Liu Bei wanted Zhuge Liang to persuade him, but considering Zhuge Liang's heavy workload, Liu Bei was too embarrassed to bring it up with him.

Now that Pang Tong has come along, and it is known that Pang Tong harbors the Confucian ideal of "educating and governing the world," he intends to actively promote "refined ways" in the chaotic world.

In addition, Zhang Fei deeply respected scholars and gentlemen, and also enjoyed indulging in refined pursuits.

It would be perfect to have Pang Tong teach Zhang Fei the "refined way"!

Having understood Liu Bei's intention, Pang Tong stroked his beard and said, "I deeply admire Chief Clerk Zhang's strict military discipline."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Brother, even the Chief Clerk praised me for my strict military discipline! I knew I was right! Chief Clerk, I have a jar of fine wine hidden away; you may drink with me to your heart's content."

Liu Bei smiled but remained silent.

We simply waited to hear what Pang Tong would say next.

If you want to persuade someone, you must first praise them.

really.

Pang Tong then changed the subject, saying, "I have studied the famous generals of the past and found that they all rectified their minds before using their troops."

Wu Ziyan said: "The one who combines civil and military affairs is the general of the army; the one who combines strength and gentleness is the one who manages the affairs of the army."

Sun Tzu said: "Treat your soldiers like infants, and you will follow them into the deepest valleys; treat your soldiers like your beloved sons, and you will die with them."

The Six Secret Teachings state: "Do not sit if the soldiers are not seated, do not eat if the soldiers are not eaten, and be accustomed to the same temperature. If you do this, the soldiers will surely exert their utmost effort."

The Book of Changes says: "The dragon that has reached its zenith will have regrets." This hexagram implies that extreme prosperity will inevitably lead to decline.

"Although Zhang Zhubu's intention in whipping the soldiers was good, his methods were too harsh and lacked kindness. If the soldiers were filled with fear, how could they be expected to fight to the death for Zhang Zhubu?"

“For example, during the Spring and Autumn Period, Song general Hua Yuan was accused of unfair distribution of sheep, which led to the charioteer Yang Zhen's defection to the enemy, resulting in the defeat of the Song army. Zhang Zhubu should take this as a warning.”

"If those who are whipped are granted a pardon, and those who are fearful are moved by kind words, then the brave soldiers will both fear the might of Chief Clerk Zhang and cherish his virtue. This is true 'clear distinction between reward and punishment'!"

Pang Tong praised Zhang Fei for his intention to help the soldiers, but also pointed out that Zhang Fei was too forceful in his implementation. He also mentioned the story of "Yang Zhen's shameful soup" as a warning to Zhang Fei.

Finally, he told Zhang Fei how to truly "distinguish between rewards and punishments" in practice.

His tone was gentle, and he quoted classical texts, every sentence resonating with Zhang Fei's heart.

Whether it was Guan Yu, who was arrogant and looked down on scholars and gentlemen, or Zhang Fei, who was violent, ungrateful, and uncaring towards villains, the two actually had one thing in common: although they possessed the weight of mountains, they had never seen the majesty of Mount Tai.

Their exceptional martial prowess made it difficult for Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to recognize their own shortcomings.

Although Liu Bei repeatedly tried to persuade them, he dared not boast of his own imposing stature in front of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, so the effect of his persuasion was extremely limited.

now.

Afterwards, Zhuge Liang, with his unparalleled comprehensive abilities, crushed Guan Yu's pride and made Guan Yu become gentle and humble.

Although Pang Tong's overall abilities were not as good as Zhuge Liang's afterthoughts, Pang Tong's erudition and refined character were enough for Zhang Fei to admire and emulate.

Seeing Zhang Fei's initial resentment turn into shame, and then from shame into admiration for Pang Tong, Liu Bei could hardly contain his joy.

[The strategist is indeed a genius!]

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(End of this chapter)