[Three Kingdoms 365 · Day 172] A Name Called Fengchu — Pang Tong arrives at Jiangdong and shares wine with Zhou Yu

The next evening, a guest arrived at the main body of Zhou Yu (周瑜) of Jiangdong (江東).

The guest's face was called ugly (醜). It was not well-ordered; the nose was slightly bent; the beard was thick and dark. Yet within his eyes lay a clear pool (淵). In that pool, a quiet stream of the realm's face flowed.

Because of the ugliness of his face, people called him Fengchu (鳳雛), "Fengchu." His real name was Pang Tong (龐統), courtesy name Shiyuan (士元). He was a scholar from the banks of Xiangyang (襄陽) in Jingzhou (荊州), and had studied under Master Water Mirror (水鏡) together with Wolong (臥龍), Zhuge Kongming (諸葛孔明).

A line of Master Water Mirror had long been passed down across the realm:

"Wolong and Fengchu — whoever gains either of them can set the realm at peace (臥龍鳳雛, 得一可安天下)."

Until this evening, Wolong had been at the seat of Liu Bei (劉備), the imperial uncle. Fengchu's seat was still empty. Zhou Yu of Jiangdong, having heard Pang Tong's name long before, had wished to welcome him. This evening's arrival was the answer to that invitation.

Zhou Yu came out himself before the door of the main body and welcomed Pang Tong. Pang Tong bowed his head.

"Shiyuan has, at the invitation of Commander Zhou, arrived at this main body this evening. I have troubled you greatly with a long road."

Zhou Yu smiled. It was a smile following the one he had given before Kongming (孔明) yesterday morning — this time, the joy of welcoming a long-awaited guest.

"Master Fengchu. This is a seat for which this commander has long waited. Inside, a place has already been prepared. At this evening's seat, this commander wishes to hear a single piece of your own bearing."

The two men entered the room. At its center stood a table bearing a bronze flask and two cups. It was the same form as the earlier seat with Kongming, yet this evening's cups were a little deeper.

Zhou Yu lifted the flask with his right hand and poured into Pang Tong's cup. Then he poured into his own. The two cups stood side by side upon the table.

"Master Fengchu. This evening I shall not bring out long words. I would speak only of a single concern of this commander."

Pang Tong tilted his head.

"What is it?"

"The first weakness in the face of Cao Cao's (曹操) two hundred thousand naval force is a sliver: the bodies of the northern soldiers are not accustomed to the sway of a boat on the river. A stratagem that draws this weakness out further is this commander's concern this evening."

Within the clear pool of Pang Tong's eyes, a quiet ripple passed. In that ripple a small answer was already afloat. Yet Pang Tong did not bring it out at this evening's seat.

"Commander. The answer is already lodged within this Shiyuan. Only — it is not to be brought out here, but by going in person to Cao Cao's camp in the north. That is the road of this move."

Zhou Yu's eyes opened wide. Fengchu, having come to Jiangdong's invitation, had offered at the first seat of the first evening a single line: "I shall go into Cao Cao's camp."

"To the north — you yourself would go? As an envoy of what seat?"

Pang Tong smiled. His smile differed from Zhou Yu's: the corner tilted slightly downward. In that downward tilt rested the ease of a man who had already walked through the face of the realm.

"Not as an envoy, but as a defector (投降者). Following the submission of Liu Cong (劉琮), Liu Biao's (劉表) son, as a scholar of Jingzhou going over to Chancellor Cao. Inside that posture, I shall plant a single stratagem at a seat of Cao Cao's camp."

Zhou Yu fell silent for a while. Then he bowed his head, deeply.

"Master Fengchu's road is the answer to this commander's concern this evening. This commander of Jiangdong will hold up your single line, and greatly."

Pang Tong lifted his cup. Zhou Yu lifted his. The two cups met upon the table. The sound of bronze rang long inside the room. This evening's meeting already held within it the defection that would begin tomorrow.

The eleventh evening of Book 6 was closing, quietly, upon the name of Fengchu. Master Water Mirror's long-standing line — that whoever gained either of Wolong and Fengchu could set the realm at peace — rose again at this evening's seat in Jiangdong's main body. Wolong was already at Liu Bei's seat; Fengchu had arrived this evening at Jiangdong's. Only — tomorrow's step of Fengchu was turned toward Cao Cao's seat in the north.

Inside that step, a stratagem of Jiangdong was held, quietly.

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