¡¨As¡¡a¡¡leader¡¡you¡¡cannot¡¡be¡¡ignorant¡¡of¡¡the¡¡lie¡¡of¡¡the¡¡land¡£¡¡Your¡¡camps¡¡over¡¡there¡¡are¡¡on¡¡River¡¡Fu¡£¡¡If¡¡the¡¡river¡¡be¡¡diverted¡¡and¡¡the¡¡enemy¡¡hold¡¡your¡¡army¡¡in¡¡front¡¡and¡¡rear£»¡¡not¡¡a¡¡soul¡¡can¡¡escape¡£¡¨
Liu¡¡Bei¡¡realized¡¡that¡¡this¡¡was¡¡true¡£
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Liu¡¡Bei¡¡offered¡¡Peng¡¡Yang¡¡an¡¡appointment¡¡as¡¡an¡¡adviser¡£¡¡Then¡¡he¡¡sent¡¡messages¡¡to¡¡the¡¡generals¡¡at¡¡the¡¡camps¡¡telling¡¡them¡¡to¡¡keep¡¡most¡¡vigilant¡¡look¡out¡¡to¡¡guard¡¡against¡¡the¡¡cutting¡¡of¡¡the¡¡river¡¡bank¡£¡¡When¡¡this¡¡message¡¡came£»¡¡Huang¡¡Zhong¡¡and¡¡Wei¡¡Yan¡¡agreed¡¡together¡¡to¡¡take¡¡duty¡¡day¡¡and¡¡night¡¡about¡¡and¡¡maintain¡¡the¡¡strict¡¡watch¡¡necessary¡¡in¡¡the¡¡presence¡¡of¡¡an¡¡enemy¡¡near¡¡at¡¡hand¡£¡¡They¡¡arranged¡¡means¡¡of¡¡munication¡¡in¡¡case¡¡either¡¡met¡¡with¡¡a¡¡body¡¡of¡¡the¡¡enemy¡£
One¡¡very¡¡stormy¡¡night£»¡¡Ling¡¡Bao¡¡ventured¡¡out¡¡with¡¡a¡¡strong¡¡party¡¡of¡¡five¡¡thousand¡¡and¡¡went¡¡along¡¡the¡¡river¡¡bank¡¡to¡¡seek¡¡a¡¡suitable¡¡place¡¡for¡¡the¡¡breach¡£¡¡But¡¡a¡¡sudden¡¡shouting¡¡in¡¡his¡¡rear¡¡told¡¡him¡¡that¡¡the¡¡army¡¡of¡¡Jingzhou¡¡were¡¡on¡¡the¡¡alert£»¡¡and¡¡he¡¡at¡¡once¡¡retired¡£¡¡Wei¡¡Yan¡¡came¡¡in¡¡pursuit¡¡and£»¡¡as¡¡he¡¡pressed¡¡nearer£»¡¡Ling¡¡Bao's¡¡troops¡¡hurried¡¡forward£»¡¡trampling¡¡each¡¡other¡¡down¡¡in¡¡their¡¡haste¡£¡¡Suddenly¡¡Ling¡¡Bao¡¡and¡¡Wei¡¡Yan¡¡ran¡¡against¡¡each¡¡other£»¡¡and¡¡they¡¡engaged¡£¡¡The¡¡fight¡¡was¡¡very¡¡short£»¡¡for¡¡Wei¡¡Yan¡¡soon¡¡took¡¡his¡¡opponent¡¡prisoner¡£¡¡Wu¡¡Lan¡¡and¡¡Lei¡¡Tong¡¡who¡¡came¡¡to¡¡Ling¡¡Bao's¡¡rescue¡¡were¡¡easily¡¡beaten¡¡off£»¡¡and¡¡Ling¡¡Bao¡¡was¡¡carried¡¡away¡£¡¡When¡¡Wei¡¡Yan¡¡reached¡¡the¡¡Pass£»¡¡Liu¡¡Bei¡¡saw¡¡Ling¡¡Bao¡¡and¡¡greatly¡¡blamed¡¡him¡¡for¡¡his¡¡base¡¡ingratitude¡£
¡¨I¡¡treated¡¡you¡¡generously¡¡and¡¡set¡¡you¡¡free£»¡¡yet¡¡you¡¡repaid¡¡me¡¡with¡¡ingratitude¡£¡¡I¡¡cannot¡¡forgive¡¡again¡£¡¨
So¡¡the¡¡prisoner¡¡was¡¡beheaded£»¡¡and¡¡his¡¡captor¡¡was¡¡rewarded¡£¡¡A¡¡banquet¡¡was¡¡given¡¡in¡¡honor¡¡of¡¡Peng¡¡Yang¡£
Soon¡¡after¡¡this¡¡came¡¡a¡¡letter¡¡from¡¡Zhuge¡¡Liang£»¡¡by¡¡the¡¡hand¡¡of¡¡Ma¡¡Liang£»¡¡who¡¡reported¡¡all¡¡calm¡¡in¡¡Jingzhou¡¡and¡¡told¡¡Liu¡¡Bei¡¡that¡¡he¡¡need¡¡feel¡¡no¡¡anxiety¡£¡¡Opening¡¡the¡¡letter£»¡¡Liu¡¡Bei¡¡read£º
¡¨I¡¡have¡¡been¡¡making¡¡some¡¡astrological¡¡calculations¡£¡¡This¡¡is¡¡the¡¡last¡¡year¡¡of¡¡the¡¡cycle£»¡¡the¡¡bowl¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Dipper¡¡is¡¡in¡¡the¡¡western¡¡quarter£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡planet¡¡Venus¡¡approaches¡¡Luocheng¡£¡¡The¡¡configuration¡¡is¡¡inimical¡¡to¡¡leaders£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡utmost¡¡caution¡¡is¡¡necessary¡£¡¨
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But¡¡Pang¡¡Tong¡¡opposed¡¡this£»¡¡for¡¡he¡¡thought¡¡in¡¡his¡¡heart¡¡that¡¡Zhuge¡¡Liang's¡¡warning¡¡was¡¡due¡¡to¡¡a¡¡jealous¡¡desire¡¡to¡¡prevent¡¡him¡¡from¡¡winning¡¡the¡¡glory¡¡of¡¡conducting¡¡a¡¡victorious¡¡campaign¡¡in¡¡West¡¡River¡¡Land¡£
Therefore¡¡Pang¡¡Tong¡¡said£»¡¡¡¨I¡¡also¡¡have¡¡made¡¡calculations£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡read¡¡the¡¡signs¡¡to¡¡mean¡¡that¡¡the¡¡time¡¡is¡¡favorable¡¡for¡¡you¡¡to¡¡get¡¡possession¡¡of¡¡this¡¡land£»¡¡and¡¡no¡¡evil¡¡is¡¡foreshown¡£¡¡Therefore¡¡be¡¡not¡¡of¡¡doubtful¡¡heart£»¡¡my¡¡lord£»¡¡but¡¡advance¡¡boldly¡£¡¨
Liu¡¡Bei¡¡was¡¡won¡¡over¡¡and¡¡decided¡¡to¡¡follow¡¡Pang¡¡Tong's¡¡advice¡£¡¡He¡¡ordered¡¡Huang¡¡Zhong¡¡and¡¡Wei¡¡Yan¡¡to¡¡lead¡£
Pang¡¡Tong¡¡asked¡¡of¡¡Fa¡¡Zheng¡¡what¡¡roads¡¡there¡¡were¡¡to¡¡follow£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡latter¡¡drew¡¡a¡¡map£»¡¡which¡¡was¡¡found¡¡to¡¡agree¡¡exactly¡¡with¡¡that¡¡left¡¡by¡¡Zhang¡¡Song¡£
Fa¡¡Zheng¡¡said£»¡¡¡¨North¡¡of¡¡the¡¡mountains¡¡is¡¡a¡¡high¡¡road¡¡leading¡¡to¡¡the¡¡east¡¡gate¡£¡¡South¡¡of¡¡the¡¡mountains¡¡is¡¡another¡¡path¡¡leading¡¡to¡¡the¡¡west¡¡gate¡£¡¡Both¡¡these¡¡roads¡¡are¡¡suitable¡¡for¡¡the¡¡advance¡¡of¡¡an¡¡army¡£¡¨
So¡¡Pang¡¡Tong¡¡said¡¡to¡¡Liu¡¡Bei£»¡¡¡¨With¡¡Wei¡¡Yan¡¡to¡¡lead¡¡the¡¡way£»¡¡I¡¡will¡¡go¡¡along¡¡the¡¡southern¡¡road£»¡¡while¡¡you£»¡¡my¡¡lord£»¡¡will¡¡advance¡¡along¡¡the¡¡high¡¡road£»¡¡with¡¡Huang¡¡Zhong¡¡in¡¡the¡¡van¡£¡¡We¡¡will¡¡attack¡¡Luocheng¡¡at¡¡the¡¡same¡¡time¡£¡¨
Liu¡¡Bei¡¡replied£»¡¡¡¨I¡¡was¡¡trained¡¡as¡¡a¡¡mounted¡¡archer¡¡and¡¡am¡¡accustomed¡¡to¡¡by¡roads£»¡¡wherefore£»¡¡O¡¡Instructor£»¡¡I¡¡think¡¡you¡¡should¡¡take¡¡the¡¡high¡¡road¡¡and¡¡let¡¡me¡¡take¡¡the¡¡other¡£¡¨
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They¡¡exchanged¡¡horses¡£
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A¡¡poem¡¡says£º
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Lay¡¡hid¡¡the¡¡modest¡¡cot¡¡of¡¡Pang¡¡Tong¡£
But¡¡now¡¡each¡¡village¡¡urchin¡¡knows¡¡his¡¡story£»
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They¡¡were¡¡two£»¡¡the¡¡Phoenix¡¡and¡¡the¡¡Dragon£»
And¡¡they¡¡would¡¡travel¡¡far¡¡to¡¡the¡¡west£»
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