Mythical Three Kingdoms

Zhou Yu looked at Sun Ce’s confident expression and couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. Without the addition of a ’Spiritual Talent’ to boost his intelligence, he found it utterly impossible to have a pleasant conversation with Sun Ce. Aside from being willing to listen to his advice and having a sense of loyalty, Sun Ce was basically devoid of any strategic foresight!

"His message means that he wants you to pay more attention to Liu Zhang to see if you can annex Yizhou. Then, with Yuuyang as the head, Jing-Yang as the waist, and Jingyi as the tail, he proposes a three-pronged northern campaign to pacify the world," said Pang Tong with a contemptuous expression as he passed by.

"Exactly, that’s it, Shiyuan. You should keep an eye on that," Zhou Yu sighed, saying, "When you talk to Pang Tong, if you say one thing, he understands the three things that follow."

"Ambition too grand; first, stabilize Jing-Yang, and eliminate the internal threats in Yuzhou before anything risky, even risks require a solid foundation," Pang Tong bluntly contradicted Zhou Yu without a trace of regard for his feelings.

"Early preparations are essential. You go to Jingzhou, I’ll stay in Yuzhou to clear the internal threats," Zhou Yu had become accustomed to Pang Tong’s rebuttals. After all, his and Sun Ce’s handsome appearance was a continuous assault on Pang Tong, who felt intellectually superior to Sun Ce but had no advantage over Zhou Yu.

"Hmm, you handling internal affairs? Although I’m pleased to hear that, it’s not your forte to waste your talents in this area," Pang Tong criticized unabashedly.

"Isn’t that because there’s no other way?" Zhou Yu said with a wry smile, "Look at Yuan Gong’s subordinates, who among them can manage the Central Government and develop it, who has that ability?"

"That’s really true." Pang Tong thought about Sun Ce’s followers and realized that indeed, none was like Chen Xi, Lub Su, or Xun Yu, who could manage the Central Government to develop the economy, store grain, and prosper the land.

"Gu Yuantan might barely manage it after grinding away for over a decade, but for now, he’s even worse at managing the Central Government than I am," Zhou Yu said helplessly. Warfare was all about money and grain, and without someone to manage the Central Government, even a strong foundation would inevitably crumble sooner or later!

"Hmm, there might be someone who could do it. I saw him lingering in the taverns of Shouchun not long ago, not sure if he’s still around recently. He mentioned he wanted to head to Eastern Wu to seek refuge and study," Pang Tong frowned, as he recalled someone.

"Why didn’t you mention such a talented individual sooner?" Zhou Yu glanced at Pang Tong with a hint of dissatisfaction.

"It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you; it seemed as though he was indeed looking for a worthy master but hadn’t found one yet," Pang Tong said nonchalantly, "Besides, I’m not exactly on good terms with him—he’s too slick. If there’s anyone in this world who can live without offending anyone in their lifetime, it would definitely be him."

"No way, you rate him too highly," Zhou Yu said incredulously, "A lifetime without offending anyone? That’s just impossible."

"His ’Spiritual Talent’ gives people a sense of mental broadening, and he leads them to say what he wants to hear so that those who converse with him feel like they have been granted a favor, leaving them feeling refreshed," Pang Tong recalled Zhuge Jin’s circumstances and frowned slightly; the reason he and Zhuge Liang had not clashed was that Zhuge Jin had acted as a mediator.

Honestly, Pang Tong had never met Sima Lang, who truly had the ability to make anyone feel a sense of kinship when they saw him, speaking with an air that was genuinely refreshing. This was why when Zhuge Jin’s ’Spiritual Talent’ encountered Sima Lang’s, they quickly became as close as glue; their ’Spiritual Talents’ had a positive effect on each other.

"What’s his name, and where is he?" Zhou Yu knew as soon as he heard that this Zhuge Jin undoubtedly met his criteria; even if Zhuge Jin did not engage much in government affairs, as long as he could mediate between factions, Yuzhou’s strength would greatly increase.

"Zhuge Kongming’s elder brother, Zhuge Ziyu, is likely still in some tavern in Shouchun City, though I’m not sure he would agree, Yuan Gong tsk tsk tsk." Pang Tong scorned Yuan Shu without any decency.

"He will definitely agree," Zhou Yu said with a smile. He had heard of Zhuge Jin; although the man was not very famous, if he was as Pang Tong described, he might also be a rare talent of the times.

Pang Tong curled his lip. If it hadn’t been for his realization that there had been a change in the situation under Yuan Shu, though not knowing how Zhou Yu managed to let Sun Ce seize great power, the current situation was very favorable to Pang Tong. He found himself seemingly possessing the capital to contend with Zhuge Liang.

About half a year ago, Pang Tong learned that Zhuge Liang had become the Chief Historian of the General of the East and was following Lub Su to study handling government affairs and overseeing Mount Tai. Pang Tong understood that Zhuge Liang was about to soar to the heavens.

At that time, Pang Tong just happened to be in a phase where Sun Ce was confined and he himself was put on ice. One was in the heavens, while the other was on earth; the disparity between them was as vast as that between clouds and mud.

Pang Tong was clear that if he had any rival in life, Zhuge Liang was definitely his greatest one. And while Zhuge Liang had already begun to shine brightly, Pang Tong was still unknown. He realized that, given his age of sixteen, he was truly eligible for civil service under any Feudal Lord.

Now an opportunity lay before him in the form of Sun Ce. Sun Ce had already exhibited the radiance of an overlord, and Pang Tong had a clear feeling after the lifting of the house arrest that Yuan Shu seemed to start nurturing Sun Ce and Zhou Yu. Although unbelievable, it was an opportunity for Pang Tong, an opportunity ample enough to compete with Zhuge Liang on the same stage.

That’s why Pang Tong was sparing no effort in planning for Sun Ce. He didn’t want to fall behind Zhuge Liang—he wanted to prove he was superior to Zhuge Liang.

If not in height, if not in appearance, then let it be in learning. Let’s see who will be the overlord of the world, where victors become princes, and vanquished become bandits. Only the winner has the right to write it all down. After realizing that Sun Ce indeed had the qualifications to compete for dominance over the world, Pang Tong’s once dampened spirits were reignited with fighting spirit!

When Sun Ce and Zhou Yu appeared before Zhuge Jin with gifts in tow, Zhuge Jin was truly surprised. Although he had no intention of serving Yuan Shu, considering Pang Tong’s sake, he still invited Sun Ce and Zhou Yu in for a chat, as after all, this was on the other party’s turf, and Zhuge Jin did not want to stir trouble.

Unlike Sun Ce’s method of recruiting talents purely through the aura of domination (as detailed in Romance of the Three Kingdoms in pacifying Taishi Ci), Zhou Yu’s approach was to convince with learning, suggesting that since someone as eminent as he himself was following along, could you possibly think your judgment superior to mine?

However, it was clear that Zhou Yu’s tactic was not very effective against Zhuge Jin. Although in terms of strategy, Zhuge Jin was no match for Zhou Yu, overpowering Zhuge Jin was not going to be an easy or quick matter for Zhou Yu. Instead, in their continuous exchanges, Zhou Yu often sparked off brilliant flares of wisdom through Zhuge Jin’s words.

As a result, Zhou Yu’s favorable impression of Zhuge Jin grew stronger, and his idea of having Zhuge Jin join Sun Ce’s ranks became more firmly rooted. The problem was that in his conversation with Zhuge Jin, Zhou Yu found himself inadvertently led off-topic. Wasn’t this clearly an avoidance of letting him say, "Please, sir, serve my lord Sun Bofu"? (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)