I Have Seen Talent
“Lord Chengming?”
“Hm? You know of me?”
Of course I did. Pan Jun. Courtesy name Chengming. He was known as a man who had been in Jingzhou and later surrendered to Wu, and one who particularly did not get along with Guan Yu.
Looking only at that, one might think him a poor character, but he had not simply surrendered the moment Wu invaded. Even as Jingzhou fell and many of Shu’s officials surrendered to Sun Quan, he had remained indoors, pleading illness. It had taken Sun Quan himself coming to his house to persuade and console him before he finally submitted. That was the sort of man Pan Jun was.
“Yes. Of course I know you. Is there anyone in the Jingzhou region who has not heard of the renowned Lord Pan Jun? I am well aware of the achievements you built through fair administration of the law during your time as Attendant of Jiangxia.”
“Is that so.”
At the praise I offered so casually, the icy expression on Pan Jun’s face thawed ever so slightly. The cold atmosphere had not entirely vanished, but it was something.
“I have long heard the name of Lieutenant Jin Cheong as well. An unprecedented heroine, they say. I did not realize, however, that you also handled personnel matters of this sort.”
“Yes. It is work for our cause, so I have not refused it.”
“Still, I knew you as a military officer. That you would take on the duties of a civil official is rather surprising. Might I ask by what method you select talent?”
His tone was polite, yet the air about him suggested he meant to test me. It felt as though he would not even consider service if I failed to meet his standards. Was it this rigid nature that had kept him from harmony with Guan Yu?
In any case, giving an answer that satisfied him came first. I opened my mouth.
“Because a person’s outward appearance and inner heart so often fail to match, special observation is required when selecting talent. The first method is to put questions concerning the field they claim, and thereby judge how detailed a knowledge they truly possess. The second is to examine their ability to respond to crisis…”
I spoke at some length, as though delivering an oration, and Pan Jun listened in silence. When I finished, a faint light entered his eyes.
“That is the Eight Methods of Assessment spoken of in the Six Secret Teachings. Lieutenant—no, Aide—it seems you have delved into scholarship as well as the martial arts.”
That he now called me Aide rather than Lieutenant suggested a measure of recognition. In truth it had been little more than a crash course during the week’s grace Liu Bei had given me, but still.
“I hold the conviction that only by applying oneself to learning as well as martial skill can one fully discharge the duties of a fine general.”
“Then by what method do you appoint generals?”
“A general must possess five talents and discard ten faults. For example…”
Once more I recited what I had read in the Six Secret Teachings, and Pan Jun nodded as he listened attentively.
Before long we had become excellent partners in discussion and talked for a long while—longer even than with the two groups before him. He spoke calmly of his days studying under the great scholar Song Zhong, of his service as Attendant of Jiangxia after Liu Biao’s invitation, and of his time as magistrate of Shangxiang County.
The more I heard, the more certain I became that he was a true talent.
“What do you say, Lord Pan Jun? Our lord looks highly upon even a mere woman such as myself and employs her greatly. Have you no thought of becoming our strength?”
“For Aide Jin to call herself a mere woman seems excessive humility. Very well. I too wish to unfold my abilities under Lord Liu Bei. I ask for your guidance.”
“It is I who ask for yours.”
Our conversation ended in an atmosphere far warmer than the one in which it had begun.
“How was it, Lieutenant Jin? Or rather, Aide Jin now. I heard you met the four men ahead of me. What did you make of them?”
Liu Bei and I, having finished our respective business, met again. I offered my thoughts.
“Yes, my lord. First, Fan Jiang and Zhang Da were, regrettably, not outstanding talents. Their words were exaggerated, yet no remarkable skill showed itself. I also asked their opinions on the restoration of the Han imperial house, but they did not seem to hold any deep conviction on the matter.”
Liu Bei’s face showed a touch of disappointment; he gestured for me to continue.
“They are men of little ambition, so they will not reveal their true nature at once. Yet should they face a precarious or dangerous situation, there is a risk they would abandon their posts and leave for somewhere more secure. Therefore, if Your Lordship intends to give them positions, it would be best that a man of generous character serve as their superior.”
“Hmm. In short, entrust them with no great affairs, and place a mild-tempered man over them. And the other talents?”
Liu Bei compressed my words neatly. I went on.
“Lord Zhao Lu and Lord Xi Jin are talents of a different order. When they spoke of their skills and aspirations there was neither exaggeration nor shortfall. They are men of firm resolve; you may entrust them with work and, according to their attitude and results, assign them heavier duties in time.”
“And the man called Pan Jun?”
“He is truly one who will go far. During his days as Attendant of Jiangxia he gained renown for his achievements—severely punishing officials who took bribes, and so forth…”
I spoke of Pan Jun in greater detail, and Liu Bei listened with full attention.
“Very well. Tomorrow I shall meet them myself and decide. You have worked hard; withdraw and rest for today.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The next day Liu Bei summoned the five men to his residence and spoke with each of them.
Fan Jiang and Zhang Da, the first to face him, praised Liu Bei until their mouths ran dry.
“Left General Liu Bei harbors a great purpose and labors night and day for the stability of Jingzhou. At the Red Cliffs you defeated that treacherous Cao Cao and made your might resound throughout the realm…”
They held forth with some passion, yet Liu Bei cared little for words that flattered him or belittled Cao Cao. What he wished to know was their talent and character.
“Enough of that. Tell me what skills you possess and how you might be of use to our army.”
At Liu Bei’s words the smiles that had bloomed so brightly on Fan Jiang and Zhang Da’s faces vanished for an instant. They soon spread their faces wide again and continued.
“Yes. We have trained in martial arts and the art of war…”
Brief though the moment was, Liu Bei did not miss the frown that had flickered across their faces. Smiles still played on their lips, yet they would not meet his eyes properly; their pupils darted this way and that as they watched each other for cues. In those eyes there was neither loyalty nor virtue—only concern for their own safety.
They did their best to display their abilities, but Liu Bei, who had met many talents before, saw through the measure of their vessels. No matter how long he listened, they were men whose presence or absence would make little difference in terms of ability.
Having heard them out, Liu Bei dismissed them and next met Zhao Lu and Xi Jin.
Unlike Fan Jiang and Zhang Da, these two spoke calmly and steadily. Watching them state their abilities and aspirations without adornment, Liu Bei could gauge both their capacity and their character.
And then Pan Jun—a blunt yet upright talent. There was not a shred of flattery, yet for that very reason there was no shortfall in the expression of his abilities. Just as Jin Cheong had said, he was a man with the makings of greatness.
When the talks ended, a smile had settled upon Liu Bei’s face. He already knew precisely what to do with each of them.
Jin Cheong’s judgment does not seem to have been wrong.
After meeting all five, Liu Bei summoned me once more.
“I have met them all.”
“And how did you find them?”
I listened with a touch of nervousness.
“I could find no fault in what you said.”
“Then how do you intend to bestow offices?”
Liu Bei spoke of what he had already decided.
“A man has his uses according to his strengths, weaknesses, and character. Fan Jiang and Zhang Da, as Aide Jin said, are men without deep talent or ambition. Yet relative to their ability their patience is lacking, and they are unskilled at concealing and enduring emotion. They seem the sort who, if pressed too hard or provoked, will spring up in reaction. Giving them a low post and entrusting them with suitable work will suffice.”
“Then what do you intend, my lord?”
“I mean to grant them low-ranking military posts for now and place them under Zhao Yun. Even if they are not satisfied, it will not become a great problem.”
Liu Bei’s thought was to set them beneath the good-natured Zhao Yun and have them work their way up from the lowest ranks. That did not seem bad.
“And Zhao Lu and Xi Jin. Zhao Lu is a cautious man of virtue; Xi Jin is one of courage and tenacity. Place them under an outstanding general and they will give their full loyalty. For now I shall grant them the posts of Clerk and Duwei respectively, and promote them gradually according to their conduct and skill.”
“Yes. And what of Pan Jun?”
Pan Jun—the one I anticipated most.
“As you expected, he is a man who will go far. I shall entrust him with the post of Attendant Officer.”
“Yes, my lord. I can only admire Your Lordship’s clear-sighted judgment.”
“Well. That matter is finished, and…”
Liu Bei, who until a moment ago had spoken with gravity, changed his expression. A trace of playfulness entered his face as he continued.
“So—what was it like, meeting the men in advance?”
“Pardon?”
“I ask because you seem to have an eye for people. Honestly, judging the measure of a man you have met only once, with no prior acquaintance, is no easy thing. Yet you managed it today. Not only today—you have done so before. Might you tell me how you look at people?”
How I looked at people… An easy question, and a hard one. I already knew the answers, yet I could not say so.
Had I said, Fan Jiang and Zhang Da will assassinate Zhang Fei in the future, I would only have been taken for a madwoman.
“You flatter me. I merely judged by instinct. Rather, I am astonished by the way Your Lordship evaluates them as smoothly as flowing water and places them where they belong.”
I gave answers because I already knew them; Liu Bei examined and grasped men by the proper path. In that sense his eye for people was far superior—beyond comparison.
Liu Bei spoke in a calm tone. Yet a hint of regret showed in his eyes.
“In my wanderings across the realm I met many heroes. Among them were men I failed to hold onto in the end, for want of my own sufficiency. I vowed again and again never to let an outstanding talent slip away—yet only a short while ago I nearly did so once more. Without Zhuge Liang’s counsel I would have lost another precious talent.”
So saying, Liu Bei sighed. The precious talent he had nearly lost not long ago—was he speaking of Pang Tong? And the ones he had failed to hold in the end were likely men such as Tian Yu or Chen Qun.
“I do not wish to make such a mistake again. So I say this: if there is any shortcoming in the way I employ talent, give me your counsel.”
“How could I dare…”
“Do not worry; speak without reserve. The final decision and the responsibility will be mine.”
“Yes, my lord.”
I bowed at the waist. Yes, my lord. If there is a talent I can protect, of course I must protect him for you.
Watching the young girl bow and step out the door, Liu Bei thought.
In these past one or two years I have gathered truly many talents—Wolong and now Fengchu as well. It is my great fortune, yet among them all, is not that child the strangest?
He had seen any number of men whose martial prowess left jaws hanging open, or whose stratagems drew gasps of wonder—whether of his own faction or another’s.
Yet the girl called Jin Cheong was a person who exceeded his expectations and common sense. In a good direction, of course.
For a moment he sank into reflection. While Cao Cao and Sun Quan and the rest built fine powers, he had more often been driven about without a base. Only last year he had nearly been unable to climb free of deep despair. Yet thanks to those at his side he had been able to steady his heart.
I too have talents that need envy no one. For the sake of those who trust and follow me, I will strive all the more. Now is the time to advance.
Not long after I rejoined the army I heard news. Before I returned from Nanjun, Liu Bei had already employed a great many talents.
Huang Zhong and Wei Yan, along with Ma Liang, Ma Su, Yin Guan, and others—in that short span he had brought in men of renown. Ma Su gave me a slight twinge of concern, but it would not be a problem for the moment.
They were now scattered across Jingzhou, each devoted to military or administrative duties, so I could not see them at once; yet the army of Liu Bei steadily increased its majesty.
Ugh… Had I returned a little sooner I might have met a few more of them. There was a touch of regret, yet seeing how swiftly he moved at such times also made me think, Liu Bei is Liu Bei after all.
Thus Liu Bei welcomed the newly arriving talents and placed them where they belonged.
And one more—an important figure who joined our army.
Pang Tong.
Fengchu, Master Pang Tong, said to stand as the twin peak alongside Wolong Kongming.
The talent Liu Bei had nearly lost not long ago was, as expected, Pang Tong. Liu Bei had employed him and made him magistrate of Leiyang County, yet unfortunately the magistrate’s post was too small a stage for his gifts to bloom. Zhuge Liang remonstrated:
Belatedly regretting it, Liu Bei reassessed him and made him Attendant Officer.
So Pang Tong has joined us here as well. Hearing the news, the next goal formed naturally in my mind. After keeping Xu Shu in our ranks—the small yet great aim I had long drawn in my heart.