The guard knocked on the door a few times, and the door opened from the inside, and a servant-like figure poked his head out.

Seeing that there was a group of soldiers standing outside the door surrounded by two general-looking people, the servant asked with a stunned face, "Dare to ask who you are?" ”

"May I ask if this is the mansion of the former Danyang Liu Taishou?" Pang Tong took two steps forward and asked the servant.

"My master did do do a Taishou in Danyang, and his surname is indeed Liu." Facing the man in armor, the servant was obviously a little nervous: "I don't know ...... you"

"Please inform Duke Liu that Pang Tong, under the command of the Marquis of Chu, came to ask for a meeting." Pang Tong said to the servant.

When Yuan Tan marched into Mount Tai, Pang Tong had already become famous after several battles.

He reported his name, and the servant hurriedly replied: "Please wait a moment for General Pang, and I will go and report to the master." ”

Pang Tong did not propose to wait at the gate first, but took Sun Guan and others to wait outside the gate.

The servant reported that Liu Hong had gone, and Sun Guan whispered to Pang Tong and asked, "Why didn't the general go in first?" We stood here waiting, and we didn't look good at it by the people in the market. ”

"If the Marquis of Chu wants us to invite Liu Hong, he must be of great use." Pang Tong replied: "Characters like Liu Hong are all somewhat capable, and the more capable people are, the more eccentric their temperament is. Rush in, in case you annoy him, the rest of the words will be difficult to say. ”

"I've come here, and I'm afraid that he won't go to see Chu Hou?" Sun Guan said: "If he really refuses to go, I will bring someone to rush in and tie him up." ”

"General Sun doesn't dare to be reckless." Pang Tong said: "Once he is tied, not to mention whether Chu Hou will blame him, even if Chu Hou does not blame the general, Liu Hong will definitely refuse to cooperate when he arrives in Pengcheng." In case of ruining Chu Hou's big affairs, you and I can't afford it. ”

As soon as Pang Tong said this, Sun Guancai sighed and replied: "What General Pang said is also right, in case he is really a temperamental, and he doesn't care what Chu Hou says, it will be a trouble." ”

"So we'll just wait here." Pang Tong replied and said no more.

Not long after the servant left, the door was completely opened, and out of it came an old man who looked to be seventy or eighty years old.

He came to the door and bowed to Pang Tong and the others: "How can Liu Hong be able to do it, he actually bothered General Pang to come to the house in person." If the general has any problems, send someone to inform me and wait for me to go. ”

Pang Tong stepped forward, with a smile on his face, arched his hand to Liu Hong and said, "Liu Taishou is a sage who even the Marquis of Chu admires, and it is in line with etiquette for me to visit in person." ”

He then looked at Sun Guan next to him and said, "I am also with General Sun. ”

Sun Guan stepped forward and arched his hand towards Liu Hong and said, "Sun Guan under the command of the Marquis of Chu, I have seen Liu Taishou!" ”

"It turns out that it wasn't just General Pang who came, but even General Sun also arrived at the Humble House." Liu Hong stepped aside and said to Pang Tong and Sun Guan: "Two generals, please come in and talk." ”

Pang Tong and Sun Guan thanked and followed Liu Hong into the house.

Entering the house, Pang Tong looked left and right, and saw that a lot of flowers and trees were planted here.

He said to Liu Hong: "Earlier, I sent people to Danyang and learned that Taishou had returned to his hometown. I thought Taishou was really old, but now that I see it, I know that this is not the case. ”

"It's past the prime." Liu Hong smiled and waved his hand: "It's really old......

"If you are really old enough to have no intention of doing government affairs, where did Taishou have the heart to tidy up the courtyard so elegantly?" Pang Tong said to Liu Hong: "But I have a sentence that I don't know whether to say or not." ”

"General Pang is a rare guest, just say what you have to say." Liu Hong said: "Does the general think that the humble house is not spacious enough? ”

"It's not that it's not spacious enough." Pang Tong replied: "Taishou chose to live here, probably with the idea of hiding in the city. It's just that I've heard that Taishou has always been obsessed with arithmetic, and since he is proficient in arithmetic, he should choose a secluded place. Like Taishou, it's not suitable to live in the middle of the city. ”

"General Pang is really right." Liu Hong replied with a smile: "When I first returned to my hometown, I really thought that it would be more convenient to live in the bazaar. But I didn't expect that the daily market was noisy, making it difficult for people to concentrate on arithmetic, and now I want to buy another house, but I didn't save much money by being a Taishou earlier......"

"A character like Liu Taishou, where does he need to spend money on his own house to buy a house?" Pang Tong smiled and said, "Where did Taishou take a fancy to?" I'll have you build a house. ”

"How's that going to happen?" Liu Hong waved his hand again and again: "What General Pang said did make me too frightened. ”

Leading Pang Tong and others to the front hall, Liu Hong stood on the side of the door and said to him and Sun Guan: "Two generals, please enter the front hall." ”

Pang Tong and Sun Guan did not shirk, and the two entered the room one after the other.

Liu Hong followed and walked in, and also ordered the servant to see the tea.

Entering the front hall, Liu Hong said to Pang Tong: "General Pang, please take a seat!" ”

"I am a guest, and Taishou is the master, how can there be a reason for a guest to sit on a seat?" Pang Tong excused himself and said, "Please also take a seat." ”

"Let's not say that I have returned to my hometown, even if I don't, in terms of official positions, the two generals are higher than me." Liu Hong said: "How can there be a reason for a low-ranking person to sit on the upper seat? ”

"General Sun and I came to see Taishou, but I didn't think about the rank and rank." Pang Tong replied with a smile: "When I came here today, there are only the host and guests, and there is absolutely no official rank. ”

Pang Tong insisted on refusing to take a seat, but Liu Hong couldn't refuse, so he had to say: "Then it's arrogance!" ”

After the servants sat down, Liu Hong asked Pang Tong: "I wonder if the two generals came to the cold house, what do they have to say?" ”

"The two of us actually came on the orders of the Marquis of Chu." Pang Tong said to Liu Hong: "Chu Hou has recently suffered from the construction of the school and no one is taught, I heard that Liu Taishou is proficient in arithmetic, so he specially ordered the two of us to come and invite him, I don't know if Taishou is willing to go to Pengcheng and teach what he has learned all his life to others." ”

"Open a school?" Liu Hong asked in surprise: "What kind of school is Chu Hou going to open?" How can arithmetic still be taught? ”

It is no wonder that Liu Hong was surprised, few people were interested in arithmetic in this era.

Even if some people like to read, they all read some Taoluo soldiers and horses, trying to change their fate through their familiarity with Taoluo and the art of war, and become a powerful disciple, how can anyone deliberately want to learn arithmetic?

Not to mention opening a school to teach arithmetic, even if Liu Hong told the world that he planned to accept apprentices and only teach arithmetic as a course, I am afraid that few people would be willing to come to learn.

"Others may not pay attention to arithmetic, but Chuhou is different." Pang Tong said: "Chu Hou knows the importance of arithmetic to the world, so he wants to open a school and beckon some scholars who are interested in arithmetic, but he is suffering from no one to teach him, so he thinks of Liu Taishou......"

As he spoke, he deliberately observed Liu Hong's face.

The expression on Liu Hong's face was extremely complicated, and from his expression, Pang Tong could see that he was going through an extremely strong ideological struggle.

Sun Guan, who was sitting next to Pang Tong, saw that Liu Hong was silent, and interjected: "As long as Tai Shou is willing to go to Pengcheng, Chu Hou will definitely prepare everything he needs." Mansion and official position, Chu Hou has long been prepared for Taishou. ”

"I don't care much about the mansion and official position." Liu Hong finally spoke: "The two generals don't know, for so many years, I can be said to be very obsessed with arithmetic. Earlier, I had also commented on the nine chapters of arithmetic, but unfortunately the world did not understand it, and even my children and grandchildren thought that learning arithmetic was useless. Seeing that these abilities in my womb will disappear from the world when I pass away......"

"What Taishou is worried about is exactly what Chu Hou doesn't want to see." Pang Tong said: "The world is dull, and it is indeed very annoying that a person like Taishou who is full of ability is not understood because he is obsessed with arithmetic. In fact, I also feel that if Taishou ponders arithmetic alone, it is better to simply teach the apprentice to start the course, and he can also pass on what he has learned in his life to more students, and better benefit the world in the future. ”

"I don't know why Chu Hou suddenly remembered to open a school and ask someone to teach the way of arithmetic?" Regarding Lu Bu's invitation, Liu Hong still felt a little puzzled.

Pang Tong replied: "Chu Hou believes that everything in the world is inseparable from the trajectory after all, just like arithmetic, no matter how you calculate, you always have to follow some trajectory. Since the world is so similar to arithmetic, why not pursue the source so that more people can learn the way of calculation, but instead seek results from other aspects and make more detours? ”

In fact, Pang Tong also knows some arithmetic, but he is not as proficient as Cao Hong, so when he speaks, what Liu Hong likes to listen to can also listen to.

Listening to what Pang Tong said, Liu Hong couldn't help but nod.

But he did not immediately agree to accompany Pang Tong and Sun Guan to Pengcheng.

Seeing that Liu Hong still had concerns, Pang Tong asked, "Dare to ask what other concerns Taishou has?" ”

"I don't have to worry about it." Liu Hong replied: "It's just that I'm old, even if I go to Pengcheng, I'm afraid I won't be able to help Chu Hou anything......"

"Since the Marquis of Chu asked me and General Sun to come and invite him, he must think that Liu Taishou can share his worries." Pang Tong said: "The Marquis of Chu asked someone to send me a letter before, and the letter also said that things in the world are nothing more than the foundation of calculation, but everything we can see is inseparable from the way of arithmetic. I will not deceive Liu Taishou, a scholar who has learned arithmetic, and will be arranged by Chu Hou to learn some other skills in the future. The employment of people under the rule of the Marquis of Chu will definitely not be as in the past, focusing only on strategy, the art of war, and the way of governing the world. It is to combine all kinds of talents in one place, and only in this way can we promote the transformation of all things in the world. ”

"What Chu Hou said is actually right." Liu Hong replied: "I have studied arithmetic for many years, and I have long found that many things in the world can be deduced by arithmetic. It's just that people in the world feel that arithmetic is complicated, and most of them are unwilling to learn it by heart. Even some well-educated people are mostly just learning some strategies and the art of war, and they also scoff at arithmetic. ”

"Liu Taishou's thoughts, I am very considerate." Pang Tong replied: "It's like I didn't meet Chu Hou back then, no matter who I joined the disciple, I won't be reused." It wasn't until I met Chu Hou that I realized that I really met the Ming Lord. Chu Hou has always been eclectic in employing people, and only he can really appoint people like Taishou to important places. ”

"Although what General Pang said is reasonable, I am too old after all." Liu Hong sighed and said, "It's a pity that I couldn't be born a few years later......"

Liu Hong's words caused Pang Tong to laugh.

Looking at Pang Tong in astonishment, Liu Hong asked, "What is General Pang laughing at?" ”

"I'm not laughing at anything else, I'm just laughing too conservatively to understand." Pang Tong said: "Back then, King Wen of Zhou searched everywhere for virtuous people, and when he met Jiang Ziya, Jiang Ziya was already over eighty years old. Liu Taishou might as well think about it, a person like Jiang Ziya who is about to die can still get an 800-year foundation for King Wen, Taishou is only too old this year, how can he say the words of the old? ”

"Jiang Ziya is a legendary figure after all." Liu Hong said: "More than 1,000 years ago, who can say what it looked like at the beginning? ”

"Although it has been more than a thousand years away, there is always some truth in the rumors in the world." Pang Tong said: "If Taishou refuses to let go of his heart and serve the Lord like he is now, what he has learned in this life will really be wasted and forgotten. ”

Staring at Pang Tong, the expression on Liu Hong's face was even more complicated than just now.

He really wanted to promise Pang Tong and follow him to Pengcheng, but Lu Bu's reputation was not very good at the beginning, and Liu Hong felt that it was not safe to serve such a character......

Seeing that Liu Hong still had hesitation on his face, Pang Tong said: "Liu Taishou might as well say the real troubles in his heart, and I will solve the doubts for Taishou." If he still refuses to go to serve Chu Hou, I'll just reply to him. ”

"Since General Pang asked, then I will tell the truth." Liu Hong said: "I heard rumors earlier that the reputation of the Marquis of Chu is not very good. He first killed Ding Yuan, and then Dong Zhuo. took refuge in Yuan Shao, but also turned against Yuan Shao. went to Xuzhou again, and actually took Xuzhou from Liu Xuande. When he was crusading against Yuan Shu, he voted for Cao Cao again, and recently he attacked Cao Cao again for some reason......"

Without waiting for Liu Hong to finish speaking, Pang Tong laughed: "What should I do, it turns out that Liu Taishou is worried about this." ”

"Isn't this worth worrying about?" Pang Tong smiled heartily, and Liu Hong said with a stunned face: "How can a capricious person ask people to be relieved to work?" ”

Liu Hong talked about Lu Bu's capriciousness, and Sun Guan's face changed.

He was about to have a seizure, and Pang Tong glanced at him.

Seeing Pang Tong's eyes, Sun Guan had no choice but to suppress his anger.

Pang Tong said to Liu Hong: "These things that Taishou heard about are indeed there, but I don't know if you have ever thought about those who have been betrayed by the Marquis of Chu, have they ever done anything against the master's family?" Don't talk about others, just talk about Liu Xuande, since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, how many people has he voted for? And how many of the people he has voted for have really benefited from him? Liu Taishou might as well recall that most of those people Liu Xuande has served, what happened to most of them? ”