Controversy Project
In the quiet corner of ancient Jingzhou, there was a wise man named Sima Hui. Known as Mr. Shuijing, he knows astronomy and geography, and is more proficient in Qimen Dunjia and military strategies. Legend has it that his eyes can see through the world, and he holds the secret of success and failure in his hands. It was such a master, on a calm day, who recommended two amazing young people to Liu Bei - Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong.
Sima Hui said to Liu Bei in a tone full of wisdom: "These two people are like the sleeping dragon and the phoenix chick between heaven and earth, and if you get one of them, you can own the whole world. According to historical records, after Liu Bei got these two assistants, he was like gaining wings, and he was moving towards the dream of establishing Shu Han step by step. However, some people are curious, why didn't Sima Hui introduce Sima Yi to Liu Bei? After all, Sima Yi was also a temporary choice, and later suppressed Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition for a time.
There is actually a small misunderstanding here. First of all, we have to make it clear that Sima Hui and Sima Yi are not related. Although they all have the surname "Sima", this is a fairly common surname in the north. In fact, Sima Hui was born in Yangzhai, Yingchuan, which is today's Yuzhou, Henan, and later moved to Jingzhou. As for Sima Yi, he was born in Wen County, Hanoi, and is some distance from Sima Hui's hometown. Although Sima Yi's grandfather, Sima Jun, was the Taishou of Yingchuan and may have intersected with Sima Hui, the two did not have in-depth contacts after that. Therefore, when Sima Hui recommended talents, he did not consider introducing Sima Yi to Liu Bei.
Let's talk about Pang Tong again. This young and talented man once visited Sima Hui at the age of eighteen. They hit it off at first sight, and Pang Tong stood under the tree and talked with Sima Hui, as natural as two old friends reunited. Their friendship was so deep that Sima Hui later called Pang Tong "the crown of Nanzhou scholars". The reason why Pang Tong can get such praise is not only because of his intelligence, but also because they have a rare tacit understanding between the two.
As for Zhuge Liang, although his relationship with Sima Hui is not as close as that of Pang Tong, it is also extraordinary. Zhuge Liang often went out to study, sometimes for months, but every time he came back, he was able to have in-depth exchanges with Sima Hui. Sima Hui knew that Zhuge Liang had great ambitions, extraordinary insight and profound thoughts. His evaluation of Zhuge Liang is: This person has the talent of the world, and he will definitely be able to achieve great things in the future.
So, why didn't Sima Hui recommend Sima Yi to Liu Bei? In addition to the lack of deep friendship between them, there is another important reason - the degree of matching. Liu Bei was at a low point in his career at that time and urgently needed the assistance of strategists; The Sima Yi family has been an official for generations, and he himself is deeply appreciated by Cao Cao. In short, Sima Yi doesn't need a platform like Liu Bei to display his talents. On the contrary, young people with relatively ordinary backgrounds like Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang need a chance to prove themselves.
Although Pang Tong came from a famous family, he was only an insignificant small role under Liu Biao. He longs for a bigger stage to showcase his talents. And Zhuge Liang, despite his illustrious family background, failed to emerge at an early stage for various reasons. He has great ambitions in his heart, hoping to meet Ming Jun like Duke Qi Huan and King Yan Zhao in order to realize his ideals and revenge.
In the end, Sima Hui not only found a suitable assistant for Liu Bei, but also indirectly helped Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang realize their respective ambitions. This is not only a simple talent recommendation, but also the result of a deep understanding and careful consideration of each person. It is this kind of insight and insight that has left a strong mark on Sima Hui in the long river of history.