卻說劉備自徐庶離去之後，心中十分惆悵。徐庶臨行之時再三叮囑：「南陽有臥龍先生諸葛亮，此人胸懷天下之志，將軍若得其輔佐，必成大業。」劉備將此話牢牢記在心中。亂世求才，難在識人，更難在信人。劉備失徐庶後，只聞臥龍之名，未見其人，心中既期待亦疑惑。幸得名士接連舉薦，皆言諸葛亮胸懷天下之志。眾口一詞，使劉備決意親往隆中一探虛實。這不只是尋訪賢才，更是一場關乎信念與命運的試探。卻說劉備自徐庶離去之後，心中十分惆悵。徐庶臨行之時再三叮囑：「南陽有臥龍先生諸葛亮，此人胸懷天下之志，將軍若得其輔佐，必成大業。」劉備將此話牢牢記在心中。
Great destinies rarely begin with certainty—they begin with whispers. After losing Xu Shu, Liu Bei is left with only a name: Zhuge Liang. A recluse, a strategist, a man said to hold the fate of the age in his mind. Yet reputation alone is not enough. Before loyalty can be earned, belief must be tested. As scholars and sages echo the same praise, Liu Bei sets out—not just to find a man, but to confirm whether this hidden genius can truly change the course of history.
然而當時劉備尚未親見諸葛亮，只知其名而不知其人，心中難免疑惑。
一日，劉備正在新野府中議事，忽報有一位老者求見。劉備急忙迎出，原來正是水鏡先生司馬徽。
劉備大喜，連忙請入府中。二人坐定後，劉備問道：「先生昔日所言臥龍、鳳雛，可得一人安天下。敢問臥龍先生究竟是何人？」
司馬徽微微一笑說道：「臥龍者，諸葛孔明也。此人隱居隆中，胸藏韜略，乃當世奇才。」
劉備聽後心中大喜，又問：「那鳳雛又是何人？」
司馬徽答道：「鳳雛乃龐統也，亦是天下奇士。」
劉備聞言更加驚喜，連聲說道：「若得此二人，何愁大業不成！」
司馬徽笑而不語，只說：「將軍若真有求賢之心，當親往隆中拜訪諸葛亮。」
劉備連忙答應。
司馬徽告辭之後，劉備心中更加迫切想見諸葛亮。於是命人準備車馬，決定前往隆中。
臨行之前，忽有一人來訪。此人風姿瀟灑，氣度不凡，自稱崔州平。
崔州平乃諸葛亮好友。劉備與其談論天下形勢，崔州平說道：「當今天下，群雄並起。曹操據北方，孫權據江東，將軍若欲成大業，須得奇才相助。」
劉備問道：「先生可知臥龍先生？」
崔州平笑道：「諸葛孔明正是我好友。此人深通兵法，識天下大勢。」
劉備聽後更加堅定拜訪之心。
隨後劉備又遇到另一位名士石廣元。石廣元亦極力稱讚諸葛亮之才。
眾人皆說：「孔明乃當世奇才。」
劉備聽後感嘆說道：「若能得孔明相助，劉備願以師禮待之。」
於是劉備與關羽、張飛一同前往隆中。
一路之上山林清幽，竹影婆娑。三人行至一處草廬之前，只見屋舍簡陋，卻環境清雅。
劉備整衣下馬，親自叩門。
開門童子說道：「先生今日不在，出門訪友去了。」
張飛聽後大怒說道：「這人架子倒大，讓我哥哥白跑一趟！」
劉備卻說：「賢士自有其事，不可強求。」
於是留下姓名，再次返回。
回到新野後，劉備仍念諸葛亮之名，決意再往。
此後劉備又兩次前往隆中，終於在第三次時見到諸葛亮，這便是後世所稱的「三顧茅廬」。
正是：
高士隱居臥龍岡，
英雄三顧禮非常。
一朝風雲從此起，
隆中對策定三疆。
自此之後，諸葛亮出山輔佐劉備，為蜀漢建立奠定基礎。三國鼎立的歷史，也因此逐漸展開。
English Version
After Xu Shu’s departure, Liu Bei felt a deep sense of loss. Yet the final words left behind lingered strongly—Zhuge Liang, the “Sleeping Dragon,” a man whose talent could shape the world itself.
Still, Liu Bei had never met him. A name alone, no matter how legendary, could not fully ease his uncertainty.
One day, while attending to affairs in Xinye, Liu Bei received an unexpected visitor: the esteemed scholar Sima Hui, known as the Water Mirror.
Welcoming him with great respect, Liu Bei wasted no time.
“You once spoke of ‘Sleeping Dragon’ and ‘Young Phoenix,’” Liu Bei said. “May I ask—who is the Sleeping Dragon?”
Sima Hui smiled faintly. “Zhuge Kongming of Longzhong. A man of rare brilliance, hidden from the world.”
“And the Young Phoenix?”
“Pang Tong,” Sima Hui replied. “Another extraordinary talent.”
Liu Bei’s eyes lit up. “If I could gain the aid of even one such man, my ambitions would not be in vain.”
Sima Hui simply said, “If your heart truly seeks talent, you must go to him yourself.”
Those words settled heavily—and clearly—in Liu Bei’s mind.
Not long after, another visitor arrived: Cui Zhouping, a friend of Zhuge Liang. In conversation, he too spoke highly of Kongming’s insight, describing him as one who understood both strategy and the greater currents of the age.
Soon after, Liu Bei met yet another scholar, Shi Guangyuan, who echoed the same praise.
Again and again, from different voices, the same conclusion emerged:
Zhuge Liang was no ordinary man.
Moved by this growing certainty, Liu Bei declared, “If I gain his support, I will treat him as my teacher.”
With resolve strengthened, Liu Bei set out for Longzhong, accompanied by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
The road led them through quiet forests and rolling hills, until at last they reached a modest thatched cottage—simple in form, yet serene in spirit.
Liu Bei dismounted, composed himself, and knocked.
A young attendant opened the door.
“The master is not in,” he said. “He has gone to visit friends.”
Zhang Fei bristled with anger, but Liu Bei remained calm.
“A man of worth cannot be summoned at will,” he said. “We must not be impatient.”
Leaving his name behind, he returned once more.
Yet the thought of Zhuge Liang never left him.
In time, Liu Bei would return again—and again—until at last, on the third visit, he would meet the man whose vision would divide the world into three.
Closing Verse
In quiet hills, a dragon sleeps,
While heroes seek with humble grace.
Three visits prove a worthy heart,
And change begins in that small place.
From this moment, the path toward the legendary “Three Visits” was set in motion—and with it, the rise of a strategy that would shape the Three Kingdoms era forever.
