諸葛亮
There are no details in the "Sanguozhi" about how Liu Bei recruited Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang's biography briefly mentions that after Xu Shu recommended Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei, Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang thrice and met him. Zhuge Liang presented the Longzhong Plan to Liu Bei during their meeting(s). However, the "Weilüe" and the "Jiuzhou Chunqiu" (九州春秋) give different accounts on how Liu Bei first met Zhuge Liang. Both the "Weilüe" and "Jiuzhou Chunqiu" claimed that Zhuge Liang visited Liu Bei first, instead of the other way round. Both Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei did not know each other at first when the former came to visit the latter. Liu Bei did not pay much attention to Zhuge Liang because he thought that Zhuge Liang was just a typical young scholar. Zhuge Liang remained behind after Liu Bei's other guests left the meeting. Liu Bei did not ask him if he had something to say and continued playing with a gift from one of the guests. Zhuge Liang initiated a conversation with Liu Bei. Liu Bei recognised his talent, viewed him in a different light, and started treating him more respectfully. Pei Songzhi commented that the "Weilue" and "Jiuzhou Chunqiu" accounts contradicted Zhuge Liang's own statement in the "Chu Shi Biao", which stated: "(Liu Bei) visited me thrice in the thatched cottage, (and) consulted me on the affairs of our time." He felt that it was obvious from the "Chu Shi Biao" that Zhuge Liang did not visit Liu Bei first.