Ma Long had Wang Guan escorted away, then said something to a cavalryman beside him. The cavalryman left, and Ma Long turned and returned to the main camp.
"How did it go? How did it go?"
Sima Gan was panicking now. He had neither his eldest brother's courage nor his second brother's breadth of mind. His disposition was fairly mild, and he disliked stirring up trouble.
Most of the Central Army's commandants now bore the surname Sima. They were either Sima Zhao's younger brothers or his nephews.
Among his uncles and cousins, quite a few had followed Sima Fu, though some had continued to follow Sima Zhao.
Sima Gan's abilities were not outstanding among these relatives who followed Sima Zhao. It was chiefly because they shared the same mother and Sima Zhao favored him deeply that he could serve as General of the Guards.
But his experience, military achievements, and even his age all fell short. He was nowhere near qualified to serve as deputy commander of the Central Army. Even an army-supporting post was already a stretch for him, let alone command of the guards.
Now, seeing Wang Guan, who had come all this way, Sima Gan truly panicked.
Others might not know, but Sima Gan knew his own limitations.
If Wang Guan came to the Central Army to contend with him for control, then, provided Wang Guan had secured the officers' support, Sima Gan would unquestionably lose. He had no prestige in the Central Army at all-perhaps less even than the newly arrived Ma Long!
Ma Long, however, wore a grave expression.
"General, something terrible has happened!"
"The visitor was indeed Secretariat Minister Wang Guan. He told me that Great Wei would perish at the hands of the General of the Guards."
"I believe they are about to