Yang Zong hurried into the Western Hall.
Cao Mao was meeting with several generals who had been the first to return.
Zhuge Dan was gradually withdrawing his troops from the Shu lands, and the Central Army was returning to Luoyang.
The first three back were Ma Long, Wen Yang, and Cheng Cui.
That was probably because these three had earned the most merit and needed to receive their rewards first.
The three sat before Cao Mao, all looking very happy.
Ma Long was no exception.
This time, thanks to the military merit he had accumulated over many years, an exception had been made to promote him directly from a Central Army commandant to a regional commander-the General Who Pacifies the West! At this rank, one more step upward would put him on the level of the Four Stabilizing Generals.
For Ma Long, who did not come from one of the great clans, this was an exceptionally rare achievement.
Had he hailed from Fufeng with the surname Ma, becoming the General Who Pacifies the West would not have been such a great matter. But for a family scarcely above commoners to produce a General Who Pacifies the West was truly extraordinary.
At this rank, Ma Long's own family was beginning to develop into a great clan. As long as he continued earning merit, a brand-new Ma clan of Yanzhou would emerge.
Ma Long had earned a tremendous amount of merit over the years. Although his achievements were not as direct and forceful as Wen Yang's slaying generals and seizing banners, he could complete every task his commander assigned him superbly. Moreover, he could offer sound military strategies, repeatedly defeating the enemy's main forces and capturing cities, earning the deep affection of numerous commanders.
After Deng Ai's dismissal, Yongliang needed someone new