Ma Zhong, he's just a military commander, foolhardy.
China's traditional culture, starting from the feudal society, stresses loyalty, filial piety and benevolence. The bottom line is that a monarch who has done something will value people he can trust. Even if your skill is worse, even if your martial arts is weaker, at least you are loyal and at ease.
And Ma Zhong? He was Pan Zhang's subordinate, and Pan Zhang was his follower, while Pan Zhang was not the leader of the State of Wu. The leader of the State of Wu is Sun Quan.
In any era, we must follow the right person. Leaders need loyal people. If you can't see your loyalty and don't know you well, you won't be too relieved and give you more power. No matter how great your contribution is, you can only attack the main defense.
Besides, Ma Zhong's contact circle is full of small people. Even if he has made great contributions, these little people will betray Ma Zhong and kill him in order to survive, and trade their heads for their own lives. This is entirely his own reason, which has caused these consequences. Birds of a feather flock together.
Ma Zhong himself doesn't know how to find a famous teacher and work with those honest and kind people. Get along with these little people. Even said: I am willing to work for them. Once something big happens, these people will betray him!
Liu taoyuan's three-knot meaning word is a meaning word. That's a feeling, that's a loyalty.
Clever Zhu Gekongming and most military commanders are loyal to Liu Bei. And Ma Zhong, although he has martial arts, although he can kill, but he didn't vote for the Lord. Sun Quan is also a famous master, but he doesn't believe in Ma Zhong and just uses him. Because the trust between them is not reached.
So you must follow it with your own eyes, and you must have a pair of discerning eyes. There are always swift horses, but how many people who know swift horses have discerning eyes? Moreover, a swift horse must show absolute loyalty and loyalty, so that it can really be reused by the famous owner.