▁im pressed ▁by ▁Ma ▁Zh ong ▁and ▁pra ised ▁him ▁highly , ▁comparing ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁recently ▁defect ed ▁Hu ang ▁Qu an . ▁His ▁role ▁to ▁pac ify ▁the ▁southern ▁tribes ▁was ▁cru cial ▁to ▁Sh u ' s ▁stability ▁and ▁led ▁those ▁tribes ▁to ▁both ▁fear ▁him ▁and ▁respect ▁him . ▁His ▁duty ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁could ▁be ▁compar able ▁to ▁Wang ▁P ing ▁( Three ▁Kingdom s ) ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁and ▁D eng ▁Z hi ▁in ▁the ▁east . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Ma ▁Zh ong ▁sty led ▁Dé x ì n ▁was ▁a ▁man ▁of ▁Lang zh ong ▁in ▁B ā x ī . ▁When ▁Ma ▁Zh ong ▁was ▁young , ▁he ▁was ▁raised ▁by ▁his ▁outer ▁family ▁( his ▁mat ernal ▁side ▁relatives ), ▁was ▁s urn amed ▁H ú ▁and ▁named ▁D ǔ . ▁Ma ▁Zh ong ▁after ward ▁returned ▁to ▁his ▁surname ▁[ back ▁to ▁M ǎ ], ▁and ▁changed ▁his ▁name ▁to ▁Zh ō ng . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁command ery ▁cl erk , ▁at ▁the ▁End ▁of ▁the ▁Han ▁dynast y ▁( 1 9 6 - 2 2 0 ). ▁After ▁distingu ishing ▁himself ▁in ▁civil ▁affairs , ▁Ma ▁Zh ong ▁was ▁later ▁nominated ▁as ▁x i à oli án ▁“ fil ial ▁and ▁incor rupt ” ▁and ▁sent ▁out ▁as ▁Chief ▁of ▁H àn ch ā ng . ▁ ▁Me eting ▁Li u ▁Bei ▁When ▁Li u ▁Bei ▁led ▁an ▁eastern ▁campaign ▁in ▁ 2 2 2 ▁and ▁was ▁defeated ▁at ▁the ▁Battle