Like Qian Liu (who was of similar age), Ma Chuo was a Hang Prefecture native who joined the warlord Dong Chang in the mid-870s.
One time, Dong Chang asked Qian Liu to take a roll call of his soldiers, but the roster was missing.
Qian Liu was able to remember every name from memory, but Ma Chuo warned him to be careful with the mistrustful Dong Chang.
Ma Chuo then provided a stack of paper for Qian Liu to use as the "roster book" so as not to fuel Dong Chang's mistrust.
[2] In March 895, Dong Chang declared himself an emperor of a new state in Yue Prefecture, after killing every staff member who dared to speak against it.