Ma Xi'e (traditional Chinese: 馬希萼; simplified Chinese: 马希萼; pinyin: Mǎ Xī'è), also known by his posthumous name as the Prince Gongxiao of Chu (楚恭孝王), was the fifth ruler of the Ma Chu dynasty of China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
When Ma Xifan died suddenly in 947 without designating an heir, his staff members discussed who should be invited to succeed him.
After mourning, Ma Xi'e requested permission to return to Wuping's capital Lang Prefecture (朗州).
[5] Ma Xi'e subsequently submitted a petition to then-Later Han emperor Liu Chengyou, to whom the Chu state was a vassal, that he be allowed to separately submit tributes to the emperor and requested a commission separate from Ma Xiguang (in essence, asking that the Chu state be divided formally).
Ma Xiguang, under advice by his guard officer Ou Honglian (歐弘練) and liaison to the Later Han court Zhang Zhongxun (張仲荀), sent many gifts to the high-level officials that Liu Zhiyuan left in charge of Liu Chengyou's administration, asking them to reject Ma Xi'e's proposal.
He mobilized the men of Lang and built 700 ships, intending to attack Tan, despite his wife Lady Yuan's urging against such action.
When Ma Xiguang heard of this, he initially wanted to capitulate, stating, "Lang Prefecture is my older brother.
[7] Ma Xi'e, after his initial defeat, decided to write the leaders of the non-Han tribes of Chen (辰州) and Xu (漵州) (both in modern Huaihua, Hunan), as well as the Meishan Tribes (梅山蠻, centered on the region of modern Yiyang, Hunan), inviting them to attack Tan with him.
Subsequently, the officers Zhang Yansi (張延嗣) and Huang Chuchao (黃處超) were also killed by the joint army.
Southern Tang's emperor Li Jing accepted his submission, bestowed an honorary chancellorship on him, and rewarded him with one year of tax revenues from E Prefecture (鄂州, in modern Wuhan, Hubei).
Ma Xiguang submitted a petition to the Later Han court, asking for aid, specifically asking for Later Han to launch an army to be stationed at Li Prefecture (澧州, in modern Changde) to cut off potential aid by Southern Tang or Jingnan to Ma Xi'e.
Ma Xiguang's officer Zhang Hui (張暉) abandoned Yiyang and fled back to Tan, causing the town to fall.
I, Xu Keqiong, and my family have been serving as Chu generals for generations, and will surely not disappoint you.
Xu, without letting his soldiers know, met with Ma Xi'e and continued negotiating with him, finally agreeing to his terms.
Ma Xiguang's other infantry commander, Wu Hong (吳宏), and Yang Di, fought hard to try to resist the Wuping army's assault from the early morning to noon, but eventually, Yang's army was worn out, without any aid coming from either Xu or Liu Yantao.
No one dared to respond, but Zhu Jinzhong, whom had once been caned by Ma Xiguang, spoke up and stated, "Your Royal Highness spent three years in battle to gain Changsha.
He commissioned Ma Guangzan as the acting military governor of Wuping, and sent He Jingzhen back to Lang to serve as the commander of the guard troops there.
He tried to recall Tuoba Heng back to governmental service, but Tuoba refused, claiming to be ill.[1] In spring 951, Ma Xi'e sent his secretary Liu Guangfu (劉光輔) to offer tributes to Southern Tang's emperor Li Jing.
Li Jing conferred on him the titles of Tiance Grand General, military governor of Wu'an, Wuping, Jingjiang, and Prince of Chu, sending the chancellor Sun Sheng and the diplomat Yao Feng (姚鳳) to preside over the conferral ceremony.
Li Jing thereafter commissioned the officer Bian Hao as the prefect of Xin Prefecture (信州, in modern Shangrao, Jiangxi), but stationed him and his troops at Yuan Prefecture (袁州, in modern Yichun, Jiangxi), in anticipation of a potential chance to strike.
Ma Xichong governed based on his own likes and dislikes, causing the legal system to break down.
After he woke up, he sent the officer Tang Shizhu (唐師翥) to chase after Wang and Zhou, but he could not catch up to them until they had reached Lang, where they laid a trap and defeated him; he barely escaped with his life.
Shortly after, they deposed Ma Guanghui as well and supported Liu Yan the prefect of Chen to serve as the acting military governor.
When Li Jing subsequently refused to commission Liu as military governor, the circuit instead pledged allegiance to Later Han's successor state Later Zhou.
[3] When Ma Xi'e arrived at Hengshan, the commander of the Hengshan garrison, Liao Yan (廖偃), stated to his uncle Liao Kuangning (廖匡凝), "Our family had, for generations, received the grace of the Ma family.
He mobilized the people who lived in the territory into an army corps, and, along with Peng Shigao, declared Ma Xi'e the Prince of Hengshan.
Liao Yan also sent his assistant Liu Xuji (劉虛己) to seek aid from Southern Tang.
Ma Xichong, realizing this, decided to surrender the remaining parts of Chu lands to Southern Tang.
He also sent the officer Li Chengjian (李承戬) to Hengshan to compel Ma Xi'e to head to Jinling as well.
Upon his arrival at Jinling, Li Jing commissioned Ma Xi'e as the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Jiangnan West Circuit (江南西道, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi) and have him stationed Jiangnan West's capital Hong Prefecture (洪州), and continued to have him carry the title of Prince of Chu; Li Jing also bestowed on him the honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling (中書令).