[5] As of 947, Ma Xiguang carried the titles of deputy military governor of Chu's capital circuit Wu'an (武安, headquartered at Chu's capital Changsha) (with Ma Xifan himself being the military governor (Jiedushi), army commander of the Tiance Headquarters (as Ma Xifan was the Tiance Grand General (天策上將軍)), and military governor of Zhennan Circuit (鎮南, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi — an honorary title as Zhennan was then the possession of Chu's northeastern neighbor Southern Tang).
When Ma Xifan died suddenly in 947 without designating an heir, his staff members discussed who should be invited to succeed him.
The officers Zhang Shaodi (張少敵) and Yuan Yougong (袁友恭) argued that Ma Yin's 30th son Ma Xi'e, who was then serving as the military governor of Wuping Circuit (武平, headquartered in modern Changde, Hunan) and acting prefect of Yong Prefecture (永州, in modern Yongzhou, Hunan), and who was the oldest surviving son of Ma Yin's, should be invited to succeed.
The officers Liu Yantao (劉彥瑫) and Yang Di (楊滌) and the officials Li Honggao (李弘皋) and Deng Yiwen (鄧懿文) wanted to support Ma Xiguang.
Zhang, knowing that disaster was coming, claimed illness and withdrew from headquarters, as did Tuoba.
[1] In fall 947, Liu Zhiyuan the emperor of Later Han, who had just recently taken over the Central Plains, bestowed on Ma Xiguang (whose Chu state was traditionally a vassal of the Central Plains states) the titles of Tiance Grand General, military governor of Wu'an, overall commander of the circuits south of the Yangtze River, Zhongshu Ling (中書令), and Prince of Chu.
After mourning, Ma Xi'e requested permission to return to Wuping's capital Lang Prefecture (朗州).
This angered Liu Sheng, who then asked Zhong for his impressions about Chu, "Is Lord Ma capable of managing a campaign to the south?"
Late in the year, Liu Sheng sent the eunuch general Wu Huai'en (吳懷恩) to attack Chu, and captured He (賀州, in modern Hezhou, Guangxi) and Zhao (昭州, in modern Guilin, Guangxi) Prefectures.
[9] Meanwhile, Ma Xi'e submitted a petition to then-Later Han emperor Liu Chengyou (Liu Zhiyuan's son and successor) 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.
Shortly after, when the Later Han general Guo Wei suppressed the rebellion of the general Li Shouzhen, the Later Han government decided to reward many vassals with honorary titles, and Ma Xiguang received the title of Taiwei (太尉, one of the Three Excellencies).
[9] 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 Northern 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.
Shortly after, Ma Xi'e sent his general Zhu Jinzhong (朱進忠) to attack Yiyang.
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.