Ma Xisheng (traditional Chinese: 馬希聲; simplified Chinese: 马希声; pinyin: Mǎ Xīshēng; 899[5] – August 15, 932[2][4]), courtesy name Ruona (若訥), formally the Prince of Hengyang (衡陽王), was the second ruler of the Ma Chu dynasty of China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, ruling briefly from his father's death in 930 to his own death in 932.
[10] Apparently after being created king and therefore authorized to create a governmental structure of his own mirroring that of the imperial government, he, in 929, Ma Yin made Ma Xisheng, who then carried the titles of deputy military governor of Wu'an and acting mayor of Changsha, a chancellor with the designation Zhi Zhengshi (知政事), and also put him in charge of the military affairs of the state (總錄中外諸軍事, Zonglu Zhongwai Zhujunshi).
Gao, displeased, stated to his associates, "I am going to build a mansion in the hills to the west, for retirement.
The pony [(a double entendre, as Ma means "horse" in Chinese)] has grown up and can bite now."
[1] After Ma Xisheng took over the Chu state, he stated that it was Ma Yin's will that he not claim the title of king (and therefore, not the right to the governmental structure as was given in the regal creation) but only claimed the title of military governor of Wu'an, as a vassal to Later Tang.
Li Siyuan subsequently gave him the additional title of military governor of Jingjiang Circuit (靜江, headquartered in modern Guilin, Guangxi, which Chu also controlled), as well as the honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling (中書令).
His official Pan Qi (潘起), seeing this, satirized him by stating, "In the past, Ruan Ji ate pork when he was mourning.