Meanwhile, Ma Xiguang's younger half-brother Ma Xichong, who was a full brother to Ma Xi'e, had been writing secret letters to Ma Xi'e, inciting him by arguing that Liu Yantao and the others had gone against Ma Yin's instructions.
17 Facts About Ma Xiguang
1.
2.
However, Ma Xichong continued to spy on Ma Xiguang and enticed Ma Xi'e to rebel, offering to assist him if he did.
3.
Ma Xiguang is cowardly and miserly, and his soldiers have long forgotten about war.
4.
Ma Xiguang mobilized the men of Lang and built 700 ships, intending to attack Tan, despite his wife Lady Yuan's urging against such action.
5.
Ma Xiguang thereafter sent Wang Yun the prefect of Yue Prefecture to command an army against Ma Xi'e, with Liu serving as Wang's army monitor.
6.
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.
7.
When Ma Xiguang sent the officer Chen Fan to resist them, Chen was defeated and killed.
8.
Ma Xi'e, believing that Later Han's government intended to protect Ma Xiguang, decided to submit as a vassal to Southern Tang instead and requested Southern Tang aid against Ma Xiguang.
9.
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 to cut off potential aid by Southern Tang or Jingnan to Ma Xi'e.
10.
In winter 950, Liu proposed that Ma Xiguang allow him to command an army to directly attack Lang, claiming that he could defeat and capture Ma Xi'e.
11.
Ma Xiguang made Ma Xichong the monitor of Xu Keqiong's army.
12.
Ma Xiguang, who believed in the advice of sorcerers and Buddhist monks, make statutes of monsters with raised hands, believing that this would stop the Wuping army.
13.
Ma Xiguang had many monks chant Buddhist sutras, and wore the robes of a monk himself, in hope of gaining blessings.
14.
Li Yanwen tried to return to the city to save it, but could not, and he and Liu thereafter escorted the sons of Ma Xifan and Ma Xiguang to flee to Southern Tang.
15.
Ma Xi'e captured Wu and Peng, but, admiring them for their bravery and faithfulness to Ma Xiguang, spared both of them.
16.
Ma Xiguang closed the gates and subsequently was able to capture Ma Xiguang, Li Honggao, Li Honggao's brother Li Hongjie, Deng Yiwen, Yang Di, and the official Tang Zhaoyin.
17.
Ma Xiguang had Li Honggao, Li Hongjie, Tang, and Yang put to death and had their bodies eaten by the soldiers.