Ma Zhi
Ma Zhi (馬植) (? - 857), courtesy name Cunzhi (存之), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong. Background and early career It is not known when Ma Zhi was born. It is known that his family was from Fufeng, but nothing else was known about his ancestry other than that his father's name was Ma Xun — with the Old Book of Tang rendering his father's personal name as 曛 and the New Book of Tang rendering it as 勛 — with no connections to the families of the two other Tang chancellors surnamed Ma, Ma Sui and Ma Zhou. Ma Zhi passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class in 819, during the reign of Emperor Xianzong, and further passed a special imperial examination for those who were capable in planning. He was thereafter made the deputy military prefect (團練副使, Tuanlian Fushi) of Shou Prefecture (壽州, in modern Lu'an, Anhui). He thereafter served as Xiaoshu Lang (), a copyeditor at the Palace Library, and yet later served as the prefect of Rao Prefecture (饒州, in modern Shangrao, Jiangxi). During Emperor Wenzong's reign Early in the Kaicheng era (836-840) of Emperor Xianzong's grandson Emperor Wenzong, Ma Zhi was made the protector general of Annan (安南, modern northern Vietnam). It was said that Ma, in addition to his literary abilities, was a capable administrator. In 838, he submitted a report in which he claimed that the nominal magistrate of Wulu County () — under Tang's system of commissioning local tribal leaders with official titles — was faithful to Tang and was often giving good suggestions, and requested that Wulu County be upgraded to be a prefecture; Emperor Wenzong approved the request. It was also said that because of Ma's good governance, the tribal chiefs all sent their sons to serve as hostages and offered to pay tributes. Further, a pool at Wulu Prefecture that had previously produced pearls but were no longer doing so by Ma's time again began to produce pearls, which was viewed as a sign of divine approval. Ma was thereafter promoted to be the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Qianzhong Circuit (黔中, headquartered in modern Chongqing). During Emperor Wuzong's reign During the middle of the Huichang era (841-846) of Emperor Wenzong's brother Emperor Wuzong, Ma Zhi was recalled to the capital Chang'an to serve as the minister of palace supplies (光祿卿, Guanglu Qing), and later became Dali Qing (), the chief judge at the supreme court (大理寺, Dali Si). However, neither of these posts carried great power, as Ma, despite a reputation for being capable, was not well regarded by then-leading chancellor Li Deyu. It was said that Ma thus bore resentment toward Li Deyu. During Emperor Xuānzong's reign In 846, Emperor Wuzong died and was succeeded by his uncle Emperor Xuānzong. Because Emperor Xuānzong despised Li Deyu for his hold on power, Li Deyu was almost immediately thereafter demoted and sent out of the capital, and