Ma Shiying

Ma Shiying (1596 – 1647), courtesy names Yaocao and Chongran, was a notorious government official who lived in the late Ming dynasty. He served under the Southern Ming Hongguang regime and was best known for instigating internecine conflict within the court.

Early life and career Ma Shiying was born in 1596 in Guiyang, Guizhou. He passed the metropolitan examination in 1616 and obtained his Jinshi degree in 1619. In Nanjing, he was made a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, a ministerial director, and a prefect. In 1631, he was promoted to Right Assistant Censor-in-chief and Grand Coordinator of Xuanfu before being exiled following a corruption trial brought by eunuch Wang Kun. While in Nanjing, he befriended Ruan Dacheng, who had close ties with the Eunuch Faction. With Ruan's help, Ma was recalled and made Viceroy of Fengyang. In the 15th year of the Chongzhen Era (~1642), Ma was made Right Vice Minister of War and Viceroy of Luzhou and Fengzhou. These purges weakened the Southern Ming court by fostering disunity; numerous competent officials defected either to rebels or to the Qing dynasty, which was then sweeping through northern China.

Ma eventually became de facto regent as the Hongguang Emperor withdrew into the inner court. The emperor's expenditures quickly bankrupted the Southern Ming treasury, causing the regime to institute monopolies, levy new taxes, and require bribes for official appointments. The last operation in particular harmed Ma's reputation and the following popular saying developed: "supervisors more numerous than sheep, bureau aides as low as dogs... swept up all of Jiangnan's cash to stuff the mouths of the Family Ma."

Zuo Liangyu's Eastern Campaign A series of mysteries regarding the Chongzhen Emperor's heir rocked the Hongguang regime in 1645. A young man, later revealed to be Wang Zhiming, impersonated the Chongzhen Emperor's eldest son. The Hongguang Emperor's approval of the imposter, rumors of severe interrogations, and general fanaticism fed into the widespread belief that the imposter was the real heir. Soon after, a woman named Madam Tong was imprisoned in Nanjing after claiming to be the Hongguang Emperor's concubine; rumors of the emperor's sexual debauchery, his mistreatment of Madam Tong, and her death in prison further damaged the regime's reputation. These rumors (alongside fears that Li Zicheng would flee into Huguang) prompted Ming general Zuo Liangyu to march eastwards towards Nanjing on 19 April to "cleanse the surroundings of the ruler." Even though Qing forces under Dodo were by now entering Jiangnan, Ma Shiying considered Zuo's invasion to be a greater threat since the Qing were thought to be appeasable. Ma ordered several Ming commanders north of the Yangtze river to halt Zuo's invasion, weakening Shi Kefa's position. Shi and the rest of Yangzhou would be massacred in May 1645. Zuo's army (now led by his son) would surrender to Qing forces in May near Jiujiang.

Downfall and death Zhenjiang, a city ~20 miles east of Nanjing, fell to Qing forces on 1 June. The Hongguang Emperor fled to Wuhu on 3 June and Ma Shiying fled towards Hangzhou on 4 June after discovering the emperor's absence, bringing 400 soldiers and supposedly disguising his mother as the Empress Dowager. He was denied refuge by the Prince of Lu and the Prince of Tang and died shortly afterward.

There are multiple theories regarding Ma's death:

He was killed by Qing forces near Lake Tai. Legend says that his skin was peeled off and stuffed with grass.