家世和早期仕途

馬植生年不詳，扶風人氏，其父為鳳州刺史，按《舊唐書》作馬曛，按《新唐書》及《舊唐書·嚴礪傳》《新唐書·嚴礪傳》作馬勛，和另兩位唐朝馬姓宰相馬燧、馬周沒有親戚關係。

馬植在唐憲宗元和十四年（819年）進士及第，又通過制策科考試，唐文宗太和二年（828年）閏三月考賢良方正能直言極諫科，及第為第四等，得除官，被任為壽州團練副使，又補為秘書省校書郎，三遷為饒州刺史。任上在城東北四里、北六里分別築造馬塘和土湖。

唐文宗年間

開成元年（836年）九月，遷安南都護、御史中丞、安南招討使。馬植不但會寫文，還擅長吏術。開成三年（838年），他上奏稱由當地部落首領受朝廷委任官職管治的武陸縣忠于朝廷，常獻良言，請求升級為州，以首領為刺史；文宗准奏。又請求給當管經略押衙兼都知兵馬使杜存誠官印。因馬植管治良好，九月，首領們羈縻州刺史首領麻光耀等都派子弟來當人質並納文牒、衣物。四年（839年）二月，馬植上奏武陸州管內六州界海北一個廢棄的產珍珠的池子也開始重新產珍珠了，這被視為上天的讚許。馬植因政績被用為檢校左散騎常侍，加中散大夫，五年（840年）十二月又徙黔中觀察使，赴任黔州並題名。

唐武宗年間

唐武宗會昌（841年—846年）中，馬植被召回長安拜為光祿卿，遷大理卿。但儘管馬植有譽望，卻不為宰相李德裕所重，故這兩個職位都沒有大權。馬植因此對李德裕生怨。

唐宣宗年間

六年（846年），唐武宗崩，叔唐宣宗繼位。唐宣宗厭惡李德裕專權，幾乎立刻就將其貶出京城，白敏中成為首相。宣宗大中元年（847年）二月，因發生了常被認為是神靈對重罰不悅之兆的旱災，宣宗命宰相盧商和御史中丞封敖複查長安獄中犯人的案子。盧商和封敖請求減免多人的死刑，但馬植反對，上表宣宗稱如此寬容會適得其反，招致神靈越發不悅。白敏中常提拔被李德裕薄待的人，因他從中作用，馬植的表文獲准，盧商遭貶。馬植以中散大夫、大理卿被加金紫光祿大夫，任為刑部侍郎、充諸道鹽鐵轉運等使。

九月，與李德裕素來不和的白敏中、令狐綯、崔鉉指使前永寧縣尉吳汝納告發先前會昌四年（844年）淮南節度使李紳殺其弟江都縣尉吳湘事，大理卿盧言、馬植、御史中丞魏扶說：「李紳殺無罪之人，李德裕促成其冤，還為此黜退御史（崔元藻），罔上不道。」于是李德裕被貶為崖州司戶參軍事。馬植又遷戶部侍郎。二年（848年）正月，馬植在鹽鐵轉運使任上被授同中書門下平章事，為實質宰相，進中書侍郎，兼禮部尚書。李商隱曾為湖南觀察使李回作《為湖南座主隴西公賀馬相公登庸啟》。馬植官至正議大夫、守中書侍郎、同平章事、集賢殿大學士、賜紫金魚袋。奏授西川記室楊收為渭南尉，充集賢校理，改監察御史，楊收說次兄楊假尚在侯府為從事，不忍此時做御史，馬植很讚賞，于是楊收重回西川，馬植改用楊收的弟弟楊嚴為渭南尉、集賢校理以代。馬植在宰相任上和宣宗信任的宦官神策軍左軍中尉馬元贄親近，結為同姓宗親。四年（850年），宣宗賜馬元贄通天犀帶，馬元贄送給馬植。四月，一次，馬植穿著寶帶上朝，宣宗認出，當即訊問之。馬植臉色變了，不敢隱瞞，宣宗不悅其與馬元贄親近，次日即罷其相位，改檢校禮部尚書、天平軍節度使。馬植被貶後，宣宗又逮捕訊問馬植親吏董侔，董侔供出更多馬植和馬元贄交往的細節，宣宗再貶馬植為常州刺史。五年（851年）白敏中罷相後，馬植亦被罷為太子賓客，分司東都洛陽。

九年（855年），又被起用為許州刺史、檢校刑部尚書、忠武軍節度觀察等使，闢進士柳璧為掌書記。十一年（857年）四月前，遷汴州刺史、宣武軍節度觀察等使，柳璧亦隨之，為管書記。當年八月前，馬植卒于任上。

曾任洺州刺史的劉軻有《與馬植書》。

軼聞

《東觀奏記》記載兩件事：

杜悰顯貴已久，門下有術士李（失名），杜悰待之厚。杜悰任西川節度使，正值馬植被罷免黔中觀察使赴闕，到西川，術士一見，對杜悰說：「受相公恩，久思報答，今有所報了！黔中馬中丞，不是常人，相公當厚遇之。」杜悰不信。術士一日密語杜悰說：「相公將有甚禍，非馬中丞不能救！」杜悰才驚信。于是以厚幣贈術士，令邸吏為馬植在長安買房，給其買齊了生活用品。馬植至闕，感激杜悰，卻不知杜悰這麼做的用意。不久馬植除光祿卿，消息傳到西川，杜悰對術士說：「貴人至闕，做光祿卿了！」術士說：「姑待之。」馬植又稍進大理卿，又遷刑部侍郎，充諸道鹽鐵使，杜悰開始驚憂；不久馬植拜相。杜悰岳母懿安皇太后崩後，突然有一天，有人彈劾杜悰行先前伏誅宰相元載故事。馬植得知後，次日在延英殿前對宣宗開解，他素來學識廣博，能使宣宗回心轉意，這事就作罷了。《唐語林》卷六也有類似記載。鬱賢皓《唐刺史考全編》引此認為馬植被召還約在會昌六年（846年）。但據《資治通鑑考異》，杜悰任西川節度使是在大中二年（848年）二月，其時馬植已回朝為官。未詳孰是。

侍御史馮緘與三院退朝入行台，路遇集賢校理楊收，楊收不讓路。時馮緘為朝長，將楊收的僕人拉到行台中笞責。時馬植為集賢大學士，奏稱：「唐玄宗開元年間，幸麗正殿賜酒，大學士張說、學士副知院事徐堅以下十八人，不知誰該先舉酒。張說說：『學士以德行相先，不是員吏。』于是十八尊爵一齊舉。今馮緘笞責楊收僕人，如同笞責我馬植的僕隸一般，乞求罷黜他！」御史中丞令狐綯又引故事論救之，于是宣宗一併赦免馮緘、楊收，並從此下令：三館學士不需要避讓行台大臣。

作品

唐順宗謚冊文

評價

• 礪波護認為馬植是牛黨。

子孫

• 馬鬱

　• 馬儔，字後已

注釋及參考文獻

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 (校書郎), a copyeditor at the Palace Library, and yet later served as the prefect of Rao Prefecture (饒州, in modern Shangrao, Jiangxi).

During Emperor Wenzongs 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 (武陸) — 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 Wuzongs 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 (大理卿), 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 Xuānzongs 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 Bai Minzhong became the leading chancellor. In 847, during a drought, which were often viewed as signs of divine displeasure over overly severe punishment, Emperor Xuānzong had the chancellor Lu Shang and the deputy chief imperial censor Feng Ao (封敖) review the cases of the prisoners held at Chang'an. Lu and Feng apparently advocated for commutation of many death sentences. Ma objected and submitted a petition to Emperor Xuānzong arguing that that leniency would have the opposite effect of drawing further divine displeasure. It was said that because of efforts by Bai, who often promoted those people he felt slighted by Li Deyu, Ma's petition was accepted, and Lu was subsequently demoted. Ma was then made the deputy minister of justice (刑部侍郎, Xingbu Shilang) as well the director of the salt and iron monopolies.

In 848, Ma was made a chancellor de facto with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi. While serving as chancellor, Ma and Emperor Xuānzong's trusted eunuch Ma Yuanzhi, one of the two commanders of the Shence Armies, became close associates, as Ma Zhi endeared himself to Ma Yuanzhi based on their common surname. On one occasion in 850, Emperor Xuānzong gave Ma Yuanzhi a jewel-studded belt as an award, and Ma Yuanzhi in turn gave it to Ma Zhi. When Ma Zhi wore it to an imperial meeting, Emperor Xuānzong recognized it and immediately interrogated Ma Zhi about it. Ma Zhi did not dare to lie to the emperor, and Emperor Xuānzong, after learning what happened, was displeased about Ma Zhi's close association with Ma Yuanzhi. The next day, Emperor Xuānzong removed Ma Zhi from his chancellor post and made him the military governor (Jiedushi) of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong). After Ma's demotion, Emperor Xuānzong further had his assistant Dong Mou (董侔) detained and interrogated. When Dong gave more details about the close association between Ma Zhi and Ma Yuanzhi, Emperor Xuānzong further demoted Ma Zhi to be the prefect of Chang Prefecture (常州, in modern Changzhou, Jiangsu).

Ma Zhi was later made an advisor to the Crown Prince, with his office at the eastern capital Luoyang. Several years later, he was made the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang, Henan) and the prefect of its capital Xu Prefecture (許州). Toward the end of Emperor Xuānzong's Dazhong era (847-860), he was made the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) and the prefect of its capital Bian Prefecture (汴州), and he died while serving there.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 176.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 184.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 248, 249.