Ma Ying assisted the emperor in founding the empire. She had a deep affection for the emperor. The emperor affectionately called her "sister", and they jointly governed the country. The two agreed that the affairs of the imperial court in the previous dynasty would be handled by the emperor, and the empress would manage the affairs of the imperial harem and the royal aristocracy. Empress Ma loved the people like her own children and advocated frugality. Even her phoenix plaque was made of a gilded wooden plate. However, she never expected that her own relatives would abuse power and break the law in her name. Out of consideration for the empress's feelings, the emperor turned a blind eye to it. Unable to tolerate this any longer, Empress Ma decided to return to her hometown to visit her relatives and deal with these corrupt officials.
