 Ma became commander of the Gansu "6th Mixed Brigade" in 1916.During the Second Zhili–Fengtian War Ma Hongkui's army was reorganized into a branch of Feng Yuxiang's Guominjun forces; in 1926 Ma Hongkui was appointed as the commander of the Fourth Route Army of the Guominjun by Feng.He was also a member of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission.