Ma Di was born into a family of nobles in Yicheng, Xiangyang. His father Ma Mi died young, and his elder brother Ma Liang shouldered the responsibility of raising his younger brother. The young Ma Su was extremely intelligent, but he was not interested in the classics and history. Instead, he was obsessed with military books and strategies. Late at night, Ma Di was studying "Sun Tzu's Art of War" under an oil lamp. When his brother discovered it, he was scolded, but he argued: "The world is in chaos, and only the art of war can bring peace to the world." This hinted at his future life trajectory.
