449:
proposing Xiao
Yuanming as emperor—and Xiao Yuanming apparently cooperated with Emperor Wenxuan in this attempt, as he wrote a letter to Wang as well. Wang initially wrote back to reject the offer. However, a few quick victories by Northern Qi escort forces, commanded by Emperor Wenxuan's brother Gao Huan (高渙) the Prince of Shangdang, made Wang fearful, and he wrote back, agreeing to support Xiao Yuanming as emperor—but extracting a promise from Xiao Yuanming to create Xiao Fangzhi crown prince. Wang also allowedly only 1,000 soldiers to accompany Xiao Yuanming south of the
358:), and Xiao Yuanming camped at Hanshan (寒山), in Pengcheng's vicinity, and built a dam over Si River (泗水) to use water to attack Pengcheng. Xiao Yuanming's lieutenant, the general Yang Kan (羊侃), quickly completed the dam, but when Yang advised Xiao Yuanming to attack Pengcheng, Xiao Yuanming hesitated. Because Xiao Yuanming could not come up with a coordinated strategy, the generals under him began to carry out their own actions, including pillaging the people in the region, and Xiao Yuanming was unable to stop them, save the units directly under his own command.
347:—to Liang. Emperor Wu accepted Hou's surrender and commissioned an army to aid Hou, to be commanded by Emperor Wu's grandson Xiao Huili (蕭會理) the Prince of Nankang. Xiao Yuanming requested to accompany Xiao Huili, and was made Xiao Huili's assistant. However, Xiao Huili was cowardly and arrogant, and he refused to meet his subordinate generals, even Xiao Yuanming. Xiao Yuanming secretly informed Emperor Wu of this, and Emperor Wu relieved Xiao Huili of his command and put Xiao Yuanming in command.
470:). With everyone believing that Chen's army movement was in response to report that Northern Qi was planning to attack, Jiankang's defense forces made no effort to resist, and Chen surprised Wang, killing him and seizing power. Two days after Wang's death, Xiao Yuanming abdicated and moved out of the palace, returning to his private residence. Chen made Xiao Fangzhi emperor (as Emperor Jing).
324:). The people were said to be so impressed by his governance that they made a stone monument commemorating his term of office. However, it became known later that the artisans who carved the monument were associated with and paid by Xiao Yuanming. Therefore, it became widely believed that he had encouraged the people to create the monument to praise himself.
386:), where Gao treated him with honor—intending to use Xiao Yuanming as a pawn in negotiations with Liang. Subsequently, Gao allowed Xiao Yuanming to write to Emperor Wu and offered to return Xiao Yuanming—causing Hou, who had by that point lost the 13 provinces but controlled Yu Province, to rebel in 548, capturing Jiankang in 549, taking Emperor Wu and his
453:. In summer 555, Xiao Yuanming arrived at Jiankang, and as he saw the main gate to the palace—Zhuque Gate (朱雀門), he cried bitterly, and the Liang officials also cried bitterly. He then took the throne. Pursuant to his promise, he created Xiao Fangzhi crown prince. Wang and Chen continued to be in command of the armed forces.
448:
At that time, however, Emperor
Wenxuan, who had previously made an unsuccessful attempt to establish Xiao Yuanming's cousin Xiao Tui (蕭退) as Liang's emperor in 553, decided to again try to establish a vassal regime in Liang. He wrote Wang, suggesting that Xiao Fangzhi was too young to be emperor and
481:
In light of the coup, Northern Qi launched a major attack on Liang in winter 555, aided by Liang generals loyal to Wang
Sengbian. The Northern Qi and Liang armies following Chen Baxian's orders stalemated for months. In summer 556, Northern Qi generals invited Xiao Yuanming to their camp for peace
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Late in 547, the
Eastern Wei forces commanded by Murong Shaozong (慕容紹宗) arrived, and instead of engaging the Eastern Wei forces quickly as Yang suggested, Xiao Yuanming became drunk with wine and allowed Murong's army to settle in. When the armies did engage, the Liang forces were initially
461:
Xiao
Yuanming's reign did not last long. In fall 555, Chen Baxian, displeased with Xiao Yuanming's ascension—which he had tried to persuade Wang Sengbian not to accept—made a surprise attack on Jiankang from his post at Jingkou (京口, in modern
362:
successful, but Murong's counterattack caused Liang forces to collapse, and Xiao
Yuanming was captured. However, the people of the region was impressed by his refusal to pillage them, and gave him the epithet "the righteous prince" (義王,
409:
seized the throne from
Emperor Xiaojing in 550 and established Northern Qi as its Emperor Wenxuan), although it was said that Xiao Yuanming cried bitterly when he heard about the fall of Jiankang. He was given the office of
285:, and of Xiao Yi's sons, five (perhaps all) are known to history. Xiao Yuanming was the youngest among these sons. As Xiao Yi was forced to commit suicide by Southern Qi's cruel emperor
478:
Emperor Jing formally made Xiao
Yuanming prime minister and created him the greater title of Duke of Jian'an, although there is no evidence that Xiao Yuanming yielded much actual power.
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negotiations, and Chen sent Xiao
Yuanming to the Northern Qi camp. However, before any negotiations could commence, Xiao Yuanming died from a severe infection on his back. In 558,
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Nothing is known about Xiao
Yuanming's career as an official until 547, when it was recorded that he was the governor of Yu Province (豫州, modern central
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under siege, and Xiao Baojuan was killed by his own generals. Later that year, Xiao Yan seized the throne from Xiao Baojuan's younger brother
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the Prince of Xiangdong defeated Hou and declared himself emperor (as Emperor Yuan), setting his capital at Jiangling (江陵, in modern
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forces captured Jiangling, capturing and then executing Emperor Yuan. In light of Emperor Yuan's death, his most important general
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formally received and rebuked him, and then released him, sending him to Gao Cheng's headquarters at Jinyang (晉陽, in modern
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following Chen's seizure of the throne from Emperor Jing earlier that year, honored Xiao Yuanming as Emperor Min—a
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to Jiankang, preparing to make him emperor, and in spring 555, Xiao Fangzhi took the title Prince of Liang.
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The Liang army, commanded by Xiao Yuanming, advanced on the Eastern Wei city Pengcheng (彭城, in modern
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It is not known when Xiao Yuanming was born. His father Xiao Yi (蕭懿) was a major general during late
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the Prince of Yongjia (Emperor Yuan's grandson), who was proclaimed Liang's emperor by the general
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killed Wang and removed Xiao Yuanming from the throne, replacing him with Emperor Yuan's son
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in November 500, Xiao Yuanming could not have been born any later than 501.
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hostages, and throwing Liang into a general state of confusion and unrest.
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to accept Xiao Yuanming as emperor. Soon, however, Wang's subordinate
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recognized by but rarely used by traditional historians.
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273:(Emperor Jing). Xiao Yuanming died the following year.
429:) rather than the war-devastated Jiankang, but in 554,
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339:, surrendered his domain—13 provinces between the
158:Tiānchéng (天成): July 1, 555 – November 1, 555
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222:(貞陽侯), at times known by his post-removal title
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1499:5 Dynasties & 10 Kingdoms
1116:History of Southern Dynasties
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263:Wang Sengbian
260:
256:
252:
248:
244:
243:Liang dynasty
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
214:
213:courtesy name
210:
209:Xiao Yuanming
201:
197:
194:
193:Liang Dynasty
191:
189:
185:
177:
168:
165:
161:
156:
151:
144:Yuānmíng (淵明)
141:
138:
134:
129:
126:
125:
122:
117:
113:
103:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
74:
71:
68:
67:Western Liang
64:
61:
58:
54:
51:
48:
44:
40:
36:
33:
29:
26:
20:
1487:N. Dynasties
1483:S. Dynasties
1364:
1163:
1126:
1114:
1103:
1098:
1087:naming taboo
1082:
1078:
1073:
1064:
1055:
1041:
1023:
644:Xiao Shunzhi
506:Xiao Zhang (
501:
480:
477:
460:
447:
443:Xiao Fangzhi
416:
411:
400:
388:crown prince
363:
360:
349:
341:Yellow River
327:In 547, the
326:
319:
291:
287:Xiao Baojuan
280:
271:Xiao Fangzhi
255:Emperor Yuan
227:
223:
219:
215:
208:
207:
73:Emperor Xuan
60:Emperor Jing
50:Emperor Yuan
1479:16 Kingdoms
1285:Southern Qi
809:Zhang Muzhi
786:Zhang Cihui
484:Xiao Zhuang
439:Chen Baxian
431:Western Wei
403:Northern Qi
329:Eastern Wei
283:Southern Qi
267:Chen Baxian
259:Northern Qi
251:Western Wei
232:Xiao Zhuang
228:Emperor Min
176:Xiao Zhuang
128:Family name
94:June 2, 556
46:Predecessor
1569:556 deaths
1548:Categories
1471:3 Kingdoms
1083:Bei Qi Shu
1015:References
524:Xiao Dao (
345:Huai River
277:Early life
247:Emperor Wu
140:Given name
104:Xiao Zhang
69:Emperor(s)
1398:Xiao Cong
1106:, vol.166
570:Xiao Fuzi
515:Xiao Yu (
464:Zhenjiang
391:Xiao Gang
374:), where
337:Gao Cheng
298:Xiangyang
230:(閔皇帝) by
119:Full name
56:Successor
1393:Xiao Kui
1388:Xiao Cha
1250:Liu Shao
1227:Liu Song
1215:Emperors
1131:, vols.
1048:vol. 166
544:Ancestry
488:Wang Lin
423:Jingzhou
407:Gao Yang
343:and the
333:Hou Jing
331:general
302:Jiankang
294:Xiao Yan
216:Jingtong
110:Xiao Dun
108:Xiao Dao
1350:Jianwen
1217:of the
1121:vol. 51
1079:Nan Shi
468:Jiangsu
419:Xiao Yi
380:Taiyuan
364:yi wang
356:Jiangsu
240:Chinese
238:of the
236:emperor
202:Xiao Yi
188:Dynasty
106:Xiao Yu
86:unknown
1511:W. Xia
1440:Houzhu
1255:Xiaowu
536:高唐王 蕭盾
502:Sons:
498:Family
384:Shanxi
368:Handan
352:Xuzhou
199:Father
1455:Shang
1333:Liang
457:Reign
427:Hubei
372:Hebei
322:Anhui
100:Issue
38:Reign
1527:Qing
1523:Ming
1519:Yuan
1507:Song
1503:Liao
1495:Tang
1459:Zhou
1435:Xuan
1412:Chen
1370:Jing
1360:Yuan
1313:Ming
1275:Shun
1265:Ming
1240:Shao
1170:555
172:lit.
133:Xiāo
91:Died
83:Born
1535:PRC
1531:ROC
1515:Jīn
1491:Sui
1475:Jìn
1467:Han
1463:Qin
1451:Xia
1430:Fei
1425:Wen
1365:Min
1293:Gao
1245:Wen
1141:166
1137:161
1133:160
135:(蕭)
25:梁閔帝
1550::
1533:/
1529:→
1525:→
1521:→
1517:→
1513:/
1509:/
1505:/
1501:→
1497:→
1493:→
1489:→
1485:/
1481:→
1477:/
1473:→
1469:→
1465:→
1461:→
1457:→
1453:→
1420:Wu
1345:Wu
1323:He
1298:Wu
1235:Wu
1139:,
1135:,
1119:,
1046:,
1032:^
527:蕭道
518:蕭遇
509:蕭章
466:,
425:,
382:,
370:,
354:,
257:,
142::
130::
1207:e
1200:t
1193:v
1143:.
1123:.
1093:.
1050:.
539:)
530:)
521:)
512:)
178:)
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