Emperor Ming of Western Liang
Encyclopedia
Emperor Ming of Western Liang ((西)梁明帝) (542–585), personal name Xiao Kui (蕭巋), courtesy name Renyuan (仁遠), was a (disputed) emperor
of the Chinese
Liang Dynasty
. As he, his father Emperor Xuan
, and his son Emperor Jing
controlled little territory and relied heavily on military support from Northern Zhou
and Northern Zhou's successor state Sui Dynasty
, most traditional historians did not consider them true emperors of Liang.
. His father was Emperor Wu's grandson Xiao Cha
the Prince of Yueyang, and his mother was Xiao Cha's concubine Lady Cao. Xiao Kui's grandfather Xiao Tong
had been Emperor Wu's crown prince
, but the succession was diverted away from Xiao Tong's line after Xiao Tong's death in 530—to Xiao Tong's younger brother Xiao Gang
. Xiao Kui's father Xiao Cha was displeased about this development, and so prepared to contend for the throne eventually. After Liang was thrown into a state of confusion after the rebel general Hou Jing
captured the capital Jiankang
in 549, holding Emperor Wu and later Xiao Gang (Emperor Jianwen) as hostages, Xiao Cha feared that his uncle Xiao Yi
, who appeared intent on eliminating actual or potential competitors for the throne, and so surrendered his realm of Yong Province (雍州, modern northwestern Hubei
) to Western Wei
, seeking Western Wei's protection. Xiao Yi claimed the throne in 552 after defeating Hou, but was himself defeated by Western Wei forces in 554 and executed in 555.
Western Wei declared Xiao Cha the Emperor of Liang (as Emperor Xuan), as a vassal of Western Wei. As Xiao Kui's older brother and Emperor Xuan's original heir apparent
Xiao Liao (蕭嶚) had died earlier, Emperor Xuan created Xiao Kui crown prince
. Emperor Xuan was, however, never able to gain much support among Liang's provinces and was only able to hold a small amount of territory around his capital Jiangling (江陵, in modern Jingzhou
, Hubei
). He relied on the support of Western Wei and its successor state Northern Zhou
, and in turn had his authorities severely curtailed by the commandant of Jiangling that Western Wei/Northern Zhou stationed at Jiangling to defend him as well as to watch over him. He was said to die from his depression in 562, and Xiao Kui inherited the throne (as Emperor Ming), continuing to be a vassal of Northern Zhou.
as grand empress dowager, his father Emperor Xuan's wife Empress Wang
as empress dowager
, and his mother Consort Cao as consort dowager. (Grand Empress Dowager Gong and Consort Dowager Cao both died in 562, and Empress Dowager Wang died in 563.) For reasons unclear in historical records, Emperor Ming was not recorded as having created an empress, and while at some point during his reign he created his son Xiao Cong
crown prince, it is not known when that occurred. He was said to be a learned ruler, writing some 14 different works on filial piety as well as on fortunetelling, but as his fortunetelling works suggested, he was also said to be highly superstitious. He was said to be filially pious and kind, and was also a capable administrator, being able to allow his war-weary subjects to rest and recover.
After Emperor Wen of Chen
died in 566 and was succeeded by his young son Emperor Fei of Chen
, the Chen Dynasty
high level officials became locked in a power struggle, and in 567 Emperor Fei's uncle Chen Xu
the Prince of Ancheng killed Liu Shizhi (劉師之) and Dao Zhongju (到仲舉) and took over power. The general Hua Jiao (華皎), the governor of Xiang Province (湘州, roughly modern Changsha, Hunan
), apprehensive about Chen Xu's intentions toward him, secretly submitted to Liang and Northern Zhou, seeking aid from both. Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou
and his regent
Yuwen Hu
commissioned Emperor Wu's brother Yuwen Zhi (宇文直) the Prince of Wei with an army, and Emperor Ming also gathered his own troops, commanded by his general Wang Cao (王操), to aid Hua. However, when their forces, along with Hua's, encountered the Chen forces, commanded by the generals Chunyu Liang (淳于量) and Wu Mingche
at Dunkou (沌口, in modern Wuhan
, Hubei
), they were defeated by Chen forces, and both Hua and Yuwen Zhi were forced to flee to Jiangling. The Northern Zhou general Yuan Ding (元定) and the Liang general Li Guang (李廣) were captured. Wu took this opportunity to seize Liang's Hedong Commandery (河東, in modern Jingzhou) as well. Yuwen Zhi blamed the defeat on the Liang general Yin Liang (殷亮), and Emperor Ming, while knowing that Yin was not at fault, was unwilling to oppose Yuwen Zhi, and so executed Yin.
In spring 568, Wu put Jiangling under siege and redirected the waters to try to flood it. Emperor Ming, escorted by the Northern Zhou commandant Tian Hong (田弘), fled to the nearby fort of Ji'nan (紀南). The vice commandant Gao Lin (高琳) and Wang remained at Jiangling and defended it for over 100 days, until the Liang generals Ma Wu (馬武) and Ji Che (吉徹) counterattacked and defeated Wu, forcing him to withdraw and allowing Emperor Ming to return to Jiangling.
in fall 570, the Liang general Zhang Zhaoda (章昭達) put Jiangling under siege, while capturing the Northern Zhou-built fort of Anshu (安蜀, near the Three Gorges). Jiangling nearly fell, and only after Yuwen Zhi sent aid via forces commanded by Li Qianzhe (李遷哲) to relieve the city did Zhang withdraw.
In 571, Hua, who had served as an official under Emperor Ming since his defeat in 567, went instead to the Northern Zhou capital Chang'an
. On the way, he met Yuwen Zhi at Yuwen Zhi's defense post of Xiangyang (襄陽, in modern Xiangfan
, Hubei
). He pointed out to Yuwen Zhi that Liang had lost so much territory that it was poor and unable to fend for itself, advocating that it would be sound policy for Northern Zhou to loan several provinces to Liang. Yuwen Zhi agreed and submitted the proposal to Emperor Wu; in response, Emperor Wu gave three provinces—Ji (基州), Ping (平州), and Ruo (鄀州) (together making up about modern Jingmen
and Yichang
, Hubei
) to Liang.
In 577, after Northern Zhou's Emperor Wu conquered Northern Qi
and seized its territory, Emperor Ming went to greet Emperor Wu at Northern Qi's former capital Yecheng
. Initially, while Emperor Wu treated Emperor Ming with ceremonial respect, he did not consider Emperor Ming as an important vassal. Emperor Ming sensed this, and, at a feast, discussed how Emperor Ming's father Emperor Xuan owed much to Emperor Wu's father, Western Wei's paramount general Yuwen Tai
, and in doing so was so emotional that he wept bitterly. Emperor Wu was impressed, and treated him with greater respect. Emperor Ming also spent much effort to flatter Emperor Wu—including comparing him to the mythical emperors Emperor Yao
and Shun. Emperor Wu was flattered, and rewarded Emperor Ming with much treasure, as well as some of the Northern Qi emperor Gao Wei
's concubines.
In 578, Northern Zhou's Emperor Wu died and was succeeded by his erratic and cruel son Emperor Xuan
. In 580, Emperor Xuan died as well, and Emperor Xuan's father-in-law Yang Jian
seized power as regent
over Emperor Xuan's young son Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou
. The Northern Zhou general Weichi Jiong, suspicious of Yang's intentions, rose at Yecheng against Yang. Most Liang generals advised Emperor Ming to align himself with Weichi—reasoning that if Weichi were successful, he would be rewarded with being loyal to the imperial Yuwen clan, while if Weichi were not successful, he could nevertheless take this opportunity to seize some territory. However, when Emperor Ming sent the official Liu Zhuang (柳莊) to Chang'an to observe the situation, Yang, citing that he had previously been a guest of Emperor Ming while he was stationed as a general at Jiangling (although historical records do not indicate when he was there), begged Liang's loyalty. Liu, believing that Weichi would not succeed, returned to Jiangling and advised Emperor Ming to side with Yang. Emperor Ming agreed, and subsequently, when Yang defeated Weichi, commented to Liu, "If I had listened to the others, the empire would have been destroyed."
as its Emperor Wen. Soon thereafter, Emperor Ming sent his brother Xiao Yan (蕭巖) the Prince of Anping to Chang'an to congratulate Emperor Wen and to pledge loyalty.
In 582, Emperor Wen, to further honor Emperor Ming, offered to take one of his daughters as the wife to Emperor Wen's favored son Yang Guang
the Prince of Jin. Emperor Ming, after trying to divine the fortunes, determined that all of his daughters were inappropriate choices—but then remembered that he had a daughter, who was born in the second month of the year and thus, by superstitions of the time, considered ill fortune and therefore was raised by her maternal uncle Zhang Ke (張軻). He summoned her back to the palace, and the diviners indicated that she would be a fit, and therefore she was married to Yang Guang. (Emperor Wen also wanted to give his own daughter Princess Lanling to Emperor Ming's son Xiao Yang (蕭瑒) the Prince of Yi'an, but for reasons unclear ultimately did not do so.) Because of this marital relationship, Emperor Wen decided to withdraw the Commandant of Jiangling from Jiangling. Thereafter, for a brief duration, Emperor Ming was able to rule his state with decreased interference from Sui. In 583, when Sui moved its capital from the old city of Chang'an to a nearby, newly constructed capital Daxing (大興), Emperor Ming sent his crown prince Xiao Cong to congratulate Emperor Wen. In spring 584, Emperor Ming himself went to the new capital to pay homage to Emperor Wen, and both of them dressed in imperial garbs, although Emperor Ming dressed slightly less impressively to show his status as a vassal.
In summer 585, Emperor Ming died. Xiao Cong succeeded him (as Emperor Jing).
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
of the Chinese
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
Liang Dynasty
Liang Dynasty
The Liang Dynasty , also known as the Southern Liang Dynasty , was the third of the Southern dynasties in China and was followed by the Chen Dynasty...
. As he, his father Emperor Xuan
Emperor Xuan of Western Liang
Emperor Xuan of Liang , personal name Xiao Cha , courtesy name Lisun , was a emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
, and his son Emperor Jing
Emperor Jing of Western Liang
Emperor Jing of Western Liang , personal name Xiao Cong , courtesy name Wenwen , known during Sui Dynasty as the Duke of Ju then Duke of Liang , was the final emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
controlled little territory and relied heavily on military support from Northern Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
and Northern Zhou's successor state Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
, most traditional historians did not consider them true emperors of Liang.
Background
Xiao Kui was born in 542, during the reign of his great-grandfather Emperor Wu of LiangEmperor Wu of Liang
Emperor Wu of Liang , personal name Xiao Yan , courtesy name Shuda , nickname Lian'er , was the founding emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
. His father was Emperor Wu's grandson Xiao Cha
Emperor Xuan of Western Liang
Emperor Xuan of Liang , personal name Xiao Cha , courtesy name Lisun , was a emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
the Prince of Yueyang, and his mother was Xiao Cha's concubine Lady Cao. Xiao Kui's grandfather Xiao Tong
Xiao Tong
Xiao Tong , courtesy name Deshi , formally Crown Prince Zhaoming , later further posthumously honored as Emperor Zhaoming , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Liang Dynasty...
had been Emperor Wu's crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
, but the succession was diverted away from Xiao Tong's line after Xiao Tong's death in 530—to Xiao Tong's younger brother Xiao Gang
Emperor Jianwen of Liang
Emperor Jianwen of Liang , personal name Xiao Gang , courtesy name Shizuan , nickname Liutong , was an emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty. He was initially not the crown prince of his father Emperor Wu, the founder of the dynasty, but became the crown prince in 531 after his older brother Xiao...
. Xiao Kui's father Xiao Cha was displeased about this development, and so prepared to contend for the throne eventually. After Liang was thrown into a state of confusion after the rebel general Hou Jing
Hou Jing
Hou Jing , courtesy name Wanjing , was a general for the Chinese states Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, and Liang Dynasty, and briefly, after controlling the Liang imperial regime for several years, usurped the Liang throne, establishing a state of Han...
captured the capital Jiankang
Jiankang
Jiankang was the capital city of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Southern Dynasties. Its walls are extant ruins in the modern municipal region of Nanjing.-History:...
in 549, holding Emperor Wu and later Xiao Gang (Emperor Jianwen) as hostages, Xiao Cha feared that his uncle Xiao Yi
Emperor Yuan of Liang
Emperor Yuan of Liang , personal name Xiao Yi , courtesy name Shicheng , nickname Qifu , was an emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
, who appeared intent on eliminating actual or potential competitors for the throne, and so surrendered his realm of Yong Province (雍州, modern northwestern Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
) to Western Wei
Western Wei
The Western Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556.After the Xianbei general Yuwen Tai killed the Northern Wei emperor Yuan Xiu, he installed Yuan Baoju as emperor of Western Wei while Yuwen Tai would remain as the virtual ruler...
, seeking Western Wei's protection. Xiao Yi claimed the throne in 552 after defeating Hou, but was himself defeated by Western Wei forces in 554 and executed in 555.
Western Wei declared Xiao Cha the Emperor of Liang (as Emperor Xuan), as a vassal of Western Wei. As Xiao Kui's older brother and Emperor Xuan's original heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
Xiao Liao (蕭嶚) had died earlier, Emperor Xuan created Xiao Kui crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
. Emperor Xuan was, however, never able to gain much support among Liang's provinces and was only able to hold a small amount of territory around his capital Jiangling (江陵, in modern Jingzhou
Jingzhou
Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.Its population is 5,691,707 at the 2010 census whom 1,154,086 in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.-Geography:Jingzhou occupies an area of...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
). He relied on the support of Western Wei and its successor state Northern Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
, and in turn had his authorities severely curtailed by the commandant of Jiangling that Western Wei/Northern Zhou stationed at Jiangling to defend him as well as to watch over him. He was said to die from his depression in 562, and Xiao Kui inherited the throne (as Emperor Ming), continuing to be a vassal of Northern Zhou.
During Northern Zhou
Emperor Ming honored his grandmother Empress Dowager GongEmpress Dowager Gong
Empress Dowager Gong , formally Empress Dowager Yuan was a empress dowager of the Chinese dynasty Liang Dynasty...
as grand empress dowager, his father Emperor Xuan's wife Empress Wang
Empress Wang (Xiao Cha)
Empress Wang , formally Empress Jing , was a empress of the Chinese dynasty Liang Dynasty...
as empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
, and his mother Consort Cao as consort dowager. (Grand Empress Dowager Gong and Consort Dowager Cao both died in 562, and Empress Dowager Wang died in 563.) For reasons unclear in historical records, Emperor Ming was not recorded as having created an empress, and while at some point during his reign he created his son Xiao Cong
Emperor Jing of Western Liang
Emperor Jing of Western Liang , personal name Xiao Cong , courtesy name Wenwen , known during Sui Dynasty as the Duke of Ju then Duke of Liang , was the final emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
crown prince, it is not known when that occurred. He was said to be a learned ruler, writing some 14 different works on filial piety as well as on fortunetelling, but as his fortunetelling works suggested, he was also said to be highly superstitious. He was said to be filially pious and kind, and was also a capable administrator, being able to allow his war-weary subjects to rest and recover.
After Emperor Wen of Chen
Emperor Wen of Chen
Emperor Wen of Chen , personal name Chen Qian , courtesy name Zihua , was an emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He was the nephew of the founding emperor, Emperor Wu , and after Emperor Wu's death in 559, the officials supported him to be emperor since Emperor Wu's only surviving son, Chen...
died in 566 and was succeeded by his young son Emperor Fei of Chen
Emperor Fei of Chen
Emperor Fei of Chen , personal name Chen Bozong , courtesy name Fengye , nickname Yaowang , also known by his post-removal title of Prince of Linhai , was an emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty...
, the Chen Dynasty
Chen Dynasty
The Chen Dynasty , also known as the Southern Chen Dynasty, was the fourth and last of the Southern dynasties in China, eventually destroyed by the Sui Dynasty....
high level officials became locked in a power struggle, and in 567 Emperor Fei's uncle Chen Xu
Emperor Xuan of Chen
Emperor Xuan of Chen , personal name Chen Xu , courtesy name Shaoshi , nickname Shili , was an emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He seized the throne from his nephew Emperor Fei in 569 and subsequently ruled the state for 13 years...
the Prince of Ancheng killed Liu Shizhi (劉師之) and Dao Zhongju (到仲舉) and took over power. The general Hua Jiao (華皎), the governor of Xiang Province (湘州, roughly modern Changsha, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
), apprehensive about Chen Xu's intentions toward him, secretly submitted to Liang and Northern Zhou, seeking aid from both. Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou
Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou
Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou , personal name Yuwen Yong , nickname Miluotu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. As was the case of the reigns of his brothers Emperor Xiaomin and Emperor Ming, the early part of his reign was dominated by his cousin Yuwen Hu, but in 572 he...
and his regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
Yuwen Hu
Yuwen Hu
Yuwen Hu , with Chinese title Sabao , formally Duke Dang of Jin , was a regent of the Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou in China...
commissioned Emperor Wu's brother Yuwen Zhi (宇文直) the Prince of Wei with an army, and Emperor Ming also gathered his own troops, commanded by his general Wang Cao (王操), to aid Hua. However, when their forces, along with Hua's, encountered the Chen forces, commanded by the generals Chunyu Liang (淳于量) and Wu Mingche
Wu Mingche
Wu Mingche , courtesy name Tongzhao , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Chen Dynasty. He first served under the dynasty's founder Emperor Wu, but became the most prominent general of the state during the reign of Emperor Wu's nephew Emperor Xuan, successfully commanding the Chen army in...
at Dunkou (沌口, in modern Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
), they were defeated by Chen forces, and both Hua and Yuwen Zhi were forced to flee to Jiangling. The Northern Zhou general Yuan Ding (元定) and the Liang general Li Guang (李廣) were captured. Wu took this opportunity to seize Liang's Hedong Commandery (河東, in modern Jingzhou) as well. Yuwen Zhi blamed the defeat on the Liang general Yin Liang (殷亮), and Emperor Ming, while knowing that Yin was not at fault, was unwilling to oppose Yuwen Zhi, and so executed Yin.
In spring 568, Wu put Jiangling under siege and redirected the waters to try to flood it. Emperor Ming, escorted by the Northern Zhou commandant Tian Hong (田弘), fled to the nearby fort of Ji'nan (紀南). The vice commandant Gao Lin (高琳) and Wang remained at Jiangling and defended it for over 100 days, until the Liang generals Ma Wu (馬武) and Ji Che (吉徹) counterattacked and defeated Wu, forcing him to withdraw and allowing Emperor Ming to return to Jiangling.
in fall 570, the Liang general Zhang Zhaoda (章昭達) put Jiangling under siege, while capturing the Northern Zhou-built fort of Anshu (安蜀, near the Three Gorges). Jiangling nearly fell, and only after Yuwen Zhi sent aid via forces commanded by Li Qianzhe (李遷哲) to relieve the city did Zhang withdraw.
In 571, Hua, who had served as an official under Emperor Ming since his defeat in 567, went instead to the Northern Zhou capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
. On the way, he met Yuwen Zhi at Yuwen Zhi's defense post of Xiangyang (襄陽, in modern Xiangfan
Xiangfan
Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province of the People's Republic of China. It was formed from two famous ancient cities, Xiangyang and Fancheng...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
). He pointed out to Yuwen Zhi that Liang had lost so much territory that it was poor and unable to fend for itself, advocating that it would be sound policy for Northern Zhou to loan several provinces to Liang. Yuwen Zhi agreed and submitted the proposal to Emperor Wu; in response, Emperor Wu gave three provinces—Ji (基州), Ping (平州), and Ruo (鄀州) (together making up about modern Jingmen
Jingmen
Jingmen is a prefecture-level city in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. Jingmen is within an area where cotton and oil crops are planted. The population of the city is approximately 2,984,000 . The urban area of Jingmen City has a population of about 350,000...
and Yichang
Yichang
Yichang is a prefecture-level city located in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. It is the second largest city in Hubei province after the province capital, Wuhan. The Three Gorges Dam is located within its administrative area, in Yiling District.-History:In ancient times Yichang...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
) to Liang.
In 577, after Northern Zhou's Emperor Wu conquered Northern Qi
Northern Qi
The Northern Qi Dynasty was one of the Northern dynasties of Chinese history and ruled northern China from 550 to 577.-History:The Chinese state of Northern Qi was the successor state of the Chinese/Xianbei state of Eastern Wei and was founded by Emperor Wenxuan...
and seized its territory, Emperor Ming went to greet Emperor Wu at Northern Qi's former capital Yecheng
Ye, China
Ye or Yecheng was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County, Henan....
. Initially, while Emperor Wu treated Emperor Ming with ceremonial respect, he did not consider Emperor Ming as an important vassal. Emperor Ming sensed this, and, at a feast, discussed how Emperor Ming's father Emperor Xuan owed much to Emperor Wu's father, Western Wei's paramount general Yuwen Tai
Yuwen Tai
Yuwen Tai , nickname Heita , formally Duke Wen of Anding , later further posthumously honored by Northern Zhou initially as Prince Wen then as Emperor Wen with the temple name Taizu , was the paramount general of the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Wei, a branch successor state of Northern Wei...
, and in doing so was so emotional that he wept bitterly. Emperor Wu was impressed, and treated him with greater respect. Emperor Ming also spent much effort to flatter Emperor Wu—including comparing him to the mythical emperors Emperor Yao
Yao (ruler)
Yao , was a legendary Chinese ruler, one of the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors. His ancestral name （姓）is Yi Qi （伊祁） or Qi（祁）,clan name （氏）is Taotang , given name is Fangxun , as the second son to Emperor Ku and Qingdu...
and Shun. Emperor Wu was flattered, and rewarded Emperor Ming with much treasure, as well as some of the Northern Qi emperor Gao Wei
Gao Wei
Gao Wei , often known in history as Houzhu of Northern Qi , courtesy name Rengang , sometimes referred to by his later Northern Zhou-created title of Duke of Wen , was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi...
's concubines.
In 578, Northern Zhou's Emperor Wu died and was succeeded by his erratic and cruel son Emperor Xuan
Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou
Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou , personal name Yuwen Yun , courtesy name Qianbo , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. He was known in history as an erratic and wasteful ruler, whose actions greatly weakened the Northern Zhou regime...
. In 580, Emperor Xuan died as well, and Emperor Xuan's father-in-law Yang Jian
Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
seized power as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
over Emperor Xuan's young son Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou
Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou
Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou , personally name né Yuwen Yan , later Yuwen Chan , was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. He became emperor at the age of six, after his father Emperor Xuan formally passed the throne to him, but Emperor Xuan retained the imperial powers...
. The Northern Zhou general Weichi Jiong, suspicious of Yang's intentions, rose at Yecheng against Yang. Most Liang generals advised Emperor Ming to align himself with Weichi—reasoning that if Weichi were successful, he would be rewarded with being loyal to the imperial Yuwen clan, while if Weichi were not successful, he could nevertheless take this opportunity to seize some territory. However, when Emperor Ming sent the official Liu Zhuang (柳莊) to Chang'an to observe the situation, Yang, citing that he had previously been a guest of Emperor Ming while he was stationed as a general at Jiangling (although historical records do not indicate when he was there), begged Liang's loyalty. Liu, believing that Weichi would not succeed, returned to Jiangling and advised Emperor Ming to side with Yang. Emperor Ming agreed, and subsequently, when Yang defeated Weichi, commented to Liu, "If I had listened to the others, the empire would have been destroyed."
During Sui Dynasty
In spring 581, Yang Jian had Emperor Jing yield the throne to him, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui DynastySui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
as its Emperor Wen. Soon thereafter, Emperor Ming sent his brother Xiao Yan (蕭巖) the Prince of Anping to Chang'an to congratulate Emperor Wen and to pledge loyalty.
In 582, Emperor Wen, to further honor Emperor Ming, offered to take one of his daughters as the wife to Emperor Wen's favored son Yang Guang
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
the Prince of Jin. Emperor Ming, after trying to divine the fortunes, determined that all of his daughters were inappropriate choices—but then remembered that he had a daughter, who was born in the second month of the year and thus, by superstitions of the time, considered ill fortune and therefore was raised by her maternal uncle Zhang Ke (張軻). He summoned her back to the palace, and the diviners indicated that she would be a fit, and therefore she was married to Yang Guang. (Emperor Wen also wanted to give his own daughter Princess Lanling to Emperor Ming's son Xiao Yang (蕭瑒) the Prince of Yi'an, but for reasons unclear ultimately did not do so.) Because of this marital relationship, Emperor Wen decided to withdraw the Commandant of Jiangling from Jiangling. Thereafter, for a brief duration, Emperor Ming was able to rule his state with decreased interference from Sui. In 583, when Sui moved its capital from the old city of Chang'an to a nearby, newly constructed capital Daxing (大興), Emperor Ming sent his crown prince Xiao Cong to congratulate Emperor Wen. In spring 584, Emperor Ming himself went to the new capital to pay homage to Emperor Wen, and both of them dressed in imperial garbs, although Emperor Ming dressed slightly less impressively to show his status as a vassal.
In summer 585, Emperor Ming died. Xiao Cong succeeded him (as Emperor Jing).
Personal information
- Father
- Emperor Xuan of Western LiangEmperor Xuan of Western LiangEmperor Xuan of Liang , personal name Xiao Cha , courtesy name Lisun , was a emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
- Emperor Xuan of Western Liang
- Mother
- Consort CaoConsort Dowager CaoConsort Dowager Cao was an imperial consort of the Chinese dynasty Liang Dynasty. She was a concubine of Emperor Xuan, and she was the mother of his son and crown prince Xiao Kui....
, Emperor Xuan's concubine
- Consort Cao
- Wife?/Concubine?
- Lady Zhang, mother of Sui's Empress Xiao
- Children
- Xiao Cong (蕭琮), initially the Prince of Dongyang, later the Crown Prince, later Emperor Jing of Western LiangEmperor Jing of Western LiangEmperor Jing of Western Liang , personal name Xiao Cong , courtesy name Wenwen , known during Sui Dynasty as the Duke of Ju then Duke of Liang , was the final emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
- Xiao Huan (蕭瓛) (b. 569), the Prince of Yixing (executed by Sui DynastySui DynastyThe Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
589) - Xiao Zhuan (蕭瑑), the Prince of Jinlin
- Xiao Jing (蕭璟), the Prince of Linhai, later Sui DynastySui DynastyThe Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
and Tang DynastyTang DynastyThe Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
official, Duke of Lanling during Tang - Xiao Xun (蕭珣), the Prince of Nanhai
- Xiao Yang (蕭瑒), the Prince of Yi'an, later Sui DynastySui DynastyThe Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
official and Marquess of Taoqiu - Xiao YuXiao YuXiao Yu , courtesy name Shiwen , formally Duke Zhenbian of Song , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Liang Dynasty who later became an official for Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor at times during the reigns of Emperor Gaozu of Tang and Emperor Taizong of Tang.-...
(蕭瑀), the Prince of Xin'an, later Sui DynastySui DynastyThe Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
and Tang DynastyTang DynastyThe Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
official, Duke of Song during Tang - Empress XiaoEmpress Xiao (Yang)Empress Xiao , formally Empress Min , was an empress of the Chinese Sui Dynasty...
, empress of Emperor Yang of SuiEmperor Yang of SuiEmperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
- Xiao Cong (蕭琮), initially the Prince of Dongyang, later the Crown Prince, later Emperor Jing of Western Liang