Liang Di
Family name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... :	Xiao (蕭, xiāo)
Given name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... :	Xian (銑, xiǎn)
Posthumous name Posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life... :	None

Xiao Xian (蕭銑) (583–621) was a descendant of the imperial house 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...

 dynasty 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...

, who rose against the rule of 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....

 toward the end of the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui

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...

. He tried to revive Liang, and for several years appeared to be successful in doing so, as he, with his capital at Jiangling, ruled over a state that included most of modern 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...

, 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...

, Guangxi

Guangxi

Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...

, and northern Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

. In 621, however, under an attack by the Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

The 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...

 general Li Xiaogong

Li Xiaogong

Li Xiaogong , formally Prince Yuan of Hejian , often referred to by his earlier title as Prince of Zhao Commandery , was an imperial prince and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...

, he, not realizing that relief forces were approaching Jiangling, surrendered. He was subsequently taken to the Tang 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...

, where Emperor Gaozu of Tang

Emperor Gaozu of Tang

Emperor Gāozǔ of Táng , born Lǐ Yuān , courtesy name Shūdé , was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.In 615, Li Yuan was assigned...

 executed him.

Background

Xiao Xian was a great-grandson of Emperor Xuan of Western Liang

Emperor Xuan of Western Liang

Emperor Xuan of Liang , personal name Xiao Cha , courtesy name Lisun , was a emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...

 -- a vassal of 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...

 and 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...

 who claimed Liang imperial title under the support from those states with his capital at Jiangling, and whose throne passed for two more generations, to 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...

 (Xiao Cong), until it was abolished by Emperor Wen of Sui

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...

 in 587. That year, Xiao Xian's grandfather and Emperor Jing's uncle Xiao Yan (蕭巖) the Prince of Anping and Emperor Jing's brother Xiao Huan (蕭瓛) the Prince of Yixing, believing that the Sui general Cui Hongdu (崔弘度) was about to launch a surprise attack on Jiangling with Emperor Jing away at the Sui 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...

 to pay homage to Emperor Wen, surrendered to 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....

 with the people of Jiangling, an act that directly led to Emperor Wen's decision to abolish Western Liang notwithstanding Emperor Jing's submissiveness. In 589, after Emperor Wen conquered Chen, he largely spared Chen officials, but as he bore a grudge against Xiao Yan and Xiao Huan for rebelling against him, he had them executed even after they surrendered.

As a result of Xiao Yan's death by execution, his family, unlike the rest of the Xiaos, was not well-treated by Sui authorities, and Xiao Xian himself was poor in his youth, supporting himself and his mother by serving as a scribe. He was known for being filially pious to his mother. During the reign of Emperor Yang

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...

, because Emperor Yang's wife Empress Xiao

Empress Xiao (Yang)

Empress Xiao , formally Empress Min , was an empress of the Chinese Sui Dynasty...

 was a sister of Emperor Jing's, her relatives were generally given governmental offices, and Xiao Xian was made the county magistrate of Luochuan (羅川, in modern Yueyang

Yueyang

Yueyang is a prefecture-level city at the northeastern corner of Hunan province, South Central China, on the southern shores of Dongting Lake.The Yueyang metropolitan area occupies 14,896 km². and the city proper occupies 304 km²...

, 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...

).

Initial uprising

In 617, several military officers at Baling Commandery (巴陵, roughly modern Yueyang) considered rising against Sui rule. They initially wanted to support one of their own, Dong Jingzhen (董景珍) as leader, but Dong pointed out that he was of a humble lineage and would not be respected by others, but that Xiao Xian was of imperial heritage and would be supported. They therefore sent messengers to Luochuan to report this to Xiao, who then gathered several thousand men. At the same time, the agrarian rebel leader Shen Liusheng (沈柳生) was attacking Luochuan, and Xiao initially could not repel him. However, when Xiao, believing that the act would cause Shen to submit, declared himself the Duke of Liang and replaced all Sui uniforms with Liang ones, Shen submitted. Within five days of Xiao's declaraiton, he had several tens of thousands of men, and he led them to Baling. Dong sent one of his followers, Xu Deji (徐德基) to greet Xiao, when Shen, believing that his accomplishment would be overshadowed by the contributions of Dong and the others, killed Xu and wanted to detain Xiao. Xiao, in shock, offered to resign, which led Shen to, in fear, beg for forgiveness. Xiao initially pardoned him, but Dong argued that if Xiao did not kill Shen, he could not show the rule of law, and so Xiao changed his mind and allowed Dong to execute Shen. Shen's soldiers fled.

In winter 617, Xiao built a tall altar and burned a wooden pire thereon. He declared himself the Prince of Liang and changed era name to show independence from Sui.

Reign

Around the new year 618, Xiao Xian sent his general Su Hu'er (蘇胡兒) to attack another rebel leader, Lin Shihong

Lin Shihong

Lin Shihong was an agrarian leader who rose against the rule of the Chinese Sui Dynasty near the end of Emperor Yang's reign. For several years, he controlled most of modern Jiangxi and Guangdong, but was then under attack by others, gradually reduced to fighting a guerrilla war against Tang...

 the Emperor of Chu, who had earlier taken over most of modern Jiangxi

Jiangxi

' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...

 and Guangdong

Guangdong

Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

. Su captured Lin's major city Yuzhang (豫章, in modern Nanchang

Nanchang

Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. It is located in the north-central portion of the province. As it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east by Poyang Lake, it is famous for its scenery, rich history and cultural sites...

, Jiangxi

Jiangxi

' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...

), prompting Lin to retreat from Nankang (南康, in modern Ganzhou

Ganzhou

Ganzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangxi province, People's Republic of China. Its administrative seat is at Zhanggong .-History:...

, Jiangxi

Jiangxi

' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...

) to Yugan (餘干, in modern Shangrao

Shangrao

Shangrao is a medium-sized prefecture-level city located in the northeast of China's Jiangxi province. According to the 2010 Census, Shangrao has a population of 6,579,714 inhabitants....

, Jiangxi

Jiangxi

' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...

).

In summer 618, Xiao took imperial title and established an imperial government with 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...

 governmental structure. He posthumously honored Xiao Cong as Emperor Jing (as Xiao Cong had died with only the Sui title of Duke of Liang), but did not so posthumously honor his grandfather Xiao Yan and father Xiao Gui (蕭璿), honoring Xiao Yan only as Prince Zhonglie of Hejian and Xiao Gui as Prince Wenxian of Hejian. He created seven of his generals princes and sent one of them, Yang Daosheng (楊道生) the Prince of Song to attack Jiangling. After Yang captured Jiangling, Xiao moved his capital from Baling to Jiangling. Meanwhile, the Sui officials in the modern Guangxi

Guangxi

Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...

 and northern Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 regions, upon hearing that Emperor Yang had been killed in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji

Yuwen Huaji

Yuwen Huaji was a general of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty who, in 618, led a coup against Emperor Yang of Sui, killing him. He subsequently declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao led Emperor Yang's elite Xiaoguo Army north, but was then repeatedly defeated by Li Mi, Li Shentong , and...

 in spring 618, largely surrendered to Xiao. Historical records indicate that Xiao's territory went as far east as Jiujiang

Jiujiang

Jiujiang , formerly transliterated Kiukiang, is a prefecture-level city located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province, China. It is the second-largest prefecture-level city in Jiangxi province, the largest one being Nanchang...

, as far west as the Three Gorges, as far south as Jiaozhi (交趾, modern Hanoi

Hanoi

Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...

, Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

), and as far north as the Han River

Han River (Hanshui)

The Han River is a left tributary of the Yangtze River with a length of 1532 km. Historically it was referred to as Hànshuǐ and the name is still occasionally used today....

, with more than 400,000 regular soldiers under his disposal.

In 619, Xiao made a push to expand his territory to the modern Chongqing

Chongqing

Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...

 and Sichuan

Sichuan

' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...

 region, then held by Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

The 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...

. He sent Yang and Chen Puhuan (陳普環) to attack Tang's Xia Prefecture (峽州, roughly modern 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...

), but they were repelled by the Tang general Xu Shao (許紹). In 620, the Tang general Li Xiaogong

Li Xiaogong

Li Xiaogong , formally Prince Yuan of Hejian , often referred to by his earlier title as Prince of Zhao Commandery , was an imperial prince and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...

 the Duke of Zhao Commandery attacked Xiao's general Du Ti (闍提) the Prince of Dongping and killed Du.

Meanwhile, Xiao was said to be narrow-minded and suspicious, and his generals, because of their accomplishments, were out of control and cruel. Xiao feared them, and therefore declared that his empire was peaceful and that the military should be cut back, in order to reduce the influences of the generals.

Meanwhile, in winter 620, Dong Jingzhen's brother, a general at Jiangling, was resentful of Xiao and plotted against him. When the news of the plot was leaked, Xiao executed Dong Jingzhen's brother. At that time, Dong was defending Changsha. Xiao declared a pardon for Dong and summoned him back to Jiangling, but Dong, in fear, rose against Xiao, offering to surrender Changsha to Tang. Emperor Gaozu ordered Xu to try to aid Dong, but Xu did not appear to be able to advance much, although he did capture 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...

 from Liang. Meanwhile, Xiao sent Zhang Xiu (張繡) the Prince of Qi to attack Changsha. Dong tried to get Zhang to join him, by pointing out the situation to be similar to when Emperor Gao of Han first killed Han Xin

Hán Xìn

Han Xin was a military general who served Liu Bang during the Chu–Han contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han Dynasty...

 and then Peng Yue

Peng Yue

Peng Yue , style name Zhong , was a prominent military leader and political figure in the late Qin Dynasty and early Han Dynasty. He was involved in the Chu–Han contention and served Liu Bang as an ally...

 -- i.e., the people with contributions were being killed. Zhang did not respond and put Changsha under siege. Dong tried to fight his way out of the siege but was killed by his own subordinates. Xiao promoted Zhang, and Zhang became arrogant due to his contributions. Xiao killed him, and thereafter, it was said that all of Liang's generals all considered rebelling, and that Liang's power was weakened.

Defeat and death

Around the same time, the Tang official Li Jing

Li Jing

Li Jing , né Yaoshi , formally Duke Jingwu of Wei , was a general and one time chancellor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...

 had offered 10 strategies to destroy Liang to Li Xiaogong. Li Xiaogong relayed them to Emperor Gaozu, who accepted them. In spring 621, Emperor Gaozu made Li Xiaogong the commandant at Kui Prefecture (夔州, modern eastern Chongqing

Chongqing

Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...

) and had him build a large fleet and train sailors to prepare for the attack against Liang. He also made Li Jing Li Xiaogong's deputy.

In summer 621, the Tang general Zhou Faming (周法明) attacked Liang's An Prefecture (安州, roughly modern Xiaogan

Xiaogan

Xiaogan is a prefecture-level city in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. Its population is 5,060,000 residents.-Subdivisions:*Xiaonan District *Yingcheng City *Anlu City *Hanchuan City *Xiaochang County...

, 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...

), capturing the Liang general Ma Guiqian (馬貴遷). Soon thereafter, the Tang general Guo Xingfang (郭行方) attacked Liang's Ruo Prefecture (鄀州, 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...

) and captured it as well.

In winter 621, Tang launched a major assault on Liang, with Li Xiaogong, assisted by Li Jing, in command of the forces overall. With Yangtze River

Yangtze River

The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...

's water high and treacherous at that time, Xiao did not expect an attack from Tang, and he was caught by surprise. Li Xiaogong defeated the Liang general Wen Shihong (文士弘) and approached Jiangling. As Xiao had earlier reduced his armed forces, he only had a few thousand men in Jiangling, and he issued emergency orders to the troops in the other parts of the empire, ordering them to came to jiangling's aid at once. Nevertheless, Xiao's counterattack was initially successful, although Li Xiaogong and Li Jing soon defeated Liang forces again and put Jiangling under siege. Under Li Jing's suggestion, Li Xiaogong floated the captured Liang ships down the Yangtze River, empty, to confuse Liang forces into believing that Jiangling had fallen. The Liang forces were indeed confused and slowed down.

With Jiangling surrounded and Xiao's contact with the outside cut off, he, under suggestion by his official Cen Wenben

Cen Wenben

Cen Wenben , courtesy name Jingren , formally Viscount Xian of Jiangling , was a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang. He was an assistant editor of the Book of Zhou, the official history of Northern Zhou.- Background :Cen Wenben was born in 595, during the reign of Emperor Wen...

, decided to surrender. He announced to his officials:

Heaven does not protect Liang, and we can no longer stand. If we fight all the way to being completely worn out before surrendering, it will be the people who suffer. Why do I put them in water and fire just because of myself?

After offering sacrifices to the Liang ancestors, Xiao surrendered, stating to Li Xiaogong, "Only Xiao Xian should die. The people are innocent. Please do not plunder." He did not know that more than 100,000 Liang soldiers were approaching, and after they arrived, they saw that Xiao had surrendered and surrendered as well.

Li Xiaogong delivered Xiao to Chang'an. Emperor Gaozu rebuked him. Xiao, not submitting to Emperor Gaozu's rebuke, responded:

Sui lost its deer, and the heroes sought after it. I, Xiao Xian, was not blessed by Heaven, and therefore was captured. I was merely like Tian Heng [(田橫, a Qi

Qi (state)

Qi was a powerful state during the Spring and Autumn Period and Period of the Warring States in ancient China. Its capital was Linzi, now part of the modern day city of Zibo in Shandong Province....

 prince who tried to revive Qi after the fall of Qin Dynasty

Qin Dynasty

The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...

)] claiming a princely title, who did not rebel against Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...

. If what I did is criminal, I am willing to be boiled to death.

Emperor Gaozu, angry at Xiao's refusal to submit, had him beheaded.