Lü Shao

Lü Shao (Chinese: 呂紹; died c.February 400),¹ courtesy name Yongye (永業), also known by his posthumous name as the Prince Yin of Later Liang (後涼隱王), was briefly the second ruler of the Di-led Later Liang dynasty of China, ruling as its Heavenly King. He was a son of the founding emperor Lü Guang (Emperor Yiwu), but not his oldest son. Rather, he was considered Lü Guang's rightful heir because he was born of Lü Guang's wife. (His mother is therefore likely Princess Shi, although he could also be born of an even earlier wife.) His birth year is unknown, but he referred to himself as not yet 19 when he took the throne briefly in 400.

During Lü Guang's reign

When Lü Guang founded Later Liang in 386 (after he had taken over Liang Province (涼州, modern central and western Gansu after a return for a military campaign in central Asia on Former Qin's behalf), Lü Shao and Lü Guang's wife Lady Shi were not with him—they had remained in the Former Qin capital Chang'an during Lü Guang's campaign, and had fled to Chouchi when Chang'an subsequently fell to Western Yan in 385. In 389, they, along with Lü Guang's brother Lü Deshi (呂德世), arrived in Later Liang territory. Lü Guang, then with the title Prince of Sanhe, created Lü Shao his heir apparent. In 396, after Lü Guang claimed the title of "Heavenly King" (Tian Wang, roughly equivalent to emperor), he created Lü Shao crown prince.

Lü Shao, however, was not Lü Guang's oldest son—he had at least two older brothers, Lü Zuan the Duke of Taiyuan and Lü Hong (呂弘) the Duke of Changshan, both of whom were regarded for their military abilities. Lü Shao was considered weak and untalented, and Later Liang's enemies (including and ) took this into account when they attacked Later Liang. The only military campaign that Lü Shao was recorded to have commanded was one in summer 399, when he and Lü Zuan attacked Northern Liang's prince . After Duan Ye sought aid from Southern Liang's prince , and Tufa Wugu's brother arrived to assist Duan Ye, Lü Shao and Lü Zuan were forced to withdraw.