Xiao Tong (traditional Chinese: 蕭統; simplified Chinese: 萧统; pinyin: Xiāo Tǒng; Wade–Giles: Hsiao T'ung, c.October 501 – 7 May 531), courtesy name Deshi (德施), formally Zhaoming Taizi (昭明太子, literally "Accomplished and Understanding Crown Prince"), was a crown prince of the Chinese Liang dynasty, p…
Born~Died 501 ~ May 30, 531Last edited Oct 15, 2026, 2:25 PM
Xiao Huan, Prince An of Yuzhang, Xiao Yu, Prince Wuhuan of Hedong, Xiao Cha, Emperor Xuan of Western Liang, Xiao Pi, Prince of Wuchang, Xiao Jian, Prince of Yiyang
Xiao Tong (traditional Chinese: 蕭統; simplified Chinese: 萧统; pinyin: Xiāo Tǒng; Wade–Giles: Hsiao T'ung, c.October 5011 – 7 May 5312), courtesy nameDeshi (德施), formally Zhaoming Taizi (昭明太子, literally "Accomplished and Understanding Crown Prince"), was a crown prince of the Chinese Liang dynasty, posthumously honored as Emperor Zhaoming (昭明皇帝). He was the oldest son and heir apparent of Emperor Wu of Liang, whom he predeceased. Xiao Tong's enduring legacy is the literary compendium Wen Xuan (Selections of Refined Literature).
Birth and childhood
Xiao Tong was born to Xiao Yan, then a Southern Qi general nearing final victory in a civil war against the cruel and violent emperor Xiao Baojuan, in winter 501. He was born at Xiao Yan's power base of Xiangyang, to Xiao Yan's concubine Ding Lingguang (丁令光).3 After Xiao Yan's victory later in 501, he forced Emperor He of Southern Qi, whom he had supported as a rival claimant to the Southern Qi throne, to yield the throne to him in 502, ending Southern Qi and starting Liang Dynasty (as its Emperor Wu). The officials requested that he make Xiao Tong, then an infant, the crown prince. While Emperor Wu initially declined on account that the empire had not been pacified, he did so on 24 December 502,4 when Xiao Tong was only one year old. After Xiao Tong was created crown prince, his mother Consort Ding, while not made , was given a special status co-equal with her son.
This page is based on “Xiao Tong” from English Wikipedia, (r1376573297) CC BY-SA 4.0 used under the license. The original authors are listed in its page history.
Xiao Tong was said to be intelligent, kind, and obedient to his parents from his childhood. As per customs of the time, in 506, he was housed in the Yongfu Mansion (永福省), the residence for the crown prince, in his childhood, but he missed his parents, and so every few days or so Emperor Wu would spend several days at Yongfu Mansion.5
On 17 May 508,6 he was wedded to his main wife Lady Cai.7
On 31 January 515,8 he went through his rite of passage and was declared an adult, and Emperor Wu bestowed him a crown.
As adult
As Emperor Wu was an avid Buddhist, Xiao Tong also became one, and he studied sutras intently, often inviting Buddhist monks to his palace to preach and to discuss Buddhist doctrines. After his rite of passage, Emperor Wu also began to gradually have him handle more and more matters of state, becoming less involved in the day-to-day operations of the empire.
On 9 December 522,9 Xiao Tong's uncle Xiao Dan (蕭憺) the Prince of Shixing died. By custom, a crown prince would not hold a mourning period for an uncle, but Xiao Tong believed this custom to be unfilial, and therefore requested the officials to further discuss the matter. After the official Liu Xiaochuo (劉孝綽) suggested that he hold a one-month mourning period, he agreed, and in fact made this a precedent for the Liang Dynasty.
During this period, Xiao Tong and others compiled a compendium of ancient poetry and texts, which he referred to as Wenxuan (文選, "Selections of Refined Literature"), which was later known after his death as the Zhaoming Wenxuan (昭明文選, "Zhaoming" being his posthumous name). It is a work of historical importance, as it preserved many ancient texts which otherwise might have been lost.
In late 526, Consort Ding grew ill, and Xiao Tong spent his days attending to her without rest. She died on 3 January 527,10 and Xiao Tong was so saddened that he ate nothing. It was after Emperor Wu tried to console him by pointing out that he should not harm his body and that he still had his father that Xiao Tong began to take porridge, but he ate nothing further. He was described to be fairly obese until that point, but he lost a lot of weight during the mourning period for Consort Ding.
Death
The death of Consort Ding brought about a disastrous effect in Xiao Tong's relationship with his father, however. Xiao Tong sought out an appropriate place to bury Consort Ding, but while he was doing so, a landowner bribed the eunuch Yu Sanfu (俞三副) into convincing Emperor Wu that that piece of land would bring good fortune for the emperor, and so Emperor Wu bought the land and buried Consort Ding there. However, once Consort Ding was buried, a Taoist monk informed Xiao Tong that he believed that the land would bring ill fortune for Consort Ding's oldest son—Xiao Tong. Xiao Tong therefore allowed the monk to bury a few items intended to dissolve and defuse the ill fortune, such as wax geese, at the position reserved for the oldest son. Later on, when one of Xiao Tong's attendants, Bao Miaozhi (鮑邈之), was squeezed out of Xiao Tong's inner circles by another attendant, Wei Ya (魏雅), he, in resentment, reported to Emperor Wu that Wei had carried out sorcery on Xiao Tong's behalf. When Emperor Wu investigated, waxed geese were found, and Emperor Wu became surprised and angry, and wanted to investigate further. He only stopped the investigation when he was advised to do so by the prime minister Xu Mian, executing only the Taoist monk who had suggested the burial of wax gooses. Xiao Tong was humiliated in the affair, and was never able to clear himself completely in his father's eyes.
Xiao Tong died in May 531. Even when he was very ill, because he was afraid that Emperor Wu's own health would be affected if he showed his eldest son and heir concern,11 Xiao Tong still personally wrote submissions to his father. After his death, Emperor Wu personally attended his wake and buried him at a tomb appropriate for an emperor. He also summoned Xiao Tong's oldest son, Xiao Huan (蕭歡) the Duke of Huarong back to the capital Jiankang, preparing to create Xiao Huan crown prince to replace his father. However, still resentful over the wax geese affair, he hesitated for days without carrying out the creation, and finally did not do so. Instead, against popular opinion, he created Xiao Tong's younger brother, also by Consort Ding, Xiao Gang crown prince. In 551, when Xiao Gang, then emperor (as Emperor Jianwen) but under control and virtual house arrest by the revolting general Hou Jing, Hou, to try to show off his power, deposed Emperor Jianwen and made Xiao Tong's grandson Xiao Dong the Prince of Yuzhang emperor. It was then that Xiao Tong was posthumously honored an emperor.
Literary legacy
Xiao Tong is survived by his great literary compendium, the Wenxuan, an anthology of literature divided into 60 chapters. Chapter 29 preserves the Nineteen Old Poems,12 a major source for early Classical Chinese poetry. Xiao appears to consider these to be anonymous works, a view supported by modern scholarship, despite the claims of Xu Ling in his New Songs from the Jade Terrace.13
Family
Consorts and Issue:
Empress Zhaode, of the Cai clan (昭德皇后 蔡氏)
Xiao Huan, Prince An of Yuzhang (豫章安王 蕭歡, d. 21 January 54114), first son
Xiao Cha, Emperor Xuan (宣帝 蕭詧; 519–562), third son
Unknown
Xiao Yu, Prince Wuhuan of Hedong (河东武桓王 蕭譽, 519? – 22 June 55015), second son
Xiao Pi, Prince of Wuchang (武昌郡王 蕭譬, d. 17 September 54616), fourth son
Xiao Jian, Prince of Yiyang (義陽郡王 蕭鑒, d. 7 August 53717), fifth son
Princess Luling (庐陵公主), first daughter
married Wang Kuan (王㳬)
References
Davis, A. R. (Albert Richard), Editor and Introduction (1970), The Penguin Book of Chinese Verse. (Baltimore: Penguin Books).
Notes
Footnotes
9th month of the 1st year of the Zhong'xing era of Xiao Baorong's reign, per Xiao Tong's biography in Book of Liang. The month corresponds to 28 Sep to 27 Oct 501 in the Julian calendar. ↩
yi'si day of the 4th month of the 3rd year of the Zhong Da'tong era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang↩
Xiao Yan's wife Chi Hui (郗徽) had died in 499, and from that point on he had only concubines and never made any of them his wife. ↩
jia'zi day of the 11th month of the 1st year of the Tian'jian era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang↩
Whether Consort Ding did the same is not recorded in history. ↩
yi'mao day of the 4th month of the 7th year of the Tian'jian era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang↩
Lady Cai being the Crown Princess Consort was found in her great-grandfather Cai Kuo's (蔡廓) biography in History of the Southern Dynasties, under the entry for her father Cai Zun (蔡撙).6 The entry in Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang merely mentioned that the Crown Prince was wedded on that day. ↩
1st day of the 1st month of the 14th year of the Tian'jian era, per Xiao Tong's biography in Book of Liang↩
jia'wu day of the 11th month of the 3rd year of the Pu'tong era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang↩
geng'chen day of the 11th month of the 7th year of the Pu'tong era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang. On the same day, a general amnesty was declared. ↩
ren'zi day of the 12th month of the 6th year of the Da'tong era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang↩
xin'wei day of the 5th month of the 1st year of the Da'bao era, per vol.05 of Book of Liang. Vol.163 of Zizhi Tongjian gave another date: the xin'si day (2nd day) of the 4th month of the same year, which corresponds to 3 May 550 in the Julian calendar. However, the entry for Xiao Yu's death is listed later than other entries which occurred later in the 4th month of that year. ↩
According to Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang, Xiao Pi died on the ding'chou day of the 8th month of the 1st year of the Zhong Da'tong era. This corresponds to 17 Sep 546 in the Julian calendar. ([中大同元年]八月丁丑，东扬州刺史武昌王𧫷薨。) Liang Shu, vol.03 ↩
ji'you day of the 7th month of the 3rd year of the Da'tong era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang↩
Xiao Tong (traditional Chinese: 蕭統; simplified Chinese: 萧统; pinyin: Xiāo Tǒng; Wade–Giles: Hsiao T'ung, c.October 5011 – 7 May 5312), courtesy nameDeshi (德施), formally Zhaoming Taizi (昭明太子, literally "Accomplished and Understanding Crown Prince"), was a crown prince of the Chinese Liang dynasty, posthumously honored as Emperor Zhaoming (昭明皇帝). He was the oldest son and heir apparent of Emperor Wu of Liang, whom he predeceased. Xiao Tong's enduring legacy is the literary compendium Wen Xuan (Selections of Refined Literature).
Birth and childhood
Xiao Tong was born to Xiao Yan, then a Southern Qi general nearing final victory in a civil war against the cruel and violent emperor Xiao Baojuan, in winter 501. He was born at Xiao Yan's power base of Xiangyang, to Xiao Yan's concubine Ding Lingguang (丁令光).3 After Xiao Yan's victory later in 501, he forced Emperor He of Southern Qi, whom he had supported as a rival claimant to the Southern Qi throne, to yield the throne to him in 502, ending Southern Qi and starting Liang Dynasty (as its Emperor Wu). The officials requested that he make Xiao Tong, then an infant, the crown prince. While Emperor Wu initially declined on account that the empire had not been pacified, he did so on 24 December 502, when Xiao Tong was only one year old. After Xiao Tong was created crown prince, his mother Consort Ding, while not made , was given a special status co-equal with her son.
Xiao Tong was said to be intelligent, kind, and obedient to his parents from his childhood. As per customs of the time, in 506, he was housed in the Yongfu Mansion (永福省), the residence for the crown prince, in his childhood, but he missed his parents, and so every few days or so Emperor Wu would spend several days at Yongfu Mansion.5
On 17 May 508,6 he was wedded to his main wife Lady Cai.7
On 31 January 515,8 he went through his rite of passage and was declared an adult, and Emperor Wu bestowed him a crown.
As adult
As Emperor Wu was an avid Buddhist, Xiao Tong also became one, and he studied sutras intently, often inviting Buddhist monks to his palace to preach and to discuss Buddhist doctrines. After his rite of passage, Emperor Wu also began to gradually have him handle more and more matters of state, becoming less involved in the day-to-day operations of the empire.
On 9 December 522,9 Xiao Tong's uncle Xiao Dan (蕭憺) the Prince of Shixing died. By custom, a crown prince would not hold a mourning period for an uncle, but Xiao Tong believed this custom to be unfilial, and therefore requested the officials to further discuss the matter. After the official Liu Xiaochuo (劉孝綽) suggested that he hold a one-month mourning period, he agreed, and in fact made this a precedent for the Liang Dynasty.
During this period, Xiao Tong and others compiled a compendium of ancient poetry and texts, which he referred to as Wenxuan (文選, "Selections of Refined Literature"), which was later known after his death as the Zhaoming Wenxuan (昭明文選, "Zhaoming" being his posthumous name). It is a work of historical importance, as it preserved many ancient texts which otherwise might have been lost.
In late 526, Consort Ding grew ill, and Xiao Tong spent his days attending to her without rest. She died on 3 January 527,10 and Xiao Tong was so saddened that he ate nothing. It was after Emperor Wu tried to console him by pointing out that he should not harm his body and that he still had his father that Xiao Tong began to take porridge, but he ate nothing further. He was described to be fairly obese until that point, but he lost a lot of weight during the mourning period for Consort Ding.
Death
The death of Consort Ding brought about a disastrous effect in Xiao Tong's relationship with his father, however. Xiao Tong sought out an appropriate place to bury Consort Ding, but while he was doing so, a landowner bribed the eunuch Yu Sanfu (俞三副) into convincing Emperor Wu that that piece of land would bring good fortune for the emperor, and so Emperor Wu bought the land and buried Consort Ding there. However, once Consort Ding was buried, a Taoist monk informed Xiao Tong that he believed that the land would bring ill fortune for Consort Ding's oldest son—Xiao Tong. Xiao Tong therefore allowed the monk to bury a few items intended to dissolve and defuse the ill fortune, such as wax geese, at the position reserved for the oldest son. Later on, when one of Xiao Tong's attendants, Bao Miaozhi (鮑邈之), was squeezed out of Xiao Tong's inner circles by another attendant, Wei Ya (魏雅), he, in resentment, reported to Emperor Wu that Wei had carried out sorcery on Xiao Tong's behalf. When Emperor Wu investigated, waxed geese were found, and Emperor Wu became surprised and angry, and wanted to investigate further. He only stopped the investigation when he was advised to do so by the prime minister Xu Mian, executing only the Taoist monk who had suggested the burial of wax gooses. Xiao Tong was humiliated in the affair, and was never able to clear himself completely in his father's eyes.
Xiao Tong died in May 531. Even when he was very ill, because he was afraid that Emperor Wu's own health would be affected if he showed his eldest son and heir concern,11 Xiao Tong still personally wrote submissions to his father. After his death, Emperor Wu personally attended his wake and buried him at a tomb appropriate for an emperor. He also summoned Xiao Tong's oldest son, Xiao Huan (蕭歡) the Duke of Huarong back to the capital Jiankang, preparing to create Xiao Huan crown prince to replace his father. However, still resentful over the wax geese affair, he hesitated for days without carrying out the creation, and finally did not do so. Instead, against popular opinion, he created Xiao Tong's younger brother, also by Consort Ding, Xiao Gang crown prince. In 551, when Xiao Gang, then emperor (as Emperor Jianwen) but under control and virtual house arrest by the revolting general Hou Jing, Hou, to try to show off his power, deposed Emperor Jianwen and made Xiao Tong's grandson Xiao Dong the Prince of Yuzhang emperor. It was then that Xiao Tong was posthumously honored an emperor.
Literary legacy
Xiao Tong is survived by his great literary compendium, the Wenxuan, an anthology of literature divided into 60 chapters. Chapter 29 preserves the Nineteen Old Poems,12 a major source for early Classical Chinese poetry. Xiao appears to consider these to be anonymous works, a view supported by modern scholarship, despite the claims of Xu Ling in his New Songs from the Jade Terrace.13
Family
Consorts and Issue:
Empress Zhaode, of the Cai clan (昭德皇后 蔡氏)
Xiao Huan, Prince An of Yuzhang (豫章安王 蕭歡, d. 21 January 54114), first son
Xiao Cha, Emperor Xuan (宣帝 蕭詧; 519–562), third son
Unknown
Xiao Yu, Prince Wuhuan of Hedong (河东武桓王 蕭譽, 519? – 22 June 55015), second son
Xiao Pi, Prince of Wuchang (武昌郡王 蕭譬, d. 17 September 54616), fourth son
Xiao Jian, Prince of Yiyang (義陽郡王 蕭鑒, d. 7 August 53717), fifth son
Princess Luling (庐陵公主), first daughter
married Wang Kuan (王㳬)
References
Davis, A. R. (Albert Richard), Editor and Introduction (1970), The Penguin Book of Chinese Verse. (Baltimore: Penguin Books).
Notes
Footnotes
9th month of the 1st year of the Zhong'xing era of Xiao Baorong's reign, per Xiao Tong's biography in Book of Liang. The month corresponds to 28 Sep to 27 Oct 501 in the Julian calendar. ↩
yi'si day of the 4th month of the 3rd year of the Zhong Da'tong era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang↩
Xiao Yan's wife Chi Hui (郗徽) had died in 499, and from that point on he had only concubines and never made any of them his wife. ↩
jia'zi day of the 11th month of the 1st year of the Tian'jian era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang↩
Whether Consort Ding did the same is not recorded in history. ↩
yi'mao day of the 4th month of the 7th year of the Tian'jian era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang↩
Lady Cai being the Crown Princess Consort was found in her great-grandfather Cai Kuo's (蔡廓) biography in History of the Southern Dynasties, under the entry for her father Cai Zun (蔡撙).6 The entry in Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang merely mentioned that the Crown Prince was wedded on that day. ↩
1st day of the 1st month of the 14th year of the Tian'jian era, per Xiao Tong's biography in Book of Liang↩
jia'wu day of the 11th month of the 3rd year of the Pu'tong era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang↩
geng'chen day of the 11th month of the 7th year of the Pu'tong era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang. On the same day, a general amnesty was declared. ↩
ren'zi day of the 12th month of the 6th year of the Da'tong era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang↩
xin'wei day of the 5th month of the 1st year of the Da'bao era, per vol.05 of Book of Liang. Vol.163 of Zizhi Tongjian gave another date: the xin'si day (2nd day) of the 4th month of the same year, which corresponds to 3 May 550 in the Julian calendar. However, the entry for Xiao Yu's death is listed later than other entries which occurred later in the 4th month of that year. ↩
According to Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang, Xiao Pi died on the ding'chou day of the 8th month of the 1st year of the Zhong Da'tong era. This corresponds to 17 Sep 546 in the Julian calendar. ([中大同元年]八月丁丑，东扬州刺史武昌王𧫷薨。) Liang Shu, vol.03 ↩
ji'you day of the 7th month of the 3rd year of the Da'tong era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang↩