Lü Shao (; died 400),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Yongye (永業), also known by his

posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary Personal name, name given mainly to revered dead people in East Asian cultural sphere, East Asian culture. It is predominantly used in Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand. ...

as the Prince Yin of Later Liang (後涼隱王), was briefly the second

ruler A ruler, sometimes called a rule, scale, line gauge, or metre/meter stick, is an instrument used to make length measurements, whereby a length is read from a series of markings called "rules" along an edge of the device. Usually, the instr ...

of the Di-led Later Liang dynasty of China, ruling as its

Heavenly King Heavenly King or Tian Wang (), also translated as Heavenly Prince, is a Chinese language, Chinese title for various religious deities and divine leaders throughout history, as well as an alternate form of the term ''Son of Heaven'', referring to ...

. 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 Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...

after a return for a military campaign in central Asia on

Former Qin Qin, known as the Former Qin and Fu Qin (苻秦) in historiography, was a Dynasties of China, dynastic state of China ruled by the Fu (Pu) clan of the Di (Five Barbarians), Di peoples during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Founded in the wake of ...

'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 Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...

during Lü Guang's campaign, and had fled to

Chouchi Chouchi ( zh, c=仇池, p=Chóuchí), or Qiuchi ( zh, p=Qiúchí), was a polity in China ruled by the Yang clan of Di ethnicity in modern-day Gansu Province. Its existence spanned both the Sixteen Kingdoms and Northern and Southern dynasties per ...

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 An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

. In 396, after Lü Guang claimed the title of "Heavenly King" ('' Tian Wang'', roughly equivalent to emperor), he created Lü Shao

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''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 Southern Liang and

Northern Liang The Northern Liang (; 397–439) was a Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic state of China and one of the Sixteen Kingdoms in Chinese history. It was ruled by the Juqu (沮渠) family of Lushuihu ethnicity, though they are sometimes categorized ...

) 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

Duan Ye Duan Ye (; died 401) was the founding prince of China's Northern Liang dynasty. He was of Han ethnicity, and was originally a commandery governor of the Later Liang dynasty, but after the Lushuihu generals Juqu Mengxun and Juqu Nancheng () r ...

. After Duan Ye sought aid from Southern Liang's prince Tufa Wugu, and Tufa Wugu's brother

Tufa Lilugu Tufa Lilugu (; died April or May 402Volume 112 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'' recorded that Tufa Lilugu died in the 3rd month of the 1st year of the ''Yuanxing'' era of Sima Dezong's reign. This corresponds to 18 Apr to 17 May 402 on the Julian calendar.), ...

arrived to assist Duan Ye, Lü Shao and Lü Zuan were forced to withdraw. Around the new year 400, Lü Guang grew seriously ill. He ordered Lü Shao to take the throne as Heavenly King, while he himself claimed the title of retired emperor. Lü Zuan was put in charge of the military forces, and Lü Hong the government. Lü Guang told the three to be united, and that Lü Shao should trust his brothers. He also told Lü Zuan and Lü Hong that Lü Shao might not be talented, but was the rightful heir, and that they should assist him faithfully. Lü Guang died later that day.

Coup and death

Initially, Lü Shao was not going to immediately announce Lü Guang's death, in fear that it might draw enemy attacks, but Lü Zuan broke down the door and forcibly entered the palace and mourned. Lü Shao became fearful and offered the throne to Lü Zuan, but Lü Zuan refused. Lü Shao's cousin

Lü Chao Lü Chao (March 9, 1890 July 20, 1951), born in Xuzhou Fu, Xuzhou District, Yibin County, Sichuan, was a military and political figure in the early Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China's Warlord Era, active in his home province o ...

(呂超) then secretly suggested to Lü Shao that Lü Zuan be arrested and executed, but Lü Shao refused. However, soon thereafter (either that day or at most several days after), Lü Hong sent his assistant Jiang Ji (姜紀) to encourage Lü Zuan to seize the throne. At night, then, Lü Zuan led his personal guards to attack the palace. Lü Hong joined him. Lü Shao's guards initially resisted, and one of them, Qi Cong (齊從), hit Lü Zuan in the head with a sword but could not kill him. Lü Chao also tried to assist Lü Shao, but their forces were fearful of Lü Zuan and collapsed. Lü Shao fled to a secondary palace and committed suicide. Lü Zuan took the throne, and when he gave Lü Shao a

, he only referred to Lü Shao as prince, not emperor.

Personal information

* Father ** Lü Guang (Emperor Yiwu) * Mother ** Princess/Empress Shi * Wife ** Lady Zhang

References

* ''

Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, ...

'', vol. 122. * ''

Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...

'', vols. 108, 109, 111. * '' Spring and Autumn Annals of the Sixteen Kingdoms'', vol. 10. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lu, Shao Later Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms) emperors 400 deaths Former Qin people 4th-century Chinese monarchs Year of birth unknown Suicides in Later Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms) Heads of state who died by suicide