Emperor He of Southern Qi () (488 – 2 May 502; r. 14 April 501– 20 April 502), personal name Xiao Baorong (),

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 ...

Zhizhao (), was the last

emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

of the Chinese Southern Qi dynasty. He was put on the throne by the generals Xiao Yingzhou () and Xiao Yan in 501 as a competing candidate and substitute for the throne to his violent and arbitrary older brother

Xiao Baojuan Xiao Baojuan (蕭寶卷) (483 – 31 December 501), né Xiao Mingxian (蕭明賢), commonly known by his posthumously demoted title of Marquess of DonghunThe term "Donghun" (東昏) does not denote a place, but a derogatory description of Xiao Baoj ...

. In 502, with Xiao Baojuan having been defeated and killed and Xiao Yingzhou dead, Xiao Yan seized the throne from Emperor He and took the throne himself, ending the Southern Qi dynasty and starting the

Liang dynasty The Liang dynasty (), alternatively known as the Southern Liang () or Xiao Liang () in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the third of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. It was pre ...

. Soon, Xiao Yan had the 14-year-old former Emperor He put to death.

Background

Xiao Baorong was born in 488, when his father Xiao Luan was the Marquess of Xichang and a mid-high-level official under Emperor Wu, a cousin of Xiao Luan's. His mother was Xiao Luan's wife Marchioness Liu Huiduan (), who died the following year (489). After Xiao Luan seized power from and killed Emperor Wu's grandson

Xiao Zhaoye Xiao Zhaoye (蕭昭業; 473 – 7 September 494), often known by his posthumously demoted title of Prince of Yulin (鬱林王), courtesy name Yuanshang (元尚), childhood name Fashen (法身), was an emperor of the Chinese Southern Qi dynasty. H ...

in a coup in 494, and then further took the throne later that year from Xiao Zhaoye's brother

Xiao Zhaowen Xiao Zhaowen (蕭昭文) (480 – December 49411th month of the 1st year of the ''Yan'xing'' era, per Xiao Zhaowen's biography in ''Nan Qi Shu''. The month corresponds to 13 Dec 494 to 11 Jan 495 in the Julian calendar. The same biography indicate ...

as Emperor Ming, Xiao Baorong, as the new emperor's son, was created the Prince of Sui Commandery (随郡王). In 499 (after Emperor Ming's death in 498), Xiao Baorong's older brother

, who had inherited the throne, changed his title to Prince of Nankang instead. (Sometime between 494 and 499, Xiao Baorong married Wang Shunhua, the granddaughter of the early Southern Qi prime minister Wang Jian, as his wife.) Also in 499, Xiao Baojuan made Xiao Baorong the governor of the important

Jing Province Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in early Chinese texts such as the ''Yu Gong, Tribute of Yu'', ''Erya'', and ''Rites of Zhou''. Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of E ...

(荊州, modern central and western

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

), although the actual responsibilities for governing the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

were in staff members' hands, particularly those of the chief of staff, Xiao Yingzhou.

Rebellion against Xiao Baojuan

Xiao Baojuan was an arbitrary and violent ruler, and he often executed high-level officials based on his perception of them as threats to his rule. In winter 500, he executed his prime minister Xiao Yi (), and Xiao Yi's brother Xiao Yan, the governor of Yong Province (雍州, modern northwestern

) declared a rebellion from the capital of Yong Province, Xiangyang (襄陽, in modern Xiangfan,

). In response, Xiao Baojuan sent the general Liu Shanyang () to

, ordering him to rendezvous with Xiao Yingzhou and then attack Xiangyang. Xiao Yan, however, persuaded Xiao Yingzhou that Liu's orders were to attack both Jing and Yong Provinces, and Xiao Yingzhou, after making Liu believe his good faith by executing Xiao Yan's messenger Wang Tianhu (), surprised and killed Liu, seizing his forces. He then openly declared rebellion and supported Xiao Baorong as nominal leader. Xiao Yingzhou and Xiao Baorong remained at Jiangling (江陵, in modern

Jingzhou Jingzhou ( zh, s=, c=荆州, t=, p=Jīngzhōu) is a prefecture-level city in southern Hubei province, China, located on the banks of the Yangtze River. Its total residential population was 5,231,180 based on the Seventh National Population Censu ...

), the capital of Jing Province, which was then made into the provisional capital, while Xiao Yan advanced east against Xiao Baojuan's forces. In spring 501, Xiao Baorong was proclaimed emperor (as Emperor He), but actual powers were in Xiao Yingzhou's hands. While Xiao Yan's campaign east initially stalemated at Yingcheng (郢城, in modern

Wuhan Wuhan; is the capital of Hubei, China. With a population of over eleven million, it is the most populous city in Hubei and the List of cities in China by population, eighth-most-populous city in China. It is also one of the nine National cent ...

), by fall 501 he had captured Yingcheng and continued to advance east. He quickly arrived at the capital

Jiankang Jiankang (), or Jianye (), as it was originally called, was the capital city of the Eastern Wu (229–265 and 266–280 CE), the Jin dynasty (265–420), Eastern Jin dynasty (317–420 CE) and the Southern Dynasties (420–552), including the Ch ...

, putting it under siege. (During the siege of Jiankang, Xiao Yingzhou, anxious over the facts that Xiao Baojuan's general Xiao Gui () was approaching Jiangling and that Xiao Yan was so easily able to reach Jiankang and becoming popularly supported, died; from that point on, Emperor He was controlled by Xiao Yingzhou's lieutenant Xiahou Xiang () and Xiao Yan's brother Xiao Dan (), both of whom supported Xiao Yan.) Xiao Baojuan's forces, commanded by the generals Wang Zhenguo () and Zhang Ji () were initially able to hold the defenses. However, Xiao Baojuan's associates and henchmen then told him that they believed that the reason why Jiankang remained under siege was that Wang and Zhang were not fighting with all their strength—which led Wang and Zhang to be apprehensive, and they assassinated Xiao Baojuan and surrendered.

After Xiao Baojuan's defeat

Xiao Yan, after triumphing over Xiao Baojuan, for several months appeared to act as if Emperor He did not exist, having Xiao Zhaoye's mother Empress Dowager Wang Baoming serve as titular

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

in Jiankang instead and effectively ruling in her name. He had her grant him progressively higher titles, including the titles of Duke of Liang and then Prince of Liang, and also granting him the

nine bestowments The nine bestowments () were awards given by Chinese emperors to officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. While the nature of the bestowments was probably established during the Zhou dynasty, there was no record of anyone ...

. All of Xiao Baorong's brothers were gradually killed, except for Xiao Baoyi () the Prince of Jin'an, who was disabled, and Xiao Baoyin the Prince of Poyang, who fled to

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei ( zh, c=北魏, p=Běi Wèi), Tuoba Wei ( zh, c=拓跋魏, p=Tuòbá Wèi), Yuan Wei ( zh, c=元魏, p=Yuán Wèi) and Later Wei ( zh, t=後魏, p=Hòu Wèi), was an Dynasties of China, impe ...

, and Xiao Baoyuan the Prince of Luling, who would soon die of illness. Only in late spring 502 did Xiao Dan send Emperor He on a journey back east toward the capital, but before he reached the capital, Xiao Yan had him issue an edict yielding the throne to Xiao Yan, ending Southern Qi and starting the

Liang Dynasty The Liang dynasty (), alternatively known as the Southern Liang () or Xiao Liang () in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the third of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. It was pre ...

. The edict was confirmed and ratified by Empress Dowager Wang. Xiao Yan (as Emperor Wu of Liang) initially created Xiao Baorong the Prince of Baling, issuing orders to have a palace built at Gushu (姑孰, in modern

Ma'anshan Ma'anshan ( zh, s=马鞍山, t=馬鞍山, p=Mǎ ān Shān), also colloquially written as Maanshan, is a prefecture-level city in the eastern part of Anhui province in Eastern China. Its aliases include Taiping, Steel City, and Poetry City. An i ...

Anhui Anhui is an inland Provinces of China, province located in East China. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, bordering Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiang ...

) for Xiao Baorong. However, just one day later, on advice of the official

Shen Yue Shen Yue (; 441 – 1 May 513), courtesy name Xiuwen (休文), was a Chinese historian, music theorist, poet, and politician born in Huzhou, Zhejiang. He served emperors under the Liu Song dynasty, the Southern Qi dynasty (see Yongming poetry ...

, who believed that Xiao Baorong would pose a future threat, Xiao Yan sent messengers to force Xiao Baorong to commit suicide by drinking poisoned wine. Xiao Baorong refused to commit suicide, but indicated that he was willing to be killed, and he got himself drunk. Xiao Yan's messenger Zheng Boqin () then killed him. He was buried with honors due an emperor.

Yan Jianyuan

Yan Jianyuan ( zh, 顏見遠) (480s - early May 502) was a native of

Linyi Linyi ( zh, s=临沂 , t=臨沂 , p=Línyí) is a prefecture-level city in the south of Shandong province, China. As of 2011, Linyi is the largest prefecture-level city in Shandong, both by area and population, Linyi borders Rizhao to the eas ...

Langya Commandery Langya Commandery ( zh, , ) was a commandery in historical China from Qin dynasty to Tang dynasty, located in present-day southeast Shandong and northeast Jiangsu. The commandery was established in Qin dynasty on the former territories of Qi. Fr ...

(now

Shandong Province Shandong is a coastal province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural and religious center ...

). He was on the staff of Xiao Baorong, and died several days later due to a

hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance where participants fasting, fast as an act of political protest, usually with the objective of achieving a specific goal, such as a policy change. Hunger strikers that do not take fluids are ...

and anger. Yan Jianyuan is a member of the Yan clan of Langya ( 琅琊顏氏). He had a son, Yan Xie (颜协; 498 - 539). Yan Xie had two sons: Yan Zhiyi (颜之仪) and

Yan Zhitui Yan Zhitui (, 531–591?) courtesy name Jie () was a Chinese calligrapher, painter, musician, writer, philosopher and politician who served four different Chinese states during the late Northern and Southern dynasties: the Liang dynasty in ...

(颜之推).''Book of Northern Qi'', vol. 45

Family

Consorts

Empress The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

, of the Wang clan of Langya (), personal name Shunhua ()

Ancestry

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:He of Southern Qi, Emperor Southern Qi emperors 488 births 502 deaths 6th-century Chinese monarchs 6th-century murdered monarchs People from Lu'an Murdered emperors of China