Xiao Jing, courtesy name Zizhao, was the uncle of the founding emperor Xiao Daocheng. His father was Xiao Chongzhi, courtesy name Maojing, the son of the Left Guanglu Minister Xiao Daoci. Xiao Daoci had three sons: the eldest, Xiao Shangzhi (courtesy name Maosian); the second, our founding emperor Xiao Daocheng; and the youngest, Xiao Chongzhi. Initially, his grandfather Xiao Daoci lived in the countryside, renowned for his humility and respect, and was highly respected by everyone. He served as a military advisor under the Prince of Jiangxia in the Song Dynasty, eventually becoming Imperial Secretary. After the fall of the Qi Dynasty, he was posthumously honored with the titles of Cavalier Attendant and Left Guanglu Minister.
Xiao Shangzhi was known for his kindness and competence, serving as a military advisor to the Prince of Jian'an, and was respected as a senior figure by all in the office. The Prince of Langye, Xiao Songqian, particularly admired him and often sought his counsel. Later, Xiao Shangzhi was promoted to Infantry Commander and passed away while in office. During the Tianjian era, he was posthumously granted the title of Marquis Wenxuan. Xiao Shangzhi's son, Xiao Lingjun, served as the magistrate of Guangde County in the Qi Dynasty. When the founding emperor Xiao Daocheng rose in rebellion, Xiao Lingjun was serving in Kuaiji County when he passed away shortly thereafter. After the founding emperor ascended the throne, Xiao Lingjun was posthumously granted the title of Marquis of Dongchang County, with a fief of one thousand households granted to him, and his son Xiao Jian inherited the title.
Xiao Chongzhi was known for his competence and strictness in his official duties, rising to the rank of Champion General and Prefect of Dongyang. During the Yongming era, the Qiantang native Tang Xiu rebelled, defeating the army of Dongyang, resulting in Xiao Chongzhi's death. During the Tianjian era, he was posthumously granted the title of Marquis Zhongjian.
When Jing was eight years old, he lived in the county with his father. After his father passed away, Jing became famous for his profound sorrow, and his filial piety became widely recognized. As he grew up, he had a passion for learning, was exceptionally talented, eloquent, and quick to make judgments. During the Qi Jianwu period, he was appointed as the Left Minister of the Kingdom of Jin'an. Later, he was promoted to the position of Magistrate of Yongning County, and his political achievements ranked among the top in over a hundred counties at that time. The Prefect of Yongjia, Fan Shu, who had previously held office in this county, was known for his integrity and fairness. Fan Shu greatly admired Jing's political achievements and posted a notice at the entrance of the county office saying, "If any county has difficult problems that cannot be solved, they can go to Yongning County to find Magistrate Jing for a solution." Not long after, Jing resigned from his post due to illness. The people of Yongjia, including Hu Zhongxuan and others, more than a thousand people, went to the capital together to petition the court to let Jing return to the county to serve as an official, but the court declined their request. Later, Jing became an officer in the office of the General of Chariots and Cavalry. In the second year of Yongyuan, in recognition of King Yiyi of Xuanwu's merits in Changsha, Jing was appointed as Infantry Commandant. That winter, King Yiyi was assassinated, and Jing fled as a result. After Gaozu rose in rebellion, he appointed Jing as General of Ning Shuo, in charge of military affairs in South Yanzhou. At that time, the world had not yet been unified, and various factions in the northern Jiangbei region each occupied cities and strongholds. Jing used his influence to rally them, and those leaders obediently surrendered, begging for forgiveness. Within ten days, peace was restored in the territory of South Yanzhou. In the second year of Zhongxing, Jing was promoted to Inspector of Military Affairs in South Yanzhou, Assistant General of the State, and Supervisor of South Yanzhou. After Gaozu ascended the throne, Jing was granted the title of Marquis of Wuping County, with a fief that included one thousand households. He was also appointed as Commissioner-in-Chief, Commander of Military Affairs in the four provinces of South, North Yanzhou, Qing, and Ji, Champion General, and Governor of South Yanzhou. The court also posthumously honored Jing's mother, Lady Mao, with the title of National Lady Dowager, with privileges equal to those of the queen dowager, and bestowed upon her a golden seal and purple ribbon. Jing was known for his integrity and righteousness in his official duties in the province. He was strict and efficient in handling government affairs, clear about the duties of officials, never delayed the processing of official documents, and his subordinates dared not deceive him. The officials respected him as if he were a deity. In years of disaster and famine, Jing provided relief proportional to the population, cooked porridge to give to the people on the road, provided coffins and funeral supplies for the deceased, and the common people were very grateful to him.
In the year 505 AD, the army of our country launched a northern campaign. General Jing (name not mentioned in the text, official title used here) led the troops from Huaiyang and captured Suyu. Later, when his mother passed away, the court ordered him to return home to observe mourning. In 506 AD, the army returned to the capital, and he was appointed as the Right Guard Commander of the Crown Prince. He was subsequently promoted to Assistant General of State and Commander of the Guard. In 508 AD, he was further promoted to General of the Left Cavalry and concurrently appointed as General in Charge. The General in Charge was in charge of the country's military affairs, overseeing officials at all levels. Previous Generals in Charge were quite arrogant, but General Jing was very strict and diligent, bringing order to the entire command. However, because the officials overseeing him were favorites of the emperor, many of them did not follow General Jing's orders, so he was soon reassigned.
Soon after, he was appointed as Envoy with Imperial Authority, Inspector of Yong, Liang, Southern Qin, Northern Qin, Yingzhou, and Sizhou, General of Trustworthy and Martial, Colonel of Pacification of the Man, and Inspector of Yongzhou. In March of the year 509, the Inspector of Jingzhou in the Wei Kingdom, Yuan Zhi, led seventy thousand troops to invade Chuangou, forcing the local tribes to surrender. Some suggested taking advantage of the situation to kill these local people, as they had always been a border threat. General Jing, however, said: "They have all come here to surrender to us; it would be ill-omened to kill them now. Besides, the Wei Kingdom's invasion is already a significant problem. If we kill the local tribes, the Wei army will have an easier time attacking us. This isn't a sustainable solution!" Therefore, he accepted the surrender of the local tribes in Fancheng. He then ordered Marshal Zhu Siyuan, Chief of the Pacification of the Man Cao Yizong, and Military Advisor Meng Huijun to battle Yuan Zhi at Chuangou, resulting in a great victory. They captured Yuan Zhi's Chief of Staff Du Jing alive, killed more than ten thousand enemies, and the Han River was strewn with enemy corpses. General Jing also sent Military Advisor Cui Hui to gather and properly bury these bodies.
General Jing had just arrived in Yongzhou to take up his post, and he immediately canceled the complicated welcoming ceremonies and elaborate attire to avoid troubling the officials. He repaired the fortifications, strengthened border defense, handled lawsuits, and encouraged agricultural production. As a result, all counties thus reformed and worked diligently, resulting in a peaceful state. In the area of over a thousand miles along the Han River, the bandits vanished. In the year 512, he was summoned back to the court to take on the role of Right Guard General, responsible for military affairs at Shitou Guard. In 513, he was appointed as the Commissioner, overseeing the military affairs of five provinces, and the General of Military Trustworthiness, and the Governor of Nanyang Province. In 514, he was summoned back to the court to serve as the Commander-in-Chief, on duty at the court, in charge of the financial affairs of ten provinces, and was granted an additional salary of fifty thousand each month.
Jing had a strong presence, and he spoke and acted with great courage. In the court, everyone respected him greatly. Although he was the cousin of the founding emperor, the founding emperor held him in high regard and consulted with him on important national matters. In the fifteenth year, he was promoted to the position of Palace Attendant. In the seventeenth year, the Grand Commandant and Governor of Yangzhou, Prince Hong of Linchuan, was dismissed for breaking the law. The emperor decreed, "Yangzhou needs to be reorganized properly; we need to find a suitable person. Palace Attendant and Commander-in-Chief Wu Ping Hou Jing is very capable; he can be appointed as the Peacekeeping General to supervise Yangzhou. In addition, he will be provided with some assistants, his position as Palace Attendant will remain unchanged, and he can continue to work in his original office." Jing personally went to Yangzhou to take up his post; he strongly declined, crying and begging the emperor to revoke the order, but the founding emperor did not agree. During his tenure in Yangzhou, he demonstrated remarkable wisdom and decisiveness, enforcing strict governance. Once, an old peasant woman went to the yamen to collect official documents, but when she returned to the county, the county officials did not act on them right away. The old woman said, "If you even think about delaying Governor Xiao's documents, I’ll burn your hands!" This shows just how much people feared him at that time.
For eighteen years, Jingyue repeatedly requested to resign from his official position, but Emperor Gaozu did not agree. The following year, he was appointed as Commissioner with special authority, Grand Marshal, Commander of the military forces in the provinces of Ying, Si, and Huo, General of the Western Frontier, and Governor of Ying Province. Before departing, Emperor Gaozu personally visited Jianxing Garden to bid him farewell, shedding tears at the farewell. Upon returning to the palace, Emperor Gaozu ordered a ceremonial escort for him. He distinguished himself in Yingzhou. The counties of Qian and Jingling were close to the border of the Wei Kingdom, which was plagued by bandits. Jingyue wrote a letter to inform the Wei Kingdom, which subsequently dismantled the border fortifications and strengthened its defenses, thereby preventing further incursions. In the fourth year of the Ordinary era, Jingyue passed away while in office, at the age of forty-seven. The Emperor posthumously appointed him as Palace Attendant, General of the Agile Cavalry, and bestowed upon him the posthumous title of "Loyal One." His son Jingmai succeeded him in his title.
Chang, courtesy name Zijian, was the second younger brother of Xie Jing. During the reign of Prince Yuzhang of the Southern Qi Dynasty, he served as the Left Attendant to Prince Jin'an. In the early years of the Southern Liang Dynasty, he was appointed as the Deputy Minister of the Palace Library and later appointed as the Interior Minister of Yuzhang. In the fifth year of the Tianjian era, he was promoted to General of Ningshuo. In the sixth year, he was further promoted to the Commissioner overseeing military affairs in the four provinces of Guang, Jiao, Yue, and Gui, General Assisting the State, General Who Pacifies the Yue, and Governor of Guangzhou. In the seventh year, he was appointed as the General of the Distant Campaign. In the ninth year, the court established Hengzhou as a separate entity within Xiangzhou, appointing Chang as the Commissioner, Commander of Guangzhou and Suijian Xiangzhou, General of Trustworthy Valor, and Governor of Hengzhou. However, he was later dismissed due to his misconduct. In the thirteenth year of the Tianjian era, he was reinstated as a Gentleman Attendant and soon also served as the Minister of the Imperial Clan. In the same year, he was sent to serve as the Chief Clerk of Anzhou. He continued to be promoted, eventually becoming the Imperial Attendant to the Crown Prince, Regular Attendant of the Palace Secretariat, and once again the Minister of the Imperial Clan. Chang was quite intelligent, but he had a penchant for drinking, which often got him into trouble. While serving in local positions, he would frequently get drunk and roam around, entering people's homes or even venturing into the wilderness alone. His approach to punishments was often indiscriminate. Though he would apologize after drunkenly killing someone, he felt no remorse. Later, after being accused by the authorities, he was summoned back to the capital, where he became increasingly indulgent in alcohol, which heightened his anxiety. In a pavilion in Shitoucheng, he even attempted suicide by stabbing himself, but was rescued in time by those nearby. He died in the seventeenth year of the Tianjian era at the age of thirty-nine. He had a son, Boyan.
Xie Ang, style name Ziming, is the third younger brother of Xie Jing. During the early years of the Tianjian period of the Southern Liang Dynasty, he rose through the ranks to become the Minister of Works, later being appointed as the Cavalry General and the Inspector of Yanzhou in the south. His elder brother Xie Jing had previously served as the Inspector of Yanzhou twice, known for his virtue and kindness. After Xie Ang took over, people compared him to the Feng family (known for their integrity). Later, he was summoned back to the court and appointed as the Governor of Langye and Pengcheng. He was appointed as the Inspector of Guangzhou as the Cavalry General. In the second year of Putong, he was appointed as the Cavalier Attendant and General of Trust. In the fourth year, he was promoted to Cavalier Attendant, Middle Army Commander, and the Prince's Household Attendant, then sent as the Governor of Wuxing. In the second year of Dadao, he was called back to the court and appointed as the General of Benevolent Valor and Minister of the Guard, later becoming the Palace Attendant and concurrently the General of the Army. In the first year of Zhongdaotong, he served as the General of the Army. In the second year, he was titled the Marquis of Xiangyin County, with a fief of 1,000 households. He was later appointed as the Inspector of Jiangzhou. In the first year of Datong, he died at the age of fifty-three and was posthumously honored with the title Gong.
Yu, style name Zizhen, is the fourth younger brother of Prince Jing. Early in the Tianjian period, he was appointed as a Gentleman of the Palace Secretariat, gradually rising to become the Gentleman to the Crown Prince, Chamberlain for the Imperial Horses, Gentleman of the Palace Library, and Gentleman of the Imperial Library. He always wanted to showcase his talents, so the founding emperor arranged official positions in Huainan, Yongjia, and Xiangyang for him, but he declined all of them. He was determined to go to the border regions, but the founding emperor thought he was frivolous and lacked prestige, so he did not agree. Later, he was transferred to serve as an Attendant of the Yellow Gate.
Then he submitted a memorial, which roughly translates to: "Spring has just arrived, and the emperor has not yet had the chance to bestow his grace. My heart is filled with shame and fear. I’ve heard that even in the sweltering heat and bitter cold, people will complain; who can forget the glory of wealth or the disappointment of poverty and failure? Thanks to the royal family's grace, I was able to hold an important position; now my efforts to repay are insufficient, and it comes at a time of great turmoil in the country.
At the end of the Qi dynasty, when the righteous forces had just emerged, I was still quite young, but I had some understanding and ideas. At that time, all regions were cut off, and I couldn't go back. Although I couldn't pick up weapons and go to the battlefield, I felt a fire of determination burning in my heart. I took refuge in the east, facing various dangers, moving several times over the course of three years. Though I was hungry and cold, I never felt bitter. Every time I faced danger, I was terrified, contradicting my principles of loyalty and duty, and constantly worried about losing my head. I yearned for peace in the country, hoping to share joy with everyone; but after more than twenty years, I had achieved nothing, and when I die, I’ll only end up buried in a ditch. In the end, my sincere heart is left idly at home, which is truly sad to think about!"
Self-praise is certainly shameful; self-aggrandizement is equally shameful. However, I have a clear self-awareness, knowing my abilities and position, and I am determined to serve the court diligently, and I would never make empty promises. Therefore, I have always hoped to prove myself and have repeatedly requested the court to give me the opportunity. It is not easy to gain favor from the court; just like fine silk cannot be cut at will, the balance is difficult to grasp. My past experiences have resulted in numerous failures in my endeavors. Since the emperor thinks I am foolish and incapable of taking on important responsibilities, how could I maintain a prominent position and tarnish the court's reputation? I fear that advancing too quickly might draw criticism, so I request to resign from my current official position and humbly beseech the emperor to let me return home.
I earnestly request the emperor to grant my request. Although I have served in the two palaces, opportunities to contribute to the nation have been few. Now that I am about to leave the court, I feel a deep sense of attachment and fear."
The Emperor personally replied, "Yue's memorial is composed as follows. In ancient times, when selecting officials, their abilities must be examined first, and only after they have achievements, only then can they resign with dignity. Just like Emperor Guangwu of Han's nephews Zhang and Xing, both of royal blood, wanted to gain experience in the officialdom. Zhang only served as the magistrate of Pingyin County, and Xing only served as the magistrate of Goushi County. Only after achieving results in governance did they rise to become county governors, which cannot be easily attained merely by virtue of being Emperor Guangwu's descendants. How can Yue's abilities and position be compared to theirs?"
He was initially appointed as the Prefect of Huainan Commandery, but he declined the position; later he was appointed as General of Zhaoyuan, Chief Clerk of Zhenbei, and Prefect of Xiangyang, but he declined, citing the border regions as his reason; when he was reassigned as General of Zhaoyuan and Prefect of Yongjia, he claimed that the inland was not where he wished to be; I asked him if he would like to go to Jin'an or Linchuan, letting him choose, but he still refused to go. The position of a prefect is not insignificant, yet he repeatedly declined. What could this possibly mean? Moreover, Yu's brothers have all held important official positions, one after another being highly valued by the court without interruption. His elder brother, the Prince of Jing, is still serving in the fief. Does this mean that I favor the Prince of Jing and show little favor to Yu? This arrangement is completely in accordance with the rules and public opinion of the court, which is already fair to the brothers.
In any case, I cannot agree to his request today; the Yu brothers came from humble beginnings, and reaching their current status was not easy. How can they act so recklessly and defy the natural order? Who says there are no rules in the court? It's just that I have no intention of acting according to his wishes. Since he requested to resign, then let him go." Thus, Yu was relieved of his duties. From then on, he stayed indoors and stopped attending court celebrations and mourning events.
In the fifth year of Putong, which is AD 575, he was minting coins at home when he was reported to the authorities and taken to the magistrate for questioning. Fortunately, he ultimately escaped execution, but was exiled to Linhai Commandery.
When he arrived in Shangyu, he suddenly received an imperial order to return to the capital, where he was ordained as a Buddhist monk. Upon arriving in the capital, he conducted himself properly and was very respectful, completely changed his outlook, and began to seriously practice Buddhism, with a strict adherence to the precepts. Emperor Gaozu held him in high regard and appointed him as General of Zhaoyuan and Prefect of Jinling.
After taking office, he immediately set about eliminating the cumbersome and harsh laws, establishing a transparent and just legal system, harshly dealing with corrupt officials, and taking good care of the people. Within just a few days, the entire county's atmosphere had transformed. Not long after, he passed away due to a sudden illness. The common people were restless, crying out and causing chaos in the city, leaving it in turmoil. More than four hundred people came to mourn outside the county yamen for him. Even an old lady named Xia, over a hundred years old, leaning on her great-grandson for support, came to the county to mourn, overcome with grief. This shows just how deeply the people were touched by his benevolent governance!
People spontaneously built temples and erected monuments for him to commemorate his achievements, and together they went to the capital to ask the court to grant him a posthumous title. In the end, the court posthumously named him governor of Xiangzhou, bestowing upon him the posthumous title of "Gong." Historians noted that after the founding emperor unified the country, his benevolence reached every corner, and his relatives and clansmen received important positions and promotions. Xiao Jing was known for his exceptional talent, insight, and judgment, and he made significant contributions to assisting the court in governing the country. He was undoubtedly a highly respected figure within the Liang Dynasty's royal family.
