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Xiao Zhuang 蕭莊, the Prince of Yongjia 永嘉王

Jun 13, 2025 © Ulrich Theobald

Xiao Zhuang 蕭莊 (548-?) was the last emperor (r. 557) of the Liang dynasty 梁 (502-557), one of the Southern Dynasties 南朝 (420-589). He was a grandson of Emperor Yuan 梁元帝 (r. 552-554) and was originally invested as Prince of Yongjia 永嘉.

In 554, the Western Wei 西魏 (535-556) army invaded central China and killed Emperor Yuan. Xiao Zhuang was at the time only 7 sui old and escaped the killing of the imperial family by the Wei. However, when Emperor Jing 梁敬帝 (r. 555-557) mounted the throne, he was sent as a princely hostage to the Northern Qi empire 北齊 (550-577). This practice served to guarantee peace.

In 557, General Chen Baxian 陳霸先 (503-559) declared himself Emperor of the Chen dynasty 陳 (557-589), forcing Emperor Jing to abdicate and cede the throne (shanrang 禪讓). A year later, the regional inspector (cishi 刺史) of the province of Xiangzhou 湘州, the loyal Wang Lin 王琳 (526-573), declared Xiao Zhuang as the heir of the throne of the Liang dynasty, and urged the Northern Qi government to support Xiao Zhuang's claim to the throne. A year later, he was enthroned in Yingzhou 郢州 (Xiakou 夏口, i.e., Hankou 漢口, Hubei) and chose the reign motto Tianqi 天啟.

Wang Lin served as the chief military person, but was practically the regent. In 560, the army of the Later Liang 後梁 (555-587), ruled by Emperor Xuan 梁宣帝 (r. 555-561), was defeated by Chen Baxian in the battle of Wuhu 蕪湖, and Xiao Zhuang fled to the north, where he was invested as King of Liang 梁王 and given the title of Commander Unequalled in Honour (kaifu yitong sansi 開府儀同三司). Plans to revive the Liang dynasty in the south were ended when the Northern Qi dynasty was destroyed by the Northern Zhou 北周 (557-581). Xiao Zhuang died later in Ye 鄴 (today's Linzhang 臨漳, Hebei).

Sources:
Chen Quanli 陳全力, and Hou Xinyi 侯欣一, eds. 1988. Diwang cidian 帝王辭典, 102. Xi'an: Shaanxi renmin jiaoyu chubanshe.
Xiong Tiejin 熊鐵基, and Yang Youli 楊有禮, eds. 1994. Zhongguo diwang zaixiang cidian 中國帝王宰相辭典, 223. Wuhan: Hubei jiaoyu chubanshe.