19 Facts About Xiao Cha

Xiao Cha was born in 519, as the third son of Xiao Tong, then the crown prince to Liang Dynasty's founder Emperor Wu.

Xiao Cha was considered studious, concentrating particularly on Buddhist sutras, and as Emperor Wu was a devout Buddhist, he was happy that his grandson studied sutras in this manner.

When Emperor Wu created Xiao Tong's sons dukes sometime between 520 and 527, Xiao Cha was created the Duke of Qujiang in 525.

However, despite these special treatments, Xiao Cha was still angry that he and his brothers were passed over by Emperor Wu.

Xiao Cha saw that Emperor Wu, late in his long reign, was ruling over an imperial regime that was becoming inefficient and beset by factionalism between Emperor Wu's sons.

Further, when Xiao Yi called for the provincial governors in his command region to send troops to help lift the siege on Jiankang, Xiao Yu refused, and while Xiao Cha sent a detachment, he refused to command the detachment personally.

Xiao Cha declined, but accepted the lesser title of Prince of Liang and assumed acting imperial authority.

In spring 551, when his uncle Xiao Guan the Prince of Shaoling was captured and killed by Western Wei troops commanded by Yang, Xiao Cha, who respected Xiao Guan, took his body and buried it with honors.

In 552, after defeating Hou, Xiao Cha Yi declared himself emperor and set his capital at Jiangling.

When Xiao Cha became aware of this, he paid additional tribute to Western Wei to try to fan the flame.

In winter 553, Northern Zhou troops, commanded by Yu Jin, arrived at Xiangyang, and Xiao Cha's forces joined them and continued to advance south toward Jiangling.

Xiao Cha took the custody of Emperor Yuan, interrogating and insulting him heavily.

Around the new year 555, with approval from Western Wei authorities, Xiao Cha put Emperor Yuan to death by suffocating him with a large bag full of dirt.

Xiao Cha executed Emperor Yuan's sons who were captured when Jiangling fell.

Xiao Cha later regretted the decision, but the decision was probably a correct one as the other Liang generals showed no inclination of recognizing him as emperor.

Xiao Cha created his wife Princess Wang empress, and as his heir apparent Xiao Liao had died by this point, he created Xiao Liao's younger brother Xiao Kui as crown prince.

Xiao Cha entrusted much of the governmental matters to Cai Dabao and Wang Cao, both of whom served him faithfully.

Xiao Cha appeared to have full expectation that he would be able to put additional Liang provinces under his control, but immediately, the Liang generals, including Wang Sengbian and Wang Lin, refused to recognize him.

Heruo agreed and withdrew, and all of the territory previously taken from Xiao Cha Zhuang were now in Chen hands, limiting Emperor Xuan's domain to the Jiangling region again.