14 Facts About Xiao Tong

Xiao Tong was the oldest son and heir apparent of Emperor Wu of Liang, whom he predeceased.

Xiao Tong's enduring legacy is the literary compendium Wen Xuan.

Xiao Tong was born to Xiao Yan, then a Southern Qi general nearing final victory in a civil war against the cruel and violent emperor Xiao Baojuan, in winter 501.

Xiao Tong was born at Xiao Yan's power base of Xiangyang, to Xiao Yan's concubine Ding Lingguang.

Xiao Tong was said to be intelligent, kind, and obedient to his parents from his childhood.

In late 526, Consort Ding grew ill, and Xiao Tong spent his days attending to her without rest.

Xiao Tong was described to be fairly obese until that point, but he lost a lot of weight during the mourning period for Consort Ding.

Xiao Tong sought out an appropriate place to bury Consort Ding, but while he was doing so, a landowner bribed the eunuch Yu Sanfu into convincing Emperor Wu that that piece of land would bring good fortune for the emperor, and so Emperor Wu bought the land and buried Consort Ding there.

Xiao Tong therefore allowed the monk to bury a few items intended to dissolve and defuse the ill fortune, such as wax geese, at the position reserved for the oldest son.

Xiao Tong only stopped the investigation when he was advised to do so by the prime minister Xu Mian, executing only the Taoist monk who had suggested the burial of wax gooses.

Xiao Tong was humiliated in the affair, and was never able to clear himself completely in his father's eyes.

Xiao Tong summoned Xiao Tong's oldest son, Xiao Huan the Duke of Huarong back to the capital Jiankang, preparing to create Xiao Huan crown prince to replace his father.

Xiao Tong is survived by his great literary compendium, the Wenxuan, an anthology of literature divided into 60 chapters.

Xiao Tong appears to consider these to be anonymous works, a view supported by modern scholarship, despite the claims of Xu Ling in his New Songs from the Jade Terrace.