Xiao Zhaoye, often known by his posthumously demoted title of Prince of Yulin, courtesy name Yuanshang, childhood name Fashen, was an emperor of the Chinese Southern Qi dynasty.
20 Facts About Xiao Zhaoye
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Xiao Zhaoye is known as the Prince of Yulin because that was the title he was posthumously demoted to after his granduncle Xiao Luan assassinated him in 494.
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Xiao Zhaoye was born in 473, when his great-grandfather Xiao Daocheng was a Liu Song general.
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Xiao Zhaoye himself was not given any titles at the moment.
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Xiao Zhaoye was the only son of Xiao Zhangmao born of Princess Wang, as she was not much favored by her husband.
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In 482, after Emperor Gao died, Xiao Zhaoye Ze succeeded him as Emperor Wu.
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However, when not in the presence of his grandfather or father, Xiao Zhaoye was instead frivolous and spending time with people who were bad influences.
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Xiao Zhaoye duplicated a set of keys for the fortress gates so that he could spend night time in games at various military camps.
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In 493, when Xiao Zhangmao was ill, Xiao Zhaoye displayed great distress, so much so that his own health appeared to be in jeopardy, and those who saw him were touched.
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Xiao Zhaoye often requested a witch named Yang to curse his grandfather and father so that he could become emperor sooner.
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Soon, Xiao Zhangmao died, and Xiao Zhaoye gave Lady Yang much rewards, believing her curses to be effective, and asked her to continue to curse his grandfather.
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Emperor Wu himself soon fell sick, and while Xiao Zhaoye continued to put on a front of distress, he was in fact quite happy, and when he wrote to the Crown Princess, he wrote one large character of Xi surrounded by 36 smaller Xi characters.
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Xiao Zhaoye honored Crown Princess Dowager Wang as empress dowager, while creating Crown Princess Xiao Zhaoye empress.
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Xiao Zhaoye's associates were selling offices openly, and Xiao Zhaoye not only did not curb them in, but approved their requests handily.
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Xiao Luan, seeing that Xiao Zhaoye was not behaving appropriately, began considering deposing Xiao Zhaoye.
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Xiao Zhaoye tried to discuss the matter with Emperor Wu's younger brother Xiao Qiang the Prince of Poyang, who however opposed the action.
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Meanwhile, Xiao Zhaoye's trusted generals Xiao Chen and Xiao Tanzhi, seeing how frivolous his actions were, instead secretly joined Xiao Luan's party and were informing Xiao Luan of Xiao Zhaoye's actions.
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Xiao Zhaoye Yin did not dare to do so, and suggested that Xiao Luan be observed further.
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Xiao Zhaoye therefore stopped giving important tasks to Xiao Luan.
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Xiao Zhaoye's hopes were dashed when he saw Xiao Chen enter the palace.