Wuling King Xiao Ji is the eighth and youngest son of Emperor Wu of Liang Xiao Yan, and Xiangdong King Xiao Yi is the seventh son. The two brothers were born in the seventh year of Tianjian (508 AD), and their mothers were both "Xiangrong" - Ruan Xiurong gave birth to Xiao Yi in August, and Ge Xiurong gave birth to Xiao Ji after August and before the end of the year. As for how many months or days older than the younger brother, it is unknown. Both brothers and sons are outstanding in talent - father Xiao Yan is a great talent himself. His sons have a family background and are influenced by the old man, and the other is that they have received a good education since childhood. In addition to their hard work, they are generally able to become talents. Because Xiao Ji was the last one, he was especially favored by the old man. Moreover, compared to this seventh brother, he was able to be both civil and military: Xiao Yi was not even capable of riding horses, and Xiao Ji not only had martial arts skills, but also often studied martial arts with his generals and practiced military formations to increase his military talents. He "caught and shot, and was especially good at dancing" ("Southern History: Biography of Emperor Wu of Liang, King Wuling Xiao Ji"), and was simply a brave general who could "mount a horse and kill thieves". No wonder during the Hou Jing rebellion, when he heard that Xiao Yi was elected as the leader of reinforcements, Xiao Ji said disdainfully: "Lao Qi is a scholar, how could he save the national crisis?"
"Southern History" says that Xiao Ji was "young and lenient, unspoken, and had no expression of joy and anger, diligent study and literary talent." He was named king at the same time as Xiao Yi at the age of 7. A few days later, Xiao Yan appointed Xiao Ji as the governor of Yangzhou - of course it was only nominal. However, after the appointment edict was drafted by the Secretariat 2 generation, Emperor Wu of Liang Xiao Yan personally wrote this paragraph: "The chaste, white, frugal and simple is the pure; the ability to give in to money is the honest; knowing that the law does not violate it is the cautious; not keeping things, it is the diligence." Did he think that this son already has the virtues of being pure, honest, cautious and diligent, or do he hope that this son has these virtues? In short, the earnest feelings are overflowing with the imperial edict. In the third year of Datong (537 AD), the 74-year-old father appointed his 30-year-old son as the governor of Yizhou . This time it was not nominal, Xiao Ji had to go to Sichuan to guard. I don’t know if it’s because I’m reluctant to leave my elderly father or I’m unwilling to leave the bustling Jiankang City. In short, Xiao Ji felt that Yizhou was far away and resolutely refused.
Xiao Ji (508-553)
Xiao Yan tactfully advised: "Go, you once said I am old, but I still want to see you come back from Yizhou again." Xiao Ji then sighed and left reluctantly. After Xiao Ji took office, he developed Yueli (pronounced xī, now Xichang, Sichuan), Jianning (now Luliang, Yunnan) and other counties to the south, and opened up the exchanges between Ziling (now unknown place) and Tuyuhun Khanate to the west, encouraged farming and mulberry farming internally, strengthened trade and protected business and tourism externally, and thus accumulated a lot of wealth. The local specialties presented to the court every year were ten times more than the former governor of Yizhou. In order to commend his political achievements, Xiao Yan appointed him as the third department of Kaifu Yitong in the 11th year of Datong, and his rank was equivalent to that of the prime minister. However, during the Hou Jing Rebellion, Xiao Ji mocked Xiao Yi for not being able to save the national crisis. He actually held troops and watched, and did not care about the disasters of the country and the life and death of his old father. Direct troops join the army - that is, logistics military senator Xu Shun advised him to send troops to reinforce the capital quickly. Xiao Ji didn't want to go and couldn't say it, and he was already hated. It was not until June of the first year of Dabao (550 AD), when Taicheng had been captured and Emperor Wu of Liang Xiao Yan had starved to death, that Xiao Ji sent his eldest son, Xiao Yuanzhao, to lead 30,000 elite troops to go to Jingzhou, and accept Xiao Yi's dispatch. At the beginning of 552 AD, there was no Emperor Xiao in Xiaoliang - Hou Jing The "Han Emperor" naturally could not be recognized by the Xiao clan. In the fourth month of the lunar calendar that year, Xiao Ji ascended the throne in Chengdu and became the fourth emperor of the Xiaoliang Empire. His reign title was the same as the third emperor, Xiao Dong and his "Heavenly Zheng". Xiao Ji also made Xiao Yuanzhao the crown prince, and the following four sons were granted the kings: Xiao Yuanzheng was the King of Xiyang, Xiao Yuanman was the King of Jingling, Xiao Yuanpu was the King of Qiao, and Xiao Yuansu was the King of Yidu.Xu Shou and Sima Wang Seng repeatedly dissuaded him, believing that he should not be in a hurry to be the emperor, so Xiao Ji found an excuse and killed both of them. Before taking action, he said to Xu Shou: "Recalling the friendship with you in the past, I will protect your sons." Xu Shou said sarcastically, "If all the sons are like your nobles, what's the use of living?" Xiao Ji was furious and killed all of Xu Shou's sons. Originally, the prefect of the two counties of Brazil (now Langzhong, Sichuan) and Zitong Xiao Xiong (pronounced huī), was just named General of the Western Expedition and Prince of Qin by Xiao Ji. After hearing the news that Xu Shou and Wang Seng were killed, he sighed: "The king cannot succeed! The good man is the foundation of the country, but now he kills them, what if he doesn't die!" Xiao Xiong is Xiao Yan's nephew and Xiao Ji's cousin.
("The High Place is Cold--The Emperor and His Concubines and Children" Series 299)
