Song, Liao, and Jin · Official and Administrator

Xiao Baoxian 蕭保先

Xiāo Bǎoxiān

Attested AD 1101 - AD 1116

Passages: 6
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Xiao Baoxian was an official and Administrator.

Life and dates

Death

Cause Murdered by bandits
Directly stated · History of Liao 105, passage 35
Assassination · At Eastern Capital 東京
Directly stated · History of Liao 28, passage 56

Attested activity

AD 1116 六年
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 28, passages 55-56
AD 1101 天祚即位後
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 105, passages 34-35

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Associate Guardian 同知留守
Held
Directly stated · History of Liao 105, passage 92
Eastern Capital regent 東京留守
Held
Directly stated · History of Liao 28, passage 55
Guardian 留守
Held
Directly stated · History of Liao 105, passage 35

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Liao 105, passage 35
At Eastern Capital 東京 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · History of Liao 28, passage 55

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of Liao 105, passage 93

Assessments and attributes

Assessment harsh; Bohai suffered under him · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Liao 28, passage 59

References in the histories

History of Liao, Chapter 28Volume 28 Annals 28: Emperor Tianzuo 2 · 3 passages

六年春正月丙寅朔，東京夜有惡少年十餘人，乘酒執刃，垣入留守府，問留守蕭保先所在：「今軍變，請為備。」 In the sixth year, on the bingyin new moon of the first spring month, at the Eastern Capital more than ten evil youths at night, drunk, took blades, scaled the wall into the regent's residence, and asked where regent Xiao Baoxian was: "There is a military mutiny; please prepare."

蕭保先出，刺殺之。 Xiao Baoxian came out; they stabbed and killed him.

而蕭保先嚴酷，渤海苦之，故有是變。 Xiao Baoxian was harsh; the Bohai suffered under him, hence this mutiny.

History of Liao, Chapter 105Volume 105 Biographies 35: Capable Officials · 3 passages

時盜殺留守蕭保先，始利其財，因而倡亂。 At that time bandits murdered the guardian Xiao Baoxian, at first for his wealth and thereby inciting wider disorder.

同知留守蕭保先怪而問之，人望曰：「民產若括之無遺，他日必長厚斂之弊，大率十得六七足矣。」 Associate guardian Xiao Baoxian was astonished and asked how he had finished so quickly. Renwang said, "If the people's property is inventoried without omission, officials will surely grow accustomed to heavy exactions. On the whole, recording six or seven parts in ten is sufficient."

保先謝曰：「公慮遠，吾不及也。」 Baoxian apologized and said, "Your foresight is far-reaching—I cannot match it."