Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Prince and Military Commander

Xiao Yu 蕭譽

First attested AD 521; died AD 552

Passages: 37
Chapters: 6
Histories: 3

Overview

Xiao Yu was a prince and Military Commander.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Chongsun	重孫	Chongsun

Life and dates

Death

AD 552 承聖
Beheaded · At Changsha 長沙
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passage 179

Attested activity

AD 530 chapter narrative
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 30, passage 178
AD 531 中大通三年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 55, passage 153
AD 548 to AD 550 侯景之亂
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 79, passage 111
AD 548 to AD 552 侯景之亂
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passages 8-9
AD 545 大同十一年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 37, passage 58
AD 550 大寶元年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 29, passages 129, 132

Show 2 more source-backed claims

AD 549 太清
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 55, passage 158
AD 521 普通二年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 55, passage 152

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Xiao Cha (蕭詧)
elder brother 兄 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Sui 79, passage 111
Child of Crown Prince Zhaoming (昭明太子)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passage 151
Kin of Xiao Lun (蕭綸)
nephew 猶子
Directly stated · Book of Liang 29, passage 153
Kin of Emperor Yuan (世祖)
nephew 猶子
Strongly inferred · Book of Liang 29, passages 142, 153

Key source chapters

Career and standing

General of the Rear Guard 領軍將軍
AD 545 大同十一年 · Held
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 37, passage 58
Prince of Hedong 河東郡王
AD 531 中大通三年 · Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passage 153
Duke of Zhijiang county 枝江縣公
AD 521 普通二年 · Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passage 152
Prince of Hedong 河東王
AD 550 大寶元年 · Held
Directly stated · Book of Liang 29, passage 132

Places and affiliations

Liang
Relation Associated with
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passage 151
Polity Liang 梁 · Relation Active in
Strongly inferred · Book of Liang 29, passage 132
AD 550 大寶元年
At Changsha 長沙 · Relation Besieged at
Directly stated · Book of Liang 29, passage 132
At Xiangzhou 湘州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passage 157

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Bao Quan (鮑泉)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passages 166-167
Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passages 161, 176-177

Events and relationships

Attacked
Military · Defender · With Bao Quan (鮑泉)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 178
Defeated and killed
Military · Commander · With Fangdeng (方等)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passage 163

Assessments and attributes

Assessment lax in receiving envoys; military grain blocked · Mode hearsay Source Person Id Xiao Lun (蕭綸)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 29, passage 141
Assessment stubborn and heedless of instruction · Mode named-source-report Source Person Id Xiao Lun (蕭綸)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 29, passage 137

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Liang 29, passage 132; Book of Liang 37, passage 58

References in the histories

Search passages

History

37 passages

Book of Chen, Chapter 10Volume 10: Zhou Tiehu; Cheng Lingxi · 6 passages

語音傖重，膂力過人，便馬槊，事梁河東王蕭譽，以勇敢聞，譽板為府中兵參軍。 He spoke with a heavy northern accent, had uncommon strength, and fought well from horseback with the spear. He served Liang's Prince of Hedong, Xiao Yu, and won a name for bravery. Yu commissioned him military adjutant in the princely staff.

譽為廣州刺史，以鐵虎為興寧令。 When Yu became inspector of Guangzhou, he made Tiehu magistrate of Xingning.

譽遷湘州，又為臨蒸令。 When Yu moved to Xiangzhou, Tiehu was again made magistrate of Linzheng.

侯景之亂，元帝於荊州遣世子方等代譽，且以兵臨之。 During Hou Jing's rebellion, Emperor Yuan of Liang at Jingzhou sent his heir Fangdeng to replace Yu and marched troops against him.

譽拒戰，大捷，方等死，鐵虎功最，譽委遇甚重。 Yu fought back and won a crushing victory. Fangdeng was killed. Tiehu's merit stood first, and Yu relied on him ever more heavily.

及王僧辯討譽，於陣獲鐵虎，僧辯命烹之，鐵虎呼曰：「侯景未滅，柰何殺壯士。」 When Wang Sengbian attacked Yu, he took Tiehu on the field. Sengbian ordered him boiled alive. Tiehu shouted, "Hou Jing is not yet destroyed—why kill a fighting man?"

Book of Liang, Chapter 29Volume 29: Three Princes of Gaozu · 6 passages

時元帝圍河東王譽於長沙旣久，內外斷絕，綸聞其急，欲往救之，爲軍糧不繼，遂止。 At that time Emperor Yuan had long besieged Prince of Hedong Yu at Changsha, cutting the city off inside and out. When Xiao Lun heard how desperate the situation was, he wanted to go to his rescue, but with army provisions running short he had to abandon the plan.

日者聞譽專情失訓，以幼陵長，湘、峽之內，遂至交鋒。 Lately I have heard that Yu, stubborn and heedless of instruction, let the young insult their elders, until fighting broke out across Xiang and the gorges.

及屆此籓，備加覿訪，咸云譽應接多替，兵糧閉壅； When I reached this princely domain and questioned everyone closely, all said Yu had been lax in receiving envoys and that military grain was blocked;

譽未識大體，意斷所行，雖存急難，豈知竊思。 Yu failed to see the larger picture and acted on his own judgment alone. Though he was in grave danger, how could he know what others were thinking in private?

今已喪鐘山，復誅猶子，將非揚湯止沸，吞冰療寒。 Zhongshan is already lost—must we also kill a nephew? Is that not like skimming boiling water or swallowing ice to cure a chill?

若以譽之無道，近遠同疾，弟復效尤，攸非獨罪。 If Yu's misconduct afflicts near and far alike, and my younger brother also follows his bad example, the fault is not Yu's alone.

Book of Liang, Chapter 30Volume 30: Pei Ziye; Gu Xie; Xu Chi; Bao Quan · 2 passages

太清三年，元帝命泉征河東王譽於湘州，泉至長沙，作連城以逼之，譽率衆攻泉，泉據柵堅守，譽不能克。 In the third year of Taiqing, Emperor Yuan ordered Quan to campaign against Prince Hedong Xiao Yu in Xiangzhou. Quan reached Changsha and built linked ramparts to press him; Yu led his forces to attack Quan, but Quan held the palisade and defended firmly, and Yu could not overcome him.

泉因其弊出擊之，譽大敗，盡俘其衆，遂圍其城，久未能拔。 Quan, taking advantage of his weakness, sallied forth and struck him; Yu was greatly defeated and his entire force was captured. Quan then besieged his city but for a long time could not take it.

Book of Liang, Chapter 37Volume 37: Xie Ju; He Jingrong · 2 passages

時河東王譽爲領軍將軍，敬容以書解慧明，譽即封書以奏。 Prince of Hedong Xiao Yu then commanded the Rear Guard; Jingrong wrote to plead for Huiming, and Yu at once sealed the letter and reported it to the throne.

及敬容爲宰相，謂何姓當爲其禍，故抑沒宗族，無仕進者，至是竟爲河東所敗。 Once he was chancellor he feared harm from anyone surnamed He and blocked his clan from office; in the end he was brought down by the Prince of Hedong.

Book of Liang, Chapter 55Volume 55: Zong, Prince of Yuzhang; Ji, Prince of Wuling; Zhengde, Prince of Linhe; Yu, Prince of Hedong · 20 passages

豫章王綜武陵王紀臨賀王正德河東王譽 Prince Xiao Zong of Yuzhang; Prince Xiao Ji of Wuling; Prince Zhengde of Linhe; Prince Yu of Hedong

河東王譽字重孫，昭明太子第二子也。 Prince of Hedong Yu, styled Chongsun, was the second son of the Zhaoming Heir Apparent.

未幾，侯景寇京邑，譽率軍入援，至青草湖，臺城沒，有詔班師，譽還湘鎮。 Soon Hou Jing struck the capital; Yu marched to relieve it, reached Qingcao Lake, then heard the city had fallen, received orders to withdraw, and returned to his post in Xiang.

時世祖軍于武城，新除雍州刺史張纘密報世祖曰：「河東起兵，岳陽聚米，共爲不逞，將襲江陵。」 Emperor Yuan was then at Wucheng; the new inspector of Yongzhou, Zhang Zuan, secretly warned him: "Hedong has risen and Yueyang is hoarding grain—they plot mischief and mean to strike Jiangling."

世祖甚懼，因步道間還，遣諮議周弘直至譽所，督其糧衆。 Emperor Yuan was terrified; he slipped back by side roads and sent Adviser Zhou Hongzhi to Yu's camp to take command of grain and troops.

譽曰：「各自軍府，何忽隸人？」 Yu said, "Each man has his own command—why suddenly place me under another?"

前後使三反，譽並不從。 Three envoys came and went; Yu refused each time.

世祖大怒，乃遣世子方等征之，反爲譽所敗死。 Enraged, Emperor Yuan sent his heir Fangdeng against him; Yu defeated and killed him.

又令信州刺史鮑泉討譽，幷與書陳示禍福，許其遷善。 He then ordered Bao Quan, inspector of Xinzhou, to attack Yu, writing to show reward and ruin and offering a path to repentance.

譽不答，修浚城池，爲拒守之計。 Yu made no answer; he strengthened walls and moats and prepared to stand siege.

泉軍于石槨寺，譽帥衆逆擊之，不利而還。 Quan camped at Shigu Temple; Yu led a counterattack, failed, and pulled back.

泉進軍于橘洲，譽又盡銳攻之，不剋。 Quan moved on Juzhou; Yu threw in every crack soldier and still could not break him.

會已暮，士卒疲弊，泉因出擊，大敗之，斬首三千級，溺死者萬餘人。 At dusk, with Yu's men spent, Quan counterstruck and shattered them—three thousand heads taken and more than ten thousand drowned.

譽於是焚長沙郭邑，驅居民於城內，鮑泉度軍圍之。 Yu burned Changsha's outer suburbs, herded the people within the walls, and Bao Quan brought his army across to invest the city.

譽幼而驍勇，兼有膽氣，能撫循士卒，甚得衆心。 Yu had been bold since boyhood, fearless and skilled at winning soldiers' hearts.

後世祖又遣領軍將軍王僧辯代鮑泉攻譽，僧辯築土山以臨城內，日夕苦攻，矢石如雨，城中將士死傷者太半。 Later Shizu also sent Commandant of the Army Wang Sengbian to replace Bao Quan in attacking Yu. Sengbian raised earthworks overlooking the city and assaulted bitterly day and night until arrows and stones fell like rain and more than half the soldiers in the city were dead or wounded.

譽窘急，乃潛裝海船，將潰圍而出。 Desperate, Yu secretly prepared sea boats to burst the siege and flee.

會其麾下將慕容華引僧辯入城，譽顧左右皆散，遂被執，謂守者曰：「勿殺我！ Then his officer Murong Hua admitted Sengbian into the city; Yu's followers scattered and he was taken. He cried to his guards, "Do not kill me!

初，譽之將敗也，私引鏡照面，不見其頭； Before his fall, Yu once looked in a mirror and saw himself headless;

譽甚惡之，俄而城陷。 Yu loathed these signs; soon the city fell.

Book of Sui, Chapter 79Volume 79 Biographies 44: Imperial Affines · 1 passage

侯景之亂，其兄河東王譽與其叔父湘東王繹不協，為繹所害。 During Hou Jing's rebellion, his elder brother Prince Yu of Hedong fell out with their uncle Prince Yi of Xiangdong and was killed by him.