Xiao Zixian (蕭子顯)

Overview

Xiao Zixian was a historian, Official, and Writer.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Jiao	驕	Jiao

Life and dates

Death

AD 537 大同三年
Died not long after reaching the commandery · At Wuxing 吳興
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 120

Age

49
AD 537 大同三年 · Reckoning Sui · Circumstance at death
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 120

Attested activity

AD 502 to AD 537 梁
Event Xiao Zixian's Liang petition and composition/presentation of the Qi history, at unspecified dates within AD 502-537. These are outer event bounds (Liang accession and the author's death), not continuous activity or exact start/finish dates.
Dated from the passage context · Book of Southern Qi 60, passages 1-2
AD 502 to AD 537 子顯之於斯文
Event Xiao Zixian's original Liang writing, retrospectively discussed by the Song editors. AD 502-537 bounds the original composition only; the later criticism is not a new living attestation and does not extend his activity into the Song.
Dated from the passage context · Book of Southern Qi 60, passage 27
from youth, contemporary with Xiao Zifan
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 76
AD 502 to AD 529 並仕梁
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passages 58-59
AD 502 to AD 549 吏部尚書蕭子顯表其至行
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 47, passage 263
AD 531 to AD 537 在東宮時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 35, passages 117-118

Show 3 more source-backed claims

AD 537 大同三年
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 120
AD 502 天監元年
Strongly inferred · Book of Liang 35, passages 2-3
AD 517 天監十六年
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 130

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Xiao Zike (蕭子恪)
brother 兄弟 · Uncertain siblings
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings · paternal line
Sources vary in certainty · Book of Liang 35, passages 2, 58-59
Parent of Xiao Xu (序)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 138
Parent of Xiao Kai (愷)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 138
Sibling of Xiao Zifan (蕭子範)
younger brother 弟 · Uncertain siblings
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 76
Child of Yi, Prince Wenxian of Yuzhang (豫章文獻王嶷)
paternal line
Strongly inferred · Book of Liang 35, passages 2, 216

Key source chapters

Book of Liang, Chapter 35 Volume 35: Xiao Zike; Xiao Zifan; Xiao Zixian; Xiao Ziyun 8 passages
Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 60 Preface 3 passages
Book of Liang, Chapter 47 Volume 47: Filial Acts 1 passage

Career and standing

Administrator of Wuxing 吳興太守
AD 537 大同三年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 120
General of Benevolent Might 仁威將軍
AD 537 大同三年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 120
Director (Shangshu) 尚書
Held
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 118
Friend to the Prince of Shaoling 邵陵王友
Held
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 126
in charge of selection 掌選
Held
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 116
Minister of Personnel 吏部尚書
Held
Directly stated · Book of Liang 47, passage 263

Show 4 more source-backed claims

Palace Attendant 侍中
AD 537 大同三年 · Posthumously appointed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 123
Secretary of the Palace 中書令
AD 537 大同三年 · Posthumously appointed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 123
Jiao (Arrogant) 驕
AD 537 大同三年 · Posthumous title bestowed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 125
imperial clan 宗室
Imperial clansman
Strongly inferred · Book of Liang 35, passages 2, 37

Places and affiliations

Polity Liang 梁 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passages 58-59, 116, 120; Book of Southern Qi 60, passage 1
AD 537 大同三年
At Wuxing 吳興 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 120
At the capital 京師 · Relation Returned to
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 126

Learning and skills

Skill fine writing 辭藻 · Level devoted
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 127
Skill poetic composition 制作 · Level spontaneous, not forced
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 135

Works and attributed material

Book of Later Han 後漢書
Extent 100 juan
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 137
Book of Qi 齊書
Extent 60 juan
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 137
An Ode on the Wild Goose's Preface 鴻序
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 136
Biography of Esteeming Frugality 貴儉傳
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 137
Book of Later Han 後漢書
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 137
Book of Qi 齊書
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 137

Show 8 more source-backed claims

Book of Southern Qi 南齊書
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 60, passages 1-2
collected writings 文集
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 137
Record of the Putong Northern Campaign 普通北伐記
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 137
Self-Preface 自序
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 126
AD 517 天監十六年
Imperial command · Addressee · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passages 130-131
Edict · Subject · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passages 121-124
Self-Preface 自序
Preface · Author · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passages 126-136
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passages 132-134

Events and relationships

Burial requested and posthumous title sought
AD 537 大同三年 · Ritual · Deceased
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 125
Compared himself to Jia Yi after receiving unexpected imperial favor
Scholarly · Author
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 133
Drawn into intimate banquets in the Eastern Palace
AD 531 to AD 537 在東宮時 · Court · Guest · With Emperor Jianwen (太宗) · At Eastern Palace 東宮
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 35, passage 117
First attended the Double Ninth court banquet and was alone commanded to compose a poem
AD 517 天監十六年 · Scholarly · Participant
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 130
Left to change clothes; praised as an extraordinary man
Court · Subject of praise · With Emperor Jianwen (太宗)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 118
Memorialized Xie Lan's utmost conduct
Political · Recommender · With Xie Lan (謝藺)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 47, passage 263

Show 6 more source-backed claims

Mourning ordered at once
AD 537 大同三年 · Ritual · Deceased
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 124
Petitioned
Political · Petitioner · With Emperor Wu of Liang (梁武帝) · Outcome Undertook a separate history of Qi
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 60, passage 2
Received guests of every sort without conversing, only waving a fan
Court · Selector
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 116
Relation Subject of · Person Emperor Wu of Liang (梁武帝)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 60, passage 2
Relation Favored by · Person Emperor Jianwen (太宗)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passages 117-119
Relation Staff of · Person Prince of Shaoling (邵陵王)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 126

Assessments and attributes

Assessment delighted in stylistic self-indulgence; revisions and ornament weakened his prose · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 60, passage 27
Assessment had literary accomplishment · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 59
Assessment in reputation achieved nothing; in what the heart sought already satisfied · Mode self-report Source Person Id Xiao Zixian (蕭子顯)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 127
Assessment may be called a talented man · Mode quotation
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 131
Assessment relying on talent and disdaining others · Mode edict
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 125
Assessment reserved, terse, and reliant on talent and spirit · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 115

Show 3 more source-backed claims

Assessment spirit and bearing rise loftily; a fine vessel of the clan · Mode edict
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 121
Assessment the gentry secretly resented his manner in selection · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 116
Item fan 扇 · Relation Used
Directly stated · Book of Liang 35, passage 116