Background

Xiao Zhaoye was born in 473, when his great-grandfather Xiao Daocheng was a Liu Song general. Initially, after Xiao Daocheng seized the throne in 479, ending Liu Song and establishing Southern Qi (as its Emperor Gao), Xiao Zhaoye's father Xiao Zhangmao, as the oldest son of the crown prince Xiao Ze, was created the Prince of Nan Commandery. Xiao Zhaoye's mother Wang Baoming, Xiao Zhangmao's wife, was created the Princess of Nan Commandery. Xiao Zhaoye himself was not given any titles at the moment. He was the only son of Xiao Zhangmao born of Princess Wang, as she was not much favored by her husband.

As Prince of Nan Commandery, then Crown Prince

In 482, after Emperor Gao died, Xiao Ze succeeded him as Emperor Wu. Xiao Zhangmao was created the Crown Prince, and Xiao Zhaoye, as Xiao Zhangmao's oldest son, was given his father's old title of Prince of Nan Commandery. In 484, at age 11, he married He Jingying as his princess.

On the surface, when Xiao Zhaoye was the Prince of Nan Commandery, he was thought to be studious, careful, filially pious, elegant in his behavior, and dexterious. Therefore, his grandfather Emperor Wu favored him greatly. 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. During this time, he lived with his uncle Xiao Ziliang (蕭子良) the Prince of Jingling in Xifu (西府), an important suburb of the capital Jiankang. As Xiao Zhangmao often limited his activities and budget, Xiao Zhaoye often borrowed money from rich households, who would not dare to refuse. He also duplicated a set of keys for the fortress gates so that he could spend night time in games at various military camps. Exasperated, his teachers Shi Renzu (史仁祖) and Hu Tianyi (胡天翼), believing that they and their households would be in trouble regardless of whether they informed this to Emperor Wu or Crown Prince Zhangmao or not, both committed suicide. Xiao Ziliang's wife Princess Yuan raised him with love, but Xiao Zhaoye, as he grew, became suspicious that his uncle was interested in taking the throne himself.

Xiao Zhaoye's wife Princess He was known for her adulterous activities, as she carried on affairs with others while she was princess. The most infamous affair she carried out was with Xiao Zhaoye's attendant Yang Min (楊珉) -- it was said that they spent day and night together, just like husband and wife. However, He Jingying also was very loving in her relationship with Xiao Zhaoye, and so Xiao Zhaoye turned a blind eye to her adulterous activities. (Some historians indicate that there could have also been a sexual relationship between Xiao Zhaoye and Yang Min, suggesting a ménage à trois.)

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. However, as soon as he arrived at his house, he became happy and feasted. He often requested a witch named Yang to curse his grandfather and father so that he could become emperor sooner. 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. Not realizing Xiao Zhaoye's activities, Emperor Wu created Xiao Zhaoye crown prince to replace Xiao Zhangmao. Princess He was created crown princess, and Crown Princess Wang became crown princess dowager. 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 (喜, meaning "happiness") surrounded by 36 smaller Xi characters.

As Emperor Wu fell extremely ill, the official Wang Rong (王融), who was friendly with Xiao Ziliang, tried to carry out a plot to put Xiao Ziliang on the throne instead of Xiao Zhaoye. The plot, however, was thwarted by Emperor Wu's cousin Xiao Luan the Marquess of Xichang, and after Emperor Wu soon died late in 493, Xiao Zhaoye took the throne.

Reign

Emperor Wu's will instructed Xiao Zhaoye to entrust governmental matters to Xiao Ziliang and Xiao Luan, but Xiao Zhaoye, believing Xiao Ziliang to be complicit in Wang Rong's plot, immediately carried out several actions that were intended to show his distrust, leaving actual power in Xiao Luan's hands while entrusting palace and military matters to several associates he endeared himself to while he was the Prince of Nan Commandery, while leaving Xiao Ziliang with a highly honored but ceremonial post. Xiao Zhaoye also ordered Wang to commit suicide. As soon as Emperor Wu was placed in a coffin, Xiao Zhaoye resumed the playing of music, which was traditionally considered inappropriate during times of mourning. He also took Emperor Wu's favorite concubine Consort Huo as his own consort—an act then considered incest—and, in order to avoid this from being known, had her name changed to Xu. He honored Crown Princess Dowager Wang as empress dowager, while creating Crown Princess He empress. He spent his days on feasting, games, and on rewarding his associates, often seen talking to money, "Before, it was not easy for me to obtain even one of you. Now there is no one to stop me from using you." The treasury surpluses that the frugal Emperor Gao and the relatively frugal Emperor Wu built up were expended in less than a year. His associates were selling offices openly, and Xiao Zhaoye not only did not curb them in, but approved their requests handily.

Xiao Luan, seeing that Xiao Zhaoye was not behaving appropriately, began considering deposing Xiao Zhaoye. He also often counseled Xiao Zhaoye to change his ways, but Xiao Zhaoye did not listen and began to be suspicious of Xiao Luan, particularly after Xiao Luan subsequently forced him to execute Empress He's lover Yang Min and his associate Xu Longju (徐龍駒) after accusing them of crimes. He tried to discuss the matter with Emperor Wu's younger brother Xiao Qiang (蕭鏘) the Prince of Poyang, who however opposed to the action. Meanwhile, Xiao Zhaoye's trusted generals Xiao Chen (蕭諶) and Xiao Tanzhi (蕭坦之), seeing how frivolous his actions were, instead secretly joined Xiao Luan's party and were informing Xiao Luan of Xiao Zhaoye's actions. Soon, Xiao Luan was finding excuses to execute several other associates of Xiao Zhaoye—including the general Zhou Fengshu (周奉叔), the teacher Du Wenqian (杜文謙), and the head of the household Qiwu Zhenzhi (綦毋珍之) -- in order to weaken Xiao Zhaoye's associates. Meanwhile, Xiao Zhaoye's own alertness was reduced after Xiao Ziliang died of anxiety in summer 494.

By fall 494, however, Xiao Zhaoye was tired of Xiao Luan, and he plotted with Empress He's uncle He Yin (何胤) to have Xiao Luan killed. He Yin did not dare to do so, and suggested that Xiao Luan be observed further. Xiao Zhaoye therefore stopped giving important tasks to Xiao Luan. Xiao Luan then started his coup, in conjunction with Xiao Chen and Xiao Tanzhi—and Xiao Zhaoye, not realizing that Xiao Chen and Xiao Tanzhi had betrayed him, sought help from Xiao Chen when he realized Xiao Luan was beginning an attack on the palace. His hopes were dashed when he saw Xiao Chen enter the palace. His palace guards were still ready to fight, but Xiao Zhaoye instead fled, and Xiao Chen chased him down and killed him. Xiao Luan issued an edict in Empress Dowager Wang's name, demoting Xiao Zhaoye to the rank of prince (with the title of Prince of Yulin, which became the title by which he was thereafter known) and making his younger brother Xiao Zhaowen, the Prince of Xin'an, emperor.

Era name

• Longchang (隆昌 py. lóng chāng) 494

Family

Consorts:

• Princess consort, of the He clan (王妃 何氏), personal name Jingying (婧英)

Ancestry

生平

齊武帝登基後，南郡王蕭長懋被立為皇太子，蕭昭業繼為南郡王。小時候由叔父竟陵王蕭子良撫養。

蕭昭業雖然工於隸書，美容止而獲得祖父與父親的喜愛，但是蕭昭業本人是一個陽奉陰違的人。父親病重時，他在人前表現出悲傷得連自己的健康都受損的樣子，見者無不動容，而一旦回家，即表現出喜狀，還要一位楊姓巫婆詛咒他的父親和祖父，以讓自己可以儘早登極。蕭長懋不久死去，蕭昭業認為楊氏詛咒得力，予以賞賜。武帝對此全然不覺，立蕭昭業為皇太孫。武帝不久也病倒了，蕭昭業繼續在人前作悲傷狀，實則興奮，在給妻何婧英的信中寫了一個大「喜」字，還在其周圍寫了36個小「喜」字。武帝曾有意改立第五子安陸王蕭子敬為太子，但一次蕭昭業和蕭子敬來請安後，他覺得蕭子敬「鈍」而打消了念頭。

齊武帝病重時，和蕭子良相好的中書郎王融想改立蕭子良為新君，取代蕭昭業，被武帝堂弟西昌侯蕭鸞挫敗。武帝臨終囑咐蕭昭業：「五年以內讓別人主政，五年以後不要再讓他人主政。」493年末齊武帝死後，蕭昭業即位，改年號為隆昌。同時由蕭子良與蕭鸞輔政。

蕭昭業尊母王寶明為皇太后，封妻何婧英為皇后。他即位之後便原型畢露，不但濫發賞賜，又與庶母霍氏通姦，並且過著十分浪費奢靡的生活，毫無一國之君的姿態，並架空涉嫌奪位的蕭子良，賜死王融，朝政都委託西昌侯蕭鸞處理。還在喪期，就恢復奏樂。寵幸偏愛中書舍人綦毋珍之、朱隆之、直將軍曹道剛、周奉叔、宦官徐龍駒等人，縱容近臣公然賣官。蕭昭業曾不滿蕭鸞專權，對徐龍駒說：「我和蕭鏘（蕭昭業叔祖父，鄱陽王）商議殺蕭鸞，蕭鏘不同意，只能先讓蕭鸞專權一陣子了。」蕭鸞迫使蕭昭業下令誅殺皇后何婧英的男寵楊氏及徐龍駒；將軍蕭諶、蕭坦之秘密投靠蕭鸞，將蕭昭業的動向告訴他；蕭鸞又設計尋罪名殺死蕭昭業近臣周奉叔、杜文謙、綦毋珍之；而蕭昭業卻因蕭子良去世而放鬆警惕。

蕭昭業與何婧英的叔父何胤圖謀殺蕭鸞，但何胤不敢。蕭昭業不再委蕭鸞以重任。蕭鸞擔心生變，與蕭諶、蕭坦之合謀政變，由二人等人于省誅殺曹道剛、朱隆之等，親自率兵自尚書省入雲龍門進宮。蕭昭業正在壽昌殿和霍氏裸體相對，聞變下令關閉宮門，派宦官登興光樓察看。他不知蕭諶、蕭坦之已叛變，向蕭諶求助，見蕭諶殺入殿中，才知。宿衛將士準備抵抗蕭諶時，蕭昭業逃向愛姬徐氏房，拔劍自刺，不果，以帛纏頸，乘輿出延德殿，宿衛見狀要護駕，蕭昭業卻沒有發話，出西弄，被蕭諶追上弒殺，尸體運到徐龍駒府中。蕭鸞以太后名義下詔追廢蕭昭業為鬱林王，葬以親王禮，立蕭昭業的庶弟新安王蕭昭文為帝。

家世

后妃

• 皇后何婧英

• 徐氏，本為其父蕭長懋妾室霍氏，改徐姓，入後宮