Xiao Baoyin - Rebellion and Death

Rebellion and Death

However, Xiao Baoyin continued to consider rebellion, using the excuse that one of Empress Dowager Hu's most trusted officials was Yuan Lüe (元略) the Prince of Yiyang, who had been previously treated well by Liang when he fled there, and must have been instructed by Liang's Emperor Wu to kill him under false pretenses. When Empress Dowager Hu sent the strong-willed official Li Daoyuan to examine Xiao Baoyin's troops, Xiao Baoyin assassinated Li and then, in winter 527, declared himself the Emperor of Qi. However, his rebellion was not much supported even by his own subordinates, who rose against him. In 528, his general Hou Zhongde (侯終德) ambushed him, and with his troops collapsing, Xiao Baoyin fled, with his wife the Princess Nanyang and youngest son Xiao Kai (蕭凱) to Moqi Chounu. Moqi Chounu, who soon declared himself emperor, gave Xiao Baoyin the title Taifu (太傅, "imperial professor") and made him a major general.

In 530, the paramount general Erzhu Rong (who had in 527 overthrown Empress Dowager Hu after she killed Emperor Xiaoming and placed Emperor Xiaozhuang on the throne) sent his nephew Erzhu Tianguang to quell the rebellions in the western provinces. Erzhu Tianguang quickly scored a number of victories, and after first tricking Moqi into complacency, made a surprise attack on him and captured him. Erzhu Tianguang then approached Moqi's capital Gaoping (高平, in modern Guyuan, Ningxia), and the forces in Gaoping seized Xiao Baoyin and surrendered.

Xiao Baoyin and Moqi Chounu were taken to the capital Luoyang and displayed for three days like circus animals. Xiao Baoyin's putative nephew Xiao Zan (蕭贊) (the son of Consort Wu, who was Xiao Baojuan's concubine and later Xiao Yan's, who believed that he was Xiao Baojuan's son and not Xiao Yan's) the Prince of Danyang pled for his life, as did the officials Li Shenjun (李神儁) and Gao Daomu (高道穆), who were friendly with Xiao Baoyin, reasoning to Emperor Xiaozhuang that Xiao Baoyin's rebellion was during Empress Dowager Hu's corrupt regime. However, the official Wang Daoxi (王道習) argued against sparing Xiao Baoyin, reasoning that while Xiao Baoyin's rebellion was during the prior administration, he served under Moqi Chounu during the current administration. Emperor Xiaozhuang agreed, and beheaded Moqi and forced Xiao Baoyin to commit suicide. As he was about to take poison, the Princess Nanyang and his children visited him, crying bitterly, but Xiao Baoyin was not mournful, merely stating, "This is heaven's wish. I only regret that I had not been a proper subject."