Background

Xiao Ni was born in 444 as the second son of Xiao Daocheng and his wife Liu Zhirong (刘智容), four years younger than his older brother Xiao Ze. Because Xiao Daocheng was a Liu Song general who contributed in military campaigns, Xiao Ni served in a number of low-level government posts early in his life, including as a county magistrate and as an administrator in the census bureau. Around 466, when his father was given a greater title for his contributions in Emperor Ming of Song's war for the throne with Liu Zixun, Xiao Ni was given his father's old title of Marquess of Jinshou. He later served as a general under his father during the rebellion of Emperor Ming's brother Liu Xiufan (刘休范) the Prince of Guiyang in 474, early in the reign of Emperor Ming's son Emperor Houfei.

By 477, the young but violent and arbitrary Emperor Houfei was universally feared by officials and the people, for he was in the habit of roving outside the palace with his guards, killing all humans or animals that they came in contact with. One night, Emperor Houfei and his guards descended on the Xiaos' old house in Qingxi (青溪), a suburb of the capital Jiankang, where Xiao Ni was residing. Xiao Ni had his guards perform a sword dance in the courtyard, and as Emperor Houfei saw it, he assumed that Xiao Ni would be ready for any attacks, and so left. Meanwhile, Xiao Ni's father Xiao Daocheng was fearful for his own life and, as suggested by his distant cousin and associate Xiao Shunzhi (萧顺之), considered going to Guangling (广陵, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) to start a rebellion there; Xiao Ni, however, opposed, reasoning that rebellions from afar rarely succeeded, and that because of Emperor Houfei's arbitrary behavior, it would be easier to act against him from within the capital. Xiao Daocheng agreed, and soon was able to conspire with Emperor Houfei's attendant Yang Yufu (杨玉夫) to assassinate Emperor Houfei and effectively take over the Liu Song, making Emperor Houfei's brother Liu Zhun emperor (as Emperor Shun), but in actuality his puppet. During this period, as Xiao Daocheng prepared to take over the throne, Xiao Ni carried the title of Duke of Yong'an, and in 478 (after Xiao Daocheng defeated Shen Youzhi, who opposed his seizure of power) was made the governor of the key Jing Province (荆州, modern central and western Hubei). In 479, Xiao Daocheng had Emperor Shun yield the throne to him, ending Liu Song and starting Southern Qi. He created Xiao Ni the Prince of Yuzhang.

Under Emperor Gao

Soon after the establishment of Southern Qi, Emperor Gao recalled Xiao Ni back to Jiankang to serve as the governor of the capital region, Yang Province (扬州, modern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu), a highly important post, and a post that he would retain for the rest of his life.

Xiao Ni was very close to his older brother Xiao Ze, who was created the crown prince after Emperor Gao took the throne. In one incident when Emperor Gao got exceedingly angry at Xiao Ze after being informed (while Xiao Ze was outside the capital) that both Crown Prince Ze and his jester Zhang Jingzhen (张景真) were being overly wasteful and using items that were only appropriate for emperors, it was Xiao Ni who rode on a horse to warn Xiao Ze what the situation was, allowing Xiao Ze to quickly return to Jiankang to react to the incident. Emperor Gao at one point considered replacing Xiao Ze with Xiao Ni, but because Xiao Ni served his brother carefully, their relationship was not affected.

In 482, Emperor Gao died. Xiao Ni was said to be mourning so bitterly that his eyes and ears bled. Crown Prince Ze succeeded Emperor Gao, as Emperor Wu.

Under Emperor Wu

Emperor Wu conferred a number of honorific titles on Xiao Ni, and while publicly, Xiao Ni did not participate in policy decisions, in private they often discussed important matters of state, and Emperor Wu almost always listened to Xiao Ni's suggestions. He also frequently visited Xiao Ni's mansion, where both he and Xiao Ni would wear informal wear that brothers would wear while meeting with each other, rather than the formal clothing of an emperor and his subject. As a special honor, Emperor Wu also made Xiao Ni's wife Princess Yu be in charge of the ancestral worship of their parents and grandparents. Xiao Ni was said to be tall and attentive to his appearance, but careful in his actions. Several times he sought to transfer the powerful governorship of Yang Province to Emperor Wu's son Xiao Ziliang (萧子良) the Prince of Jingling, who was also a trusted advisor of Emperor Wu, but Emperor Wu refused, telling Xiao Ni that the post was his for life.

Initially, Xiao Ni did not have any sons, and probably sometime during Emperor Gao's reign, he adopted Emperor Wu's son Xiao Zixiang (萧子响) as his heir apparent -- a status that Xiao Zixiang, by Xiao Ni's request, continued to hold even after Xiao Ni had his own sons. However, in 488, after an incident where Xiao Zixiang threw a temper tantrum over not being able to wear the same style as his brothers (because his brothers were princes, while he was just the heir apparent of a prince), the adoption was rescinded, and Xiao Zixiang was returned to Emperor Wu's line and created the Prince of Badong. (Xiao Zixiang was subsequently executed in 490 after he killed a number of his advisors.)

In 492, Xiao Ni died and was buried with great honors. In words that he left his five sons, he stated:

:As for ability, some are capable and some are less capable. As for official posts, some are fortunate to be promoted while some are blocked. As for fortune, some are rich and some are poor. These are all natural phenomena, and you should not use your position to bully others.

The high praise that Xiao Ni received in official histories might be related to the fact that his fifth son Xiao Zixian (萧子显) was the official who was later, in the succeeding Liang Dynasty, commissioned to author the official history of Southern Qi, the Book of Qi.

生平

刘宋时期

萧嶷为人宽仁弘雅，有大成之量，萧道成特别锺爱他。起家为太学博士、长城令，入朝为尚书左民郎、钱唐令。萧道成击破薛索儿时，改萧嶷封邑至西阳，以先爵赐为晋寿县侯。除通直散骑侍郎，但以偏忧而去官。萧道成在桂阳之役出顿新亭垒，萧嶷为甯朔将军，领兵卫从。刘休范率士卒攻垒南，萧嶷手执白虎幡督战，屡次摧却刘休范军的攻击。事件平息后，迁中书郎。寻为安远护军、武陵内史。

当沈攸之责赕，率军讨伐荆州界内的蛮族，遂至五溪，禁断鱼、盐交易。各蛮族大怒，酉溪蛮王田头拟杀沈攸之使者，沈攸之责赕千万，田头拟输五百万因而被气死。其弟田娄侯篡位而立，田头拟之子田都出走入獠中。于是蛮部大乱，抄掠平民，至郡城之下。萧嶷遣队主张莫儿率将吏击破蛮军。田都自獠中请求继立，而田娄侯亦因惧怕而归附。萧嶷诛田娄侯于郡狱，命田都继其父之位，蛮众才安定。入朝为宋顺帝车骑谘议参军、府掾，后转为骠骑将军，仍迁从事中郎。见司徒袁粲时，袁粲谓人曰：「后来佳器也。」

萧道成在领军府时，萧嶷居于青溪宅。宋废帝刘昱夜中微行，意欲掩袭萧嶷宅内时，萧嶷命令左右舞刀戟于中庭，刘昱从墙间窥见，以为他有所防备所以散去。萧道成领南兖州时，镇军府长史萧顺之在镇，忧危既切，期渡江北起兵。萧嶷谏曰：「主上狂凶，人下不自保，单行道路，易以立功。外州起兵，鲜有克胜。物情疑惑，必先人受祸。今于此立计，万不可失。」宋废帝殒后，萧道成通报萧嶷曰：「大事已判，汝明可早入。」宋顺帝即位，转任侍中，总管宫内直卫。

沈攸之叛乱作难时，萧道成入朝堂，萧嶷代萧道成出镇东府，加冠军将军。袁粲举兵当晚，丹阳丞王逊报告叛变消息，先至东府，萧嶷遣帐内军主戴元孙二千人随薛道渊等俱至石头城，焚门之功，戴元孙是一早预谋的。先是王蕴荐部曲六十人助城防之务，其实为内应。萧嶷素知王蕴怀有贰心，所以不给其车仗，遣散至外省。沈攸之叛乱时搜检王蕴等人，皆已逃亡而去。迁中领军，加散骑常侍。长江上游平定后，萧赜自寻阳回来，萧嶷出为使持节、都督江州、豫州之新蔡、晋熙二郡军事、左将军、江州刺史，常侍如故。给鼓吹一部。以出谋献策之功，改封永安县公，食邑千五百户。仍迁徙都督荆、湘、雍、益、梁、甯、南北秦八州诸军事、镇西将军、荆州刺史，持节、常侍如同往时。

当时萧道成辅政，萧嶷以省约为首务，停止府州迎物仪式。当初沈攸之意欲聚众，开民相告，士庶坐执役者甚众。萧嶷至镇，一日遣散三千馀人。见囚五岁刑以下不连台者，皆原地遣返。以市税重滥，更定樢格，以税款归还民众。禁诸市调及苗籍。二千石官长不得与人为市，诸曹吏听分番假。百姓对他的仁政甚为喜悦。顺帝禅让之时，萧赜意欲速定大业，萧嶷却对篡改之事，沈默无所言。建元元年（479年），萧道成即位，赦诏未至，萧嶷先下令免除部内升明二年以前拖欠金额。迁侍中，尚书令，都督扬、南徐二州诸军事，骠骑大将军，开府仪同三司，扬州刺史，持节如故。受封为豫章郡王，邑三千户。仆射王俭笺曰：「旧楚萧条，仍岁多故，荒民散亡，实须缉理。公临莅甫尔，英风惟穆，江、汉来苏，八州慕义。自庾亮以来，荆楚无复如此美政。古人期月有成，而公旬日致治，岂不休哉！」

齐高帝时期

当时北魏有异动，齐高帝以萧嶷为都督荆、湘、雍、益、梁、甯、南、北秦八州诸军事，南蛮校尉，荆、湘二州刺史，持节、侍中、将军、开府如故。晋宋之际，刺史多不领南蛮，另以重要的大臣居此位，至是有二府二州。荆州资费岁钱三千万，布万匹，米六万斛，又以江、湘二州米十万斛给镇府；湘州资费岁七百万，布三千匹，米五万斛；南蛮资费每年三百万，布万匹，绵千斤，绢三百匹，米千斛，近代不能与之相比。寻给油络侠望车。

建元二年（480年）春，北魏入侵司、豫二州，萧嶷表遣南蛮司马崔慧景北上讨伐，又分遣中兵参军萧惠朗救援司州，屯西关。北魏军从济淮攻取寿春，分骑兵当出随、邓二地，众人皆因此忧虑。萧嶷曰：「虏入春夏，非动众时，令豫、司强守，遏其津要；彼见坚严，自当溃散，必不敢越二镇而南也。」是时纂严，萧嶷以荆州邻接蛮、蛋之地，顾虑当地生谋反之心，令镇内皆缓服。既而中北魏军竟不出樊、邓，于寿春被打败逃走。再给班剑二十人。其夏，萧嶷于南蛮园东南开馆立学，齐高帝表言状。

义阳大盗张群结寨于三溪，依据深险，侵袭义阳、武陵、天门、南平四郡界。萧嶷遣中兵参军虞欣祖为义阳太守，以纳降意诱张群，以厚礼示好，当他留下时在座上斩首，其党数百人皆散去，四郡获得平安。

入朝为都督扬南徐二州诸军事、中书监、司空、扬州刺史，持节、侍中如故。加兵置佐。萧嶷由江陵出发后感染疾病，至京师尚未痊愈，齐高帝深感忧虑，为萧嶷的病大赦。萧嶷疾病痊愈之后，齐高帝驾幸东府设金石乐，敕命准萧嶷乘舆至宫六门。

齐武帝时期

齐高帝驾崩，萧嶷哀号，眼耳皆出血。萧赜即位后，进升为太尉，设置兵佐，解侍中之职务，增加班剑为三十人。建元年间，萧赜因不遵齐高帝旨意，齐高帝颇有以萧嶷代嫡之意，而萧嶷事萧赜恭悌尽礼，未尝有违忤颜色，故萧赜对萧嶷友爱亦深。永明元年（483年）正月，领太子太傅，解中书监，其馀职函如故。

萧嶷虽然不参与朝务，然而言事密谋多被武帝信纳。永明二年（484年），齐武帝下诏曰：「汉之梁孝，宠异列蕃，晋之文献，秩殊恒序。况乃地侔前准，勋兼往式！虽天伦有本，而因事增情。宜广田邑，用申恩礼。」因此增封食邑为四千户。

萧嶷时常疑虑，在宫宴上求解除扬州之封授给竟陵王萧子良。齐武帝始终不许，曰：「毕汝一世，无所多言。」齐武帝即位后，频繁发诏礼拜先皇陵墓，但次次也不能成行。遂遣萧嶷礼拜先皇陵墓，回程时经过延陵季子庙，参观沸井时，有水牛冲突队伍，士兵擒下水牛推问，萧嶷不许，取绢一匹横系牛角，放牛回家。因为萧嶷为人治存宽厚，故得朝野欢心。萧嶷性格泛爱，不喜欢听闻别人过失，左右若有投书相告，他会置于靴中，竟然不看书取火焚之。

永明五年（487年）正月戊子，进位大司马。永明八年（490年），给皂轮车。再加中书监，萧嶷固让。

永明十年（492年），齐武帝封萧嶷诸子，旧例食邑千户，萧嶷意欲五子俱受封，启奏减每人五百户。同年萧嶷疾笃，上表解职但齐武帝不许，赐钱百万营功德。萧嶷又启曰：「臣自婴今患，亟降天临，医走术官，泉开藏府，慈宠优渥，备极人臣。生年疾迫，遽阴无几。愿陛下审贤与善，极寿苍旻，强德纳和，为亿兆御。臣命违昌数，奄夺恩怜，长辞明世，伏涕呜咽。」薨，年四十九岁。当日齐武帝再探视其疾，至薨后乃回宫。下诏敛以衮冕之服，温明秘器，大鸿胪持节护理丧事，太官朝夕致送祭奠，大司马、太傅二府文武悉停过葬。又下诏赠假黄钺、都督中外诸军事、丞相、扬州牧，绿綟绶，具九服锡命之礼，侍中、大司马、太傅、王如故。赐给九旒鸾辂，黄屋左纛，虎贲班剑百人，轀輬车，前后部羽葆、鼓吹。丧葬送仪，一切依当年汉东平王刘苍的规范。

萧嶷临终时，召他的儿子萧子廉、萧子恪留下遗言：「人生在世，本自非常，吾年已老，前路几何。居今之地，非心期所及。性不贪聚，自幼所怀，政以汝兄弟累多，损吾暮志耳。无吾后，当共相勉厉，笃睦为先。才有优劣，位有通塞，运有富贫，此自然理，无足以相陵侮。若天道有灵，汝等各自修立，灼然之分无失也。勤学行，守基业，治闺庭，尚闲素，如此足无忧患。圣主储皇及诸亲贤，亦当不以吾没易情也。三日施灵，唯香火、盘水、乾饭、酒脯、槟榔而已。朔望菜食一盘，加以甘果，此外悉省。葬后除灵，可施吾常所乘舆扇伞。朔望时节，席地香火、盘水、酒脯、乾饭、槟榔便足。虽才愧古人，意怀粗亦有在，不以遗财为累。主衣所余，小弟未婚，诸妹未嫁，凡应此用，本自茫然，当称力及时，率有为办。事事甚多，不复甲乙。棺器及墓中，勿用馀物为后患也。朝服之外，唯下铁鈈刀一口。作冢勿令深，一一依格，莫过度也。后堂楼可安佛，供养外国二僧，馀皆如旧。与汝游戏后堂船乘，吾所乘牛马，送二宫及司徒，服饰衣裘，悉为功德。」萧子廉等哀号哭泣而奉行萧嶷的遗训。

齐武帝哀痛特至，至其年十二月才举办乐宴请朝臣，当时齐武帝仍虚欷流涕。诸王邸不得起楼临瞰宫中，齐武帝后来登景阳，望见楼悲感，乃敕命毁此楼。萧嶷薨后，第库无见钱，齐武帝敕命货杂物服饰得数百万，从此起集于善寺，每月给府第百万，至齐武帝驾崩后才省却。

一说萧嶷是被长侄萧长懋所害。萧嶷子萧子显作《南齐书》时，讳言其父死状且为萧长懋讳，才没有作记载。

属官

府佐

;左军府（478年－479年）

• 王秀之，左军长史

• 刘绘，左军主簿

;镇西府（479年）

• 王秀之，镇西长史

• 崔慧景，镇西司马，兼谘议参军

• 到坦，镇西谘议参军

;骠骑府（479年－480年）

• 王秀之，豫章王骠骑长史

• 刘瓛，豫章王骠骑记室参军

• 江淹，豫章王骠骑记室参军

• 张融，豫章王骠骑谘议参军

• 到坦，豫章王骠骑谘议参军

• 萧惠朗，豫章王骠骑中兵参军

• 刘伾绪，豫章王骠骑中兵参军

• 庄明，豫章王骠骑中兵参军

• 孙淡，豫章王骠骑行参军

• 乐蔼，豫章王骠骑行参军

;司空府（480年－482年）

• 王慈，豫章王司空长史

• 荀伯玉，豫章王司空谘议参军

• 张融，豫章王司空谘议参军

• 陆慧晓，豫章王司空掾

;太尉府（482年－487年）

• 王谌，豫章王太尉司马

• 王玄邈，豫章王太尉司马

• 荀伯玉，豫章王太尉谘议参军

• 江效，豫章王太尉谘议参军，领录事参军

• 乐蔼，豫章王太尉刑狱参军，典书记

• 张欣泰，豫章王太尉参军

• 谢朓，豫章王太尉行参军

• 刘璡，豫章王太尉板行佐

;大司马府（487年－492年）

• 王智深，豫章王大司马参军，兼记室参军

• 庾铣，豫章王大司马记室参军

• 刘祥，豫章王大司马谘议参军

• 乐蔼，豫章王大司马中兵参军、记室参军

• 王僧孺，豫章王大司马行参军

• 萧融，豫章王大司马法曹行参军

州佐

;扬州（479年，480年－492年）

• 辛普明，扬州议曹从事

• 杜栖，扬州议曹从事、西曹佐

国官

;豫章王国（479年－492年）

• 王智深，豫章王国常侍

家庭

妻

• 庾氏，豫章王妃

子

萧嶷最初因无子而过继萧子响为世子，后有子十六人，可考者十人。其中萧子显和萧子云参见十八家晋史。

• 长子：萧子廉，字景蔼，永新侯→豫章哀世子

• 第二子：萧子恪，字景冲，南康侯→南康恭子

• 第三子：萧子操，泉陵侯

• 第四子：萧子行，洮阳侯

• 第五子：萧子光，宜阳侯

• 第六子：萧子范，字景则，祁阳侯→祁阳文子

• 第八子：萧子显，字景阳，宁都侯→宁都骄子

• 第九子：萧子云，字景乔，新浦侯→新浦子

• 萧子晖，字景光

• 萧子开，字景发

女

• 第二女：绥安县主

延伸阅读

参考

• 《南齐书·豫章文献王传》

• 《南史卷四十三·列传第三十三齐高帝诸子下》

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