生平

祖父蕭靚是南梁的右將軍，父親蕭諒，是南梁的始興郡丞。蕭摩訶年小的時候父親就過世了，他的姑丈蔡路養當時人在南康，就將他收養。

梁武帝太清二年（548年）時爆發侯景之亂，陳霸先當時帶兵攻擊首都，蔡路養則帶兵與他對抗，當時蕭摩訶16歲，出戰時就少有其他人可以匹敵。後來蔡路養兵敗後，蕭摩訶就跟隨侯安都，侯安都非常重用他，之後就跟著侯安都一起征戰。後來任約與徐嗣徽和北齊合作，陳霸先派侯安都去對抗北齊軍隊，兩軍相遇於鍾山龍尾及北郊壇。侯安都對蕭摩訶說，「過去聽聞你的名聲，千聞不如一見」，蕭摩訶回答他說「我今天就讓您看見」。到了對戰的時候，侯安都墜馬被敵軍包圍，蕭摩訶大聲一喊，一個人衝向北齊軍隊，北齊軍隊無法抵擋而撤退，侯安都因而解圍。天嘉初年，除本縣令，又以戰勝留異和歐陽紇的戰功，被任命為巴山太守。

太建十四年（582年）正月，陳叔寶派蕭摩訶追殺陳叔陵。陳叔陵惶恐不安，派韋諒把自己的鼓吹儀仗送給蕭摩訶，並對他說：「如果你幫助我舉事成功，一定任命你為三公宰輔。」蕭摩訶騙韋諒說：「必須讓始興王的心腹大將親自來，我才能聽從命令。」陳叔陵又派親信戴溫、譚麒麟拜謁，蕭摩訶將他們抓起來送到台省，斬首後在東城示眾。陳叔陵計窮，自率步騎百人欲突圍奔隋，從南門出逃，情急落馬。蕭摩訶率軍將其追斬。因功被封為散騎常侍、車騎大將軍，封綏建郡公，邑三千戶。不久，又改授侍中、驃騎大將軍，加左光祿大夫。他的女兒也被陳叔寶選為太子陳胤的正妃。

禎明二年（588年）十月，隋軍攻陳，陳後主憑恃「長江天塹」，疏于防務。（陳書列傳第二十五 蕭摩訶）禎明三年（589年）正月元會，徵摩訶還朝，賀若弼乘虛濟江，襲京口，摩訶請兵逆戰，後主不許。及弼進軍鍾山，摩訶又請曰：賀若弼懸軍深入，聲援猶遠，且其壘塹未堅，人情惶懼，出兵掩襲，必大克之，後主又不許。及隋軍大至，將出戰，後主謂摩訶曰：公可為我一決。摩訶曰：從來行陣，為國為身，今日之事，兼為妻子。後主多出金帛，頒賞諸軍令……，眾軍南北亙二十里，首尾進退，各不相知。……，摩訶無所用力焉，為隋軍所執。及京城陷，賀若弼置後主於德教殿，令兵衛守，摩訶請弼曰：今為囚虜，命在斯須，願得一見舊主，死無所恨。弼哀而許之。……。其年入隋，授開府儀同三司。

隋仁壽四年（604年），蕭摩訶與漢王楊諒起兵，反對楊廣稱帝。八月，蕭摩訶在于清源（今山西省清徐）敗於楊素之手，被俘殺。《陳書·蕭摩訶列傳》評：「蕭摩訶氣冠三軍，當時良將，雖無智略，亦一代匹夫之勇矣；然口訥心勁，恂恂李廣之徒歟」。

子女

• 蕭世略

• 蕭世廉

• 蕭坦，唐右衛郎將、郴州刺史。蕭坦子雍北府果毅都尉蕭懷舉。

注釋

延伸閱讀

During the Liang dynasty

Xiao Mohe was born in 532, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang. When he was less than 10 years old, his father Xiao Liang (蕭諒) was made a commandery official at Shixing Commandery (始興, roughly modern Shaoguan, Guangdong), and Xiao Mohe accompanied his father to the commandery. His father died while in service there, and at that time, Cai Luyang (蔡路養), who had married either his sister or his aunt, was a member of the local gentry at nearby Nankang Commandery (南康, roughly modern Ganzhou, Jiangxi), and Cai took him and raised him. As Xiao Mohe grew in age, he became known for being resolute and strong.

In 548, the rebel general Hou Jing rose against Emperor Wu and by 549 had captured the capital Jiankang, taking Emperor Wu and his crown prince Xiao Gang (the eventual Emperor Jianwen) hostage. In winter 549, the ambitious general Chen Baxian raised an army at Guang Province (廣州, roughly modern Guangdong) and planned to march north, eventually to head to Jiankang to attack Hou. His path, however, was blocked by Cai, who then controlled Nankang as a local warlord. Xiao served in Cai's forces and fought so fiercely that none of Chen's soldiers was a match for him, but eventually Cai was defeated, and Xiao surrendered. Xiao became a subordinate of Chen's commander Hou Andu. He was part of Chen's campaign, as Chen joined with Wang Sengbian, the chief general of Xiao Yi the Prince of Xiangdong (the eventual Emperor Yuan), to destroy Hou Jing.

By 556, Chen was the regent over Emperor Jing, Emperor Yuan's son and the chief among the claimants for the Liang throne after Emperor Yuan's capture and execution by Western Wei in 555, after Chen ambushed and killed Wang Sengbian and deposed Xiao Yuanming, the candidate favored by Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi who was declared emperor by Wang. Wang's subordinates Ren Yue (任約) and Xu Sihui (徐嗣徽) sought Northern Qi aid in resisting Chen, and Northern Qi forces soon arrived in Jiankang's vicinity. Chen sent Hou Andu to engage Northern Qi forces. Before battle, Hou commented to Xiao, "You are famed for your ferocity in battle, but seeing is better than hearing." Xiao responded, "I will let you see today." During the battle, Hou was having a hard time and was nearly captured by the enemy forces. Xiao experienced a surge of fury, roaring fiercely and single-handedly fighting through the frontlines to save Hou from Northern Qi soldiers, and no men could stop him. Eventually, Hou was able to repel Northern Qi forces, and for his accomplishments was created a duke. It is not clear whether and how Xiao was awarded, although it was said that Xiao was one of the few subordinates that Hou treated with respect and honor.

During the Chen dynasty

In 557, Chen Baxian seized the throne from Emperor Jing, establishing Chen dynasty as its Emperor Wu. Xiao Mohe's superior, Hou Andu, served as a major general under Emperor Wu, and became particularly prominent after Emperor Wu died in 559 and was succeeded by his nephew Emperor Wen. However, Hou came under Emperor Wen's suspicions in 563, and Emperor Wen forced him to commit suicide. The impact of Hou's death on Xiao's career is unclear, but prior to Hou's death he participated with distinction in the campaigns against the warlords Liu Yi (留異) (561-562, a campaign commanded by Hou) and Ouyang Ge (569-570), and for those accomplishments he was eventually promoted to the post of governor of Bashan Commandery (巴山, roughly modern Ji'an, Jiangxi).

It was as the governor of Bashan Commandery that Xiao served under the major general Wu Mingche in 573 as Wu, commissioned by Emperor Wen's brother Emperor Xuan, led a campaign against Northern Qi, seeking to capture the region between the Yangtze River and the Huai River. The Chen forces under Wu were intimidated by a small vanguard force in the Northern Qi army, commanded by the Xianbei generals Wei Pohu (尉破胡) and Zhangsun Honglüe, this elite squad consisted of tens of sturdy looking fighters with great physical strength and they were all above 1.9 metres tall, and accompanied by a sharpshooting Eurasian bowsman from the Western Regions (Xiyu). Wu informed Xiao of this, while praising him as having fortitude equivalent to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. In response, Xiao first sought out the Xiyu bowsman, charged forward and killed him with a dart, and then dozens of fighters from the elite squad came forth and challenged Xiao to a small battle, Xiao fought fiercely and eventually slew all of them, leading to the Northern Qi forces' losing morale and collapsing. Wei fled, while Zhangsun was killed in battle. Wu was eventually able to capture all of the region between the Yangtze and the Huai later that year. For Xiao's contributions, he was created the Count of Lianping and soon promoted to the rank of marquess. During the subsequent minor campaigns against Northern Qi over the next several years, Xiao also contributed.

After Northern Zhou destroyed Northern Qi and conquered its territoriy in 577, Emperor Xuan wished to contend for the Xu Province (徐州, roughly modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu) region, and he sent Wu to attack the region in winter 577. Xiao served under Wu. Initially, Wu defeated the Northern Zhou governor of Xu Province Liang Shiyan, forcing Liang to withdraw inside Pengcheng (彭城, the capital of Xu Province) and defend it. Wu put Pengcheng under siege. In spring 578, the Northern Zhou general Wang Gui arrived with a force to lift the siege, and he, as his first step, cut off Wu's supply route (and escape path). Xiao Mohe advised Wu to attack Wang as quick as he could to prevent the supply route from being cut off, but Wu did not follow Xiao's suggestion. Soon, the Chen forces were trapped. Wu subordinates suggested destroying the levee near Pengcheng so that the area would flood, allowing them to escape by ships. Wu agreed, but believing that he, as the commanding general, should withdraw last, did so, sending Xiao with the cavalry first. The cavalry was therefore able to escape, but most of the foot soldiers—30,000—and Wu himself were captured by Wang and taken to the Northern Zhou capital Chang'an. Xiao was able to return to Jiankang and continued to serve as a general under Emperor Xuan. In 580, after Northern Zhou captured the region between the Yangtze and Huai from Chen, Emperor Xuan made an attempt to recapture the territory, and Xiao served in the campaign along with Emperor Xuan's nephew Chen Huiji, but after he was unable to capture Guangling (, in modern Huaiyin, Jiangsu), he withdrew. Another campaign waged by Xiao and Zhou Luohou in 581 also ended in failure.

In 582, Emperor Xuan died, and his son Chen Shuling tried to assassinate the crown prince Chen Shubao, but only managed to wound, not kill, Chen Shubao. Chen Shuling fled back to his mansion and mobilized troops under his command, and he made overtures to Xiao Mohe, asking Xiao to join his coup attempt. Xiao initially pretended to agree, and when Chen Shuling sent his associates Dai Wen and Tan Qi to confer with Xiao, Xiao beheaded them and hang their heads on the city walls. Chen Shuling's troops lost morale and collapsed, and he was killed. For Xiao's contribution, Chen Shubao, who soon took the throne, created Xiao the Duke of Suijian and awarded Chen Shuling's considerable wealth to Xiao. He also selected Xiao's daughter to be the wife and crown princess of his son and crown prince Chen Yin. He also granted Xiao several honors normally reserved for the highest-ranked officials. He subsequently made Xiao the governor of Southern Xu Province (南徐州, roughly modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu), to defend against potential attacks by Northern Zhou's successor state Sui dynasty from Guangling.

In spring 589, when Xiao was at Jiankang, the Sui general Heruo Bi took the chance to cross the Yangtze (as part of the overall campaign by Emperor Wen of Sui to destroy Chen and reunited China) and captured Jingkou (京口, the capital of Southern Xu Province). Soon, Heruo arrived at Zhongshan (now Purple Mountain), near Jiankang, and Xiao volunteered to engage Heruo. Chen Shubao agreed, despite warnings by another major general, Ren Zhong (任忠), not to engage Heruo. Xiao's own motivation level was said to be low, however, due to an affair that Chen Shubao was having with Xiao's wife. Heruo defeated him and captured him. Heruo threatened him with beheading, and yet Xiao would not prostrate himself. Heruo was impressed and spared Xiao. Subsequently, Heruo captured Chen Shubao as well, and Xiao obtained permission to cook and serve Chen Shubao one final meal from the Chen imperial kitchen as well as to make a tearful farewell—acts that greatly impressed Sui's Emperor Wen.

During the Sui dynasty

Emperor Wen made Xiao Mohe a general, but unlike the situation with Zhou Luohou, did not give him great responsibilities. However, when Xiao Mohe's son Xiao Shilüe participated in resistance campaigns by former Chen subjects against Sui rule, Emperor Wen pardoned Xiao Mohe from any punishments that he would otherwise have suffered based on Xiao Shilüe's rebellion, on the basis that Emperor Wen believed that Xiao Shilüe was forced to participate.

In August 604, when Emperor Wen died and was succeeded by Emperor Yang, Xiao was serving under Emperor Yang's brother Yang Liang the Prince of Han, who was the commandant at Bing Province (, roughly modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). Yang Liang, not willing to yield to Emperor Yang, rebelled in September 604, a rebellion encouraged by Xiao and Wang Kui (, Wang Sengbian's son). However, when Xiao engaged Emperor Yang's general Yang Su, Yang Su defeated and captured him, and then had him executed. His sons were not killed but were seized as imperial servants, and his subordinate Chen Zhishen took his body and gave it a proper burial.