背景

蕭華出自蘭陵蕭氏齊梁房，是西梁南海王蕭珣的後裔，他的父親蕭嵩在唐玄宗年間為宰相，弟弟蕭衡則娶了玄宗的女兒新昌公主。蕭華為人謹重方雅，有家法。

唐玄宗年間

開元二十一年（733年），蕭嵩因與宰相韓休爭執，兩人都被罷相，蕭嵩改任左丞相，蕭華被任為給事中，約二十八年（740年）九月擢升工部侍郎。曾任太常少卿。任上，玄宗想讓修道人張果尚公主，張果還不知道，對蕭華和秘書少監王迥質說：「諺語說娶妻娶到公主，真是可怕啊。」王迥質與蕭華不明白他話的意思，面面相覷。有中使到，宣詔要以好道教的玉真公主下嫁張果，張果大笑不奉詔。王迥質、蕭華等才明白剛才的話。

天寶八載（749年）蕭嵩去世，蕭華繼承了他的徐國公爵位。約十四載（755年），蕭華任武部侍郎。

當年，將領安祿山在范陽鎮反叛，自稱燕帝。十五載（756年），燕軍逼近京師長安，玄宗向成都逃跑。蕭華等大多數官員都被燕軍俘虜。安祿山強令蕭華為魏州刺史。

唐肅宗年間

唐肅宗乾元元年（758年），唐軍收複長安及燕軍首都洛陽，迫使燕帝安祿山之子安慶緒逃往魏州附近的鄴城。九位節度使在郭子儀率領下包圍鄴城。蕭華秘密由小道和朝廷通信，要舉魏州起事反燕。但他的信被截下，他也被囚禁。十一月唐將河南節度使崔光遠攻克魏州後，將他釋放。魏州人認可蕭華的行政，爭相向崔光遠請求讓蕭華留在魏州，肅宗同意了，蕭華留任為魏州防禦使。但當降唐不久的燕將史思明再度叛唐，從范陽率軍向鄴城南進時，郭子儀因不知蕭華是否忠于朝廷，擔心他再被燕軍所獲，召他到相州行營，上表奏請由崔光遠代替他，十二月獲准並執行。很快，在和史思明的對戰中，唐軍潰敗，蕭華回到長安。由于曾為燕軍任職，他被降職為試秘書少監，作表謝恩。乾元三年（760年）二月，又升為尚書右丞。他曾在朝上說：起初燕官員聽聞朝廷宣詔赦免陳希烈等脅從官並令複位，都後悔沒早日歸朝，但聽聞陳希烈被處死後，都自以為得計，沒有敢歸朝的了，燕軍將吏愈發堅定，兵禍不解，這都是三司使崔器議刑過重的責任。肅宗也感慨為崔器所誤。四月，蕭華又任河中尹、兼御史中丞，充同、晉、絳等州節度、觀察處置使（河中節度使）。

上元元年（760年）十二月，蕭華以正議大夫、前河中尹、兼御史中丞、充本府晉絳等州節度觀察等使、上柱國、嗣徐國公、賜紫金魚袋身份被召回長安，任中書侍郎，授同中書門下平章事，為實質宰相，又兼任集賢殿崇文館大學士，兼修國史。他素日了解吏部侍郎裴遵慶，上奏時多次稱讚他，使裴遵慶得遷黃門侍郎、同中書門下平章事。次年（761年）正月，吐蕃遣使來朝請和，宰相郭子儀、蕭華、裴遵慶等奉詔在中書省設宴，以為結盟。司農卿嚴莊誣陷戶部侍郎兼御史中丞、度支鑄錢鹽鐵等使兼京兆尹劉晏，蕭華也忌恨劉晏，于是于十月貶劉晏為通州刺史。先前八月，當權宦官李輔國想當宰相，肅宗畏懼他，僅僅以缺乏官員支持為由駁回，李輔國便想說服宰相右僕射裴冕推薦自己。肅宗秘密對蕭華說，如果一個像裴冕這樣的重要官員推薦李輔國為相，他就沒有理由拒絕李輔國了，讓蕭華阻止裴冕。蕭華與裴冕商議此事，裴冕說：「我不會推薦李輔國的。我寧可切了雙臂也不會讓他拜相。」蕭華入內說了此語，肅宗大悅。于是，終肅宗一朝，李輔國未能拜相，心懷怨恨，認為蕭華也與此有關。寶應元年（762年）三月，他彈劾蕭華專權，不停要求肅宗罷免蕭華。肅宗病重，李輔國矯詔罷免了蕭華的宰相，改任守禮部尚書，宰相一職由李輔國推薦的京兆尹元載取代。

唐代宗年間

四月，肅宗駕崩，李輔國和張皇后發生了血腥衝突，李輔國殺了張皇后和皇子越王李係，肅宗太子繼位為唐代宗。代宗居喪，李輔國一度完全掌權，元載為了取悅他，誣陷蕭華有罪。五月，蕭華被貶為硤州員外司馬，在任上過世。詩人劉長卿曾任殿中侍御史，有《祭蕭相公文》和《家園瓜熟是故蕭相公所遺瓜種悽然感舊因賦此詩》，前者作于大曆二年（767年）且稱蕭華為「故江州刺史」。鬱賢皓《唐刺史考全編》據此考証蕭華可能是在廣德年間遷江州刺史後才去世的。《唐代文學研究》（第294頁）認為蕭華與劉長卿並無瓜葛，劉長卿為他作詩只是出于正義感。

他的孫子蕭俛和蕭倣分別在唐穆宗和唐僖宗年間任宰相。其弟蕭衡與公主生子蕭複有清白節操，蕭華常感嘆他可以振興本宗，後來蕭複也官至宰相。唐憲宗元和十五年（820年）六月，因蕭俛為宰相，蕭華得贈太保。

唐宣宗大中初年，下詔求蕭華等三十七人畫像，續圖凌煙閣。

評價

• 《新唐書》贊曰：梁蕭氏興江左，實有功在民，厥終無大惡，以浸微而亡，故余祉及其後裔。自瑀逮遘，凡八葉宰相，名德相望，與唐盛衰。世家之盛，古未有也。

子孫

• 子：蕭恆（740年－796年），殿中侍御史、河東縣令、上柱國、徐國公，妻子韋氏，宰相韋安石之孫，中書舍人、臨汝太守韋斌之女

　• 孫：蕭俛，排行第一，唐穆宗時宰相

　• 孫：蕭俶，排行第二，太子少保

　• 孫：蕭儹（781年－856年），字思本，排行第三，光祿卿，妻子鄭氏，庫部郎中、衢州刺史鄭群之女

　　• 曾孫：蕭寬，長安縣尉

　　• 曾孫：蕭慤，鄉貢明經

　　• 曾孫：蕭隱

　• 孫：蕭佐，排行第四

　• 孫：蕭傑，檢校工部郎中，充鳳翔隴觀察判官

　　• 曾孫：蕭庸，字應之

　• 孫女：蕭氏，嫁殿中侍御史京兆韋彭壽，韋彭壽後官至左司員外郎、明州刺史

• 子：蕭悟，大理司直

　• 孫：蕭仿，唐僖宗時宰相

延伸閱讀

Background

It is not known when Xiao Hua was born. He was from one of the most prominent families of Tang dynasty officialdom, having descended from the imperial clan of the Liang dynasty, and his father Xiao Song was a prominent chancellor and general during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. Xiao Hua's brother Xiao Heng (蕭衡) married Emperor Xuanzong's daughter Princess Xinchang.

During Emperor Xuanzongs reign

In 733, when Xiao Song was removed as chancellor (although still remaining as a high-ranked official) in the midst of his conflict with fellow chancellor Han Xiu (who was also removed as a result), Xiao Hua was made an imperial attendant (給事中, Jishizhong), and was soon promoted to be the deputy minister of public works (工部侍郎, Gongbu Shilang). After Xiao Song died in 749, Xiao Hua inherited the title of Duke of Xu. Toward the end of Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742–756), Xiao Hua was made the deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang).

In 755, the general An Lushan rebelled at Fanyang Circuit (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing), and soon established a state of Yan with him as emperor. In 756, with Yan forces approaching the Tang capital Chang'an, Emperor Xuanzong fled toward Chengdu. Most officials, including Xiao Hua, were unable to follow him, and Xiao Hua was captured by Yan forces. An made him the prefect of Wei Prefecture (魏州, in modern Handan, Hebei).

During Emperor Suzongs reign

In 758, with Emperor Xuanzong's son Emperor Suzong then the emperor of Tang and An Lushan's son An Qingxu then the emperor of Yan, Tang forces recaptured Chang'an and Yan's capital Luoyang, forcing An Qingxu to flee to Yecheng, near Wei Prefecture. Nine Tang military governors (Jiedushi), led by Guo Ziyi, put Yecheng under siege. Xiao Hua sent secret correspondences to the Tang army agreeing to rise against Yan forces. His correspondences, however, were intercepted, and he was imprisoned. When the Tang general Cui Guangyuan (崔光遠) captured Wei Prefecture, he freed Xiao. It was said that the people of Wei Prefecture favored Xiao's governance and petitioned Emperor Suzong to let Xiao remain at Wei Prefecture, and Emperor Suzong agreed. However, when the Yan general Shi Siming—who briefly submitted to Tang but then turned against Tang again—advanced south toward Yecheng from Fanyang, Guo was uncertain about Xiao's loyalty and so summoned him to the Tang army camps, replacing him with Cui. Soon, in a confrontation with Shi's forces, Tang forces collapsed, and in the aftermaths, Xiao went back to Chang'an. He was still considered tainted by his service as a Yan official, and he was demoted to be the acting Mishu Shaojian (秘書少監)—the deputy director of the Palace Library. He was soon promoted to be Shangshu You Cheng (尚書右丞), one of the Secretaries General of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). In 759, he was made the mayor of Hezhong Municipality (河中, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) as well as the military governor of Hezhong Circuit (headquartered in Hezhong Municipality).

Around the new year 761, Xiao was recalled to Chang'an to serve as Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎)—the deputy head of the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). He was also given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. He was also made an imperial scholar at Chongwen Pavilion (崇文館) and put in charge of editing the imperial history. In 761, when the powerful eunuch Li Fuguo wanted to be chancellor, and Emperor Suzong, who by this point was fearful of Li Fuguo, refused on the basis that he did not have the support of the officials, Li Fuguo tried to persuade the senior official Pei Mian to recommend him. Emperor Suzong told Xiao that if an important official (i.e., someone like Pei) recommended Li Fuguo, he would no longer have the excuse to refuse Li Fuguo's request. When Xiao subsequently discussed this with Pei, Pei's response was: "Surely I will not do this. My arm can be cut off before he can be chancellor."

Subsequently, Li Fuguo was not able to be chancellor while Emperor Suzong was alive, much to Li Fuguo's resentment, and Li Fuguo believed Xiao to be responsible. In 762, Li Fuguo accused Xiao of being power hungry, and repeatedly requested Emperor Suzong to remove Xiao. Emperor Suzong, apprehensive of Li Fuguo, removed Xiao from his chancellor position and made him the minister of rites (禮部尚書, Libu Shangshu), replacing him with Yuan Zai, at Li Fuguo's recommendation.

During Emperor Daizongs reign

Emperor Suzong died shortly after, and he was succeeded by his son Emperor Daizong—who took the throne after Li Fuguo prevailed in a bloody conflict with Emperor Suzong's wife Empress Zhang in which Empress Zhang and Emperor Daizong's brother Li Xi (李係) the Prince of Yue were killed. Li Fuguo was (briefly) completely in control, and Yuan Zai, in order to flatter him, accused Xiao of crimes. Xiao was demoted to be the military advisor to the prefect of Xia Prefecture (峽州, in modern Yichang, Hubei). He died while still at Xia Prefecture. His grandsons Xiao Mian and Xiao Fang later served as chancellors as well, during the reigns of Emperor Muzong and Emperor Xizong, respectively.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 99.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 101.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 220, 222.