The question of the succession of Emperor Wudi of Liang has always been an important issue in the court. This complex historical story begins with the establishment of the Later Liang state, with Xiao Mill, the third son of Xiao Tong, the Prince of Liang Zhaoming of the Southern Dynasty, assuming the role of the state's founder. Emperor Wudi of Liang was his grandfather and enjoyed the honorific title of Emperor Bodhisattva. The literary talent and Buddhist knowledge of the country's founders made him favored by Emperor Wudi of Liang.
Xiao Yan, the emperor of Liangwu, was made the duke of Qujiang County, and in order to calm the disputes between his parents and sons, he granted the right to rule important cities to his grandsons. Xiao Yu was made King of Hedong County and ruled Langya and Pengcheng to appease his discontent. Xiao Mill, on the other hand, received the title of King of Yueyang County and was appointed as the Assassin of Eastern Yangzhou, and concurrently served as the Auditor Taishou, responsible for managing Shaoxing, Zhejiang. Despite being crown prince, Emperor Wudi of Liang failed to identify a successor, causing him to feel guilty about unfairness to his younger brother. This contradiction made those descendants who were expected to inherit the throne favored by Emperor Wu.
On the issue of succession, Emperor Wudi of Liang had been hesitant between his descendants and princes, because Prince Zhaoming was supposed to be the legitimate heir, which made the Xiao brothers increasingly compete for the throne. Emperor Wudi of Liang was unwilling to choose any son or grandson to inherit the throne, but instead gave the status of the Eastern Palace to his third son, Xiao Mill, causing Emperor Wudi of Liang to always feel unfair to his younger brother. This made these descendants dissatisfied and dissatisfied with the decisions of Emperor Wudi of Liang, especially Xiao Tong.
When arranging succession issues, Emperor Wudi of Liang had to rein in the movements of his uncle and other grandsons to prevent them from trying to seize the throne. He distributed these descendants everywhere to ensure that they could not gather strength to seize the throne. This was also to prevent similar power struggles between uncles and nephews, as well as to maintain the orthodoxy of the throne.
However, Emperor Wudi of Liang's harem embraced Buddhism, leading to the government becoming increasingly deserted. This gave Xiao Mill a chance to regain the throne. He began to accumulate wealth and make friends with heroes and talents to strengthen himself. Emperor Wudi of Liang handed over military command to Xiao Mill, giving him a greater armed force, especially in Eastern Yangzhou and other places. This gave him more opportunities to prepare for future throne grabs.
Xiangyang became an important base for Xiao Mill due to its geographical location, located in the core area of the era of Emperor Wudi of Liang. Xiangyang was more strategic than Huiji, so Xiao Mill devoted all his energy to managing Xiangyang, foreshadowing his future struggle for the throne.
In the later years of Emperor Wudi of Liang, Xiao Mill began to accumulate wealth and build his own power, and many heroes began to attach themselves to him. Emperor Wudi of Liang gave him some important cities, which became symbols of his power. The succession of Emperor Wudi of Liang eventually led to later power struggles and wars.
The question of succession to the throne has always been one of the problems inherent in feudal society throughout history. During the establishment of the Later Liang state, the decisions made by Emperor Wudi of Liang for the question of succession had a profound impact on the history of the country. The story shows how political struggles and family disputes are intertwined, while also highlighting the importance of historical events.