722 Hsiao Yü 蕭瑀 (T. 時文). 6th and 7th cent. A.D. A son of Hsiao Kuei, whom he succeeded on the throne of the Minor Liang dynasty. Upon the disruption of his House, he joined the Prince of Chin, soon to be first Emperor of the Sui dynasty, and gave him his daughter in marriage. When the House of Sui fell, he transferred his services to the T‘angs, and served under the first two Emperors, rising to the highest offices of State. He possessed however an ungovernable temper, and was constantly being degraded and re-instated in rank. He was a devotee of Buddhism (see Fa I), and about A.D. 636 he asked leave to become a priest. His request was granted; but he soon repented and wished to cancel his application, to the great annoyance of the Emperor. He died at the age of 74, and was canonised as 肅 Reverential, a title which the Emperor declared to be unsuitable to his temper, and accordingly changed to 貞褊 Pure but Narrow.
723 Hsiao Yüan-ming 蕭淵明. A Prince of the Imperial House of Liang, who in A.D. 555 was placed on the throne by Wang Sêng-pien as fifth Emperor of the Liang dynasty in succession to Hsiao I. This led to a feud with Ch‘ên Pa-hsien, and on the death of Wang at the hands of Ch‘ên, he abdicated in favour of Hsiao Fang-chih, receiving the title of 貞陽侯, by which he is known in history.
724 Hsieh An 謝安 (T. 安石). A.D. 320-885. Son of an official in the Court of Sacrificial Worship, and the most distinguished member of a very distinguished family. In his early life he lived in retirement near Kuei-chi in Chehkiang, and to his dying day "never lost his love for Tung-shan." It was only when his brother Hsieh 萬 Wan got into difficulties that he entered upon an official career, soon rising to occupy various important posts in the provinces and at the capital. He was Governor of
