Xiao Gou () (died April 6, 887), courtesy name Desheng (得聖), was a politician of the late Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor and senior financial official during the turbulent reign of Emperor Xizong. A forceful politician and the scion of a prestigious aristocratic family, Xiao survived factional infighting that jeopardized his early career to become a ranking official at Emperor Xizong's court. When the imperial capital of Chang'an fell to rebel forces in early 881, Xiao managed to escape the city and reunite with Emperor Xizong, who appointed him to oversee the imperial treasury and, later, as chancellor at the imperial court-in-exile in Chengdu. Xiao worked aggressively to reform the imperial government and strengthen its position, and remained chancellor when the court eventually returned to Chang'an, but clashed with the powerful palace eunuch Tian Lingzi and found many of his efforts frustrated. When Emperor Xizong was once again ousted from the capital, a disillusioned Xiao declined to follow him into exile but also refused active service at the court of the pretender Li Yun. Nevertheless, when Li Yun's usurpation was suppressed, Xiao was accused of complicity in the rebellion by his rival Kong Wei and was forced to commit suicide.
Background
It is not known when Xiao Gou was born. He came from a prominent family that descended from the imperial house of Liang Dynasty, and, just among his direct male-line ancestors, his father Xiao Zhi, Xiao Zhi's grandfather Xiao Fu, and Xiao Fu's grandfather Xiao Song were all chancellors.
During Emperor Yizong's reign
Xiao Gou himself passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class in 864, during the reign of Emperor Yizong, in the same year as fellow future chancellor Wei Baoheng. Xiao thereafter served on the staff of a military governor (Jiedushi) of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), and was later recalled to the capital Chang'an to serve as You Shiyi (右拾遺), a low-level advisory official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng), and later was made an imperial chronicler (起居舍人, Qiju Sheren).
Xiao Gou was said to be handsome and ambitious, and he often compared himself to the deceased chancellor Li Deyu. As a result, his colleagues often jokingly referred him as Taiwei (太尉, one of the Three Excellencies, and a title that Li Deyu was well known for). This, and the fact that Xiao and the other Jinshi examinees of the same year did not highly regard Wei, caused Wei to be resentful of him. After Wei became chancellor in 870 due to his marriage with Emperor Yizong's favorite daughter Princess Tongchang, Wei carried out a series of reprisals against officials who he felt had slighted him, and in 872, as part of the reprisals against the chancellor Yu Cong, Wei also had Xiao exiled under the claim that Xiao was a close associate of Yu's, to be the military advisor to the prefect of Bo Prefecture (播州, in modern Zunyi, Guizhou).
During Emperor Xizong's reign
Prior to chancellorship
After Emperor Yizong died in 873 and was succeeded by his young son Emperor Xizong, Xiao Gou was recalled to Chang'an to serve as Libu Yuanwailang (禮部員外郎), a low-level official at the minister of rites (禮部, Lǐbu). He was then made Kaogong Yuanwailang (考功員外郎), a low-level official at the minister of civil service affairs (吏部, Lìbu, note different tone) and put in charge of drafting edicts. Early in the Qianfu era (874-879), he was made an imperial scholar (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi) and Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau. He was eventually promoted to be deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang) and chief imperial scholar (翰林學士承旨, Hanlin Xueshi Chengzhi).
In late 880, the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao attacked Chang'an, and Emperor Xizong fled toward Chengdu. Xiao followed Emperor Xizong. At that time, as the imperial treasury in exile was lacking funds, Emperor Xizong made him deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang) and acting director of finances. After Emperor Xizong arrived in Chengdu in spring 881, Xiao was made a chancellor de facto with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), as well as Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau. He was also made the minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, Lìbu Shangshu) and put in charge of editing the imperial history.