Xiao Baojuan (蕭寶卷) (483–501), né Xiao Mingxian (蕭明賢), commonly known by his posthumously demoted title of Marquess of Donghun (東昏侯), courtesy name Zhizang (智藏), was an emperor of the Southern Qi dynasty of China, during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. He was a violent ruler who executed high-level officials at his whim, and this drew several major rebellions, the last of which, by his general Xiao Yan, overthrew him and eventually his dynasty, with Xiao Yan establishing the Liang dynasty. He is known as the Marquess of Donghun because Xiao Yan demoted him to that title after he was killed in a siege of the capital Jiankang.
Background
Xiao Baojuan was born in 483, when his father Xiao Luan was a mid-high-level official and the Marquess of Xichang, as the cousin of Emperor Wu. His original name was Xiao Mingxian. He was Xiao Luan's second son, and his mother Liu Huiduan () was Xiao Luan's wife. (His only older brother Xiao Baoyi () was born to Xiao Luan's concubine Lady Yin.) His mother Marchioness Liu had three other sons, Xiao Baoxuan (), Xiao Baoyin, and Xiao Baorong, before dying in 489.
In 494, with Emperor Wu's frivolous and incompetent grandson Xiao Zhaoye as emperor and with Xiao Luan as his prime minister, Xiao Luan carried out a coup d'état and overthrew Xiao Zhaoye. (It was around this time that Xiao Baojuan's name was changed from Mingxian to Baojuan.) Xiao Luan initially made Xiao Zhaoye's younger brother Xiao Zhaowen emperor, but after further cementing his power, including killing many sons of both Emperor Wu and Emperor Wu's father Emperor Gao, Southern Qi's founding emperor, Xiao Luan took over the throne himself (as Emperor Ming). As Xiao Baojuan's older brother Xiao Baoyi was said to be severely disabled and unable to talk, Xiao Baojuan, as the second son and the oldest born of Xiao Luan's wife, was created crown prince.
As crown prince
Not much is known about Xiao Baojuan's activities as crown prince. What is known was that Emperor Ming often told him about how Xiao Zhaoye had considered killing him, and warning him that he needed to act decisively. It was also said that he disliked studies but rather liked to spend time in games, and that he was an introvert who did not like to talk. In 495, his father gave the daughter of his official Chu Cheng (), Chu Lingqu, to him as his crown princess in marriage. In 496, he had a coming-of-age ceremony. In 498, during the rebellion of the retired general Wang Jingze (), despite the fact that Wang's army was some distance away from the capital Jiankang, Xiao Baojuan mistook a fire as a sign that Wang's army was near the capital and changed into a jumpsuit to try to flee, but subsequently Wang's army was defeated.
In fall 498, Emperor Ming died. Xiao Baojuan succeeded to the throne as emperor.
Reign
Emperor Ming's will left a group of high-level officials in charge of the government—Xiao Baojuan's cousin Xiao Yaoguang () the Prince of Shi'an, the prime minister Xu Xiaosi (), the trusted Jiang Shi () and his brother Jiang Si (), Xiao Baojuan's uncle Liu Xuan (), and the general Xiao Tanzhi (). Xiao Baojuan himself was anxious to exercise imperial authority, but often spent his time in games with his close associates, whom he often awarded money. The high-level officials, particularly Jiang Shi, tried to curb his behavior, and this brought great resentment from the young emperor, who was described as not liking meetings with officials but favored eunuchs, bodyguards, and messengers. He created his wife Crown Princess Chu empress, and created his only known son Xiao Song (), by his concubine Consort Huang, crown prince.
With the young emperor's lack of virtues becoming evident, Jiang Shi began a discussion among high-level officials to depose him and to replace him with his younger brother Xiao Baoxuan the Prince of Jiangxia. However, Liu Xuan disliked Xiao Baoxuan, and Xiao Yaoguang used this to steer the discussion to making himself emperor. However, Liu opposed this as well, and Xiao Yaoguang, in 499, in anger, unsuccessfully tried to assassinate Liu, who then reported the plot to Xiao Baojuan. Xiao Baojuan immediately had Jiang Shi and Jiang Si arrested and executed. Xiao Yaoguang, in fear, feigned illness and resigned, but subsequently feared that Xiao Baojuan would execute him anyway, and started a rebellion, putting the palace under siege. Xiao Baojuan's forces, commanded by Xiao Tanzhi and two other generals, Zuo Xingsheng () and Cao Hu (), counterattacked, and put Xiao Yaoguang's headquarters under siege, capturing and executing him.