生平

侯景出生于503年。北魏王朝政治极度腐朽黑暗，民变越发激烈，此起彼伏。侯景是葛荣起义军的将领。

经过河阴之变，尔朱荣掌握了政权，他开始对各地的反抗力量进行征剿。此时侯景率领自己的部队投靠了尔朱荣，并获朱荣任命为先锋。公元528年8月，尔朱荣与葛荣在滏口展开大战，侯景俘虏葛荣，起义被镇压。侯景因功升为定州刺史。

高欢消灭了尔朱家族，侯景依靠原来与高欢同是怀朔镇的镇兵，加之又都参加过六镇起义的旧谊，率众投降高欢。高欢重用侯景，封他为司徒，仍兼定州刺史，拥兵十万，统治河南地区。侯景是天生长短脚（右脚稍短），并不擅长武艺，但临阵勇猛，且谋略过人。侯景对待士兵非常严苛残酷，立下不少战功。高欢虽然看出侯景的为人，但他深知此时强敌宇文泰在侧，正是用人之际，所以他没有限制侯景的势力。高欢临终前特别嘱咐儿子高澄要小心侯景。而侯景压根没有把高澄放在眼里，高澄上台后，以高欢名义写信召侯景。侯景先前与高欢约定，书信有暗号才奉召。侯景见高澄的信没有暗号，就不应召。得知高欢有病，就拥兵自重，最终叛变。

侯景一开始想获得宇文泰的支持，但宇文泰对他心怀戒备。不得已，梁武帝太清元年（547年）他率部投降梁。由于梁武帝希望借侯景的力量北伐成功，所以接受了他的投降，给他很高待遇（河南王、大将军、持节）。高澄派大将慕容绍宗进攻侯景，梁派贞阳侯萧渊明支援，侯景提醒他们追敌不要太深入，梁军不听，结果大败，萧渊明因此被俘。侯景撤退时被一小城守军嘲笑，气得破城杀人，又夺取梁治下的寿阳城，梁武帝任他为南豫州牧。

正在此时，东魏提出和解。侯景感到恐慌。梁武帝却没有意识到这一点，他继续与东魏进行谈判。侯景假冒高澄写了一封信，提出以萧渊明交换侯景，梁武帝接受。侯景大怒，他意识到唯一的一条路就是叛变。于是，侯景起兵攻梁，立与他勾结的武帝侄临贺王萧正德为梁帝，改元正平。梁太清三年（549年）攻破建康（南京），侯景废萧正德为大司马，萧正德懊悔，图谋反抗侯景，被杀。侯景以梁武帝名义下诏解散各地勤王军队，自任丞相，限制梁武帝饮食，梁武帝被饿死。

侯景又立太子萧纲为皇帝，幽禁了他，防卫很严，只准许他和文人们讲谈论议。侯景自封为大都督，迫使美貌的溧阳公主嫁给他为妻；后又逼迫梁帝封其为「宇宙大将军」。台城在久围之下，粮食断绝，疫疾大起，死者十之八九。侯景起初约束军队，后来缺粮了就对军队的暴行不加禁止，进入建康后，「悉驱城市文武，僳身而出」，「交兵杀之，死者三千人」，又「纵兵杀掠，交尸塞路」（《南史‧侯景传》）。侯景其后陆续派军在三吴地区大肆烧杀抢掠。551年，废萧纲为晋安王囚禁于永福省，再立武帝曾孙豫章王萧栋为帝，改元天正，并大杀萧纲诸子。虽然他一度有复立萧纲、改以萧栋为皇太孙的打算，但被劝止，后又以土袋压死萧纲。同年，再命萧栋给自己加殊礼、九锡，逼萧栋禅让，侯景登基为帝，国号汉，改元太始。追尊汉司徒侯霸为始祖，晋徵士侯瑾为七世祖。于是追尊其祖周为大丞相，父标为元皇帝。侯景曾说：「父亲的魂灵远在朔州，就算我在建康为他立庙，他又怎么能享受到我祭祀的胙肉？」

高澄的弟弟和继承人北齐皇帝高洋见侯景称帝，知道再无可能重新召回侯景以为己用，后又梦见群猴，很厌恶，就把侯景的儿子都杀了。

552年，侯景被陈霸先、王僧辩所击败。侯景企图逃亡，被部下羊鵾所杀。王僧辩将他的双手截下交给高洋，头颅送至江陵，尸体在建康街头暴露。当地百姓将尸体分食殆尽，连其妻溧阳公主也吃他的肉，尸骨烧成灰后有人将其骨灰掺酒喝下。梁元帝萧绎下令将他的脑袋悬挂在江陵闹市上示众，然后又把头颅煮了，涂上漆，交付武库收藏，与篡夺西汉的王莽有著相同待遇。

他的叛乱给长江下游地区造成巨大破坏，使南朝士族遭到毁灭性打击。六朝古都建康「千里烟绝，人迹罕见，白骨成聚，如丘陇焉」（《南史·侯景传》）。 刘禹锡有〈乌衣巷〉诗：「旧时王谢堂前燕，飞入寻常百姓家」。据颜之推《观我生赋》自注：「中原冠带，随晋渡江者百家，故江东有《百谱》；至是，在都者覆灭略尽。」

家庭

妻

• 某氏，547或548年被高澄所诛

• 萧氏，萧正德女

• 溧阳公主

妾

• 羊氏，梁将羊侃女

子

• 长子 侯和，547或548年被高澄所诛

• 四个儿子，北齐文宣帝年间伏诛

• 两子，生于梁，552年被侯景推入水中

特点

• 侯景先投尔朱荣，后加入高欢帐下，高欢死后又叛变投靠梁，不久又叛变梁自立为帝。他的一生可以说就是在叛乱中度过，是历史上反覆无常型人物的代表。

• 侯景投奔梁武帝时，曾向梁武帝请求希望能和琅琊王氏、陈郡谢氏两家世族结亲，梁武帝认为王谢门第太高而无法答应，并表示可以在朱姓、张姓等其他世族中找对象。侯景愤恨的说：「什么门第？我叫他们做我的家奴。」结果后来侯景攻入建康，王、谢门第受到的凌辱最惨，两个显赫一时的门第世家深受打击。

• 侯景攻破建康后全副武装去见梁武帝，梁武帝神色自若，问他：「卿在戎日久，无乃为劳。」接连好几个问题，竟然让侯景不知所措，无法回答(由任约代答)。事后他对部下说：「吾踞鞍临敌，矢石交下，未曾怖畏，今见萧公，使人畏惧不已！」

• 梁武帝萧衍杀南齐主东昏侯，以取其位。东昏死之日（501年12月31日），侯景正好出生。后来侯景攻破建康，武帝被软禁台城而死。时人谓侯景正是东昏侯之后身也。

• 侯景身高不满七尺，体态长上短下，跛脚。广颡高颧，须眉稀疏，颜面赤色，低视屡顾，声散，识者曰：此谓豺狼之声，故能食人，亦当为人所食。

Early life and career

It is not known when Hou Jing was born, but it was known that he was from Huaishuo Garrison (怀朔镇) -- one of the garrisons that Northern Wei established on the northern border to defend against Rouran attacks. He appeared to be ethnically Chinese, but the matter of his ethnicity is not conclusive. When he was young, he was one of a group of friends who associated with Gao Huan, who often spent time in the countryside, seeking to correct injustice.

During the reign of Emperor Xiaoming, Northern Wei plunged into a state of civil war, with much of the state overrun by agrarian rebellions. Around this time, Hou joined the army of the Northern Wei general Erzhu Rong, and initially, he learned tactics from Erzhu's lieutenant Murong Shaozong (慕容绍宗), but soon, Murong found it necessary to consult Hou for his opinion on tactical matters. After Erzhu largely put down the rebellions, Hou was made the governor of Ding Province (定州, roughly modern Baoding, Hebei). After Erzhu was killed by Emperor Xiaozhuang in 530, and Emperor Xiaozhuang was in turn killed by Erzhu's relatives, members of the Erzhu clan controlled the imperial government. In 531, Gao rose against the Erzhus, and in 532, after Gao had defeated the Erzhus, Hou joined Gao, and Gao made him the governor of Ji Province (济州, roughly modern Liaocheng, Shandong). Soon, however, Gao appeared to recall Hou and make him one of his subcommanders. In 534, when Gao instigated Houmochen Yue (侯莫陈悦), the lieutenant of the independent general Heba Yue (贺拔岳), to assassinate Heba, he sent Hou to try to seize Heba's troops, but on the way, Hou encountered Heba's assistant Yuwen Tai, who sternly warned him against trying, and Hou retreated, allowing Yuwen to take control of Heba's troops. This allowed Yuwen to take control of the western provinces of the state, and in 534, Emperor Xiaowu, whom Gao had made emperor in 532, seeking to slip out of Gao's control, fled to Yuwen's territory. Gao made Yuan Shanjian, a member of the imperial Yuan clan, emperor, thus dividing Northern Wei into Eastern Wei (under Gao's control) and Western Wei (under Yuwen's control).

As Eastern Wei general

Hou Jing continued to serve under Gao Huan, and he became known as a brilliant tactician as well as a tough warrior even though, unlike many other generals at the time, he was not particularly skilled at horseriding, archery, or any other martial skills, and he was described as walking with a limp with short legs. Gao, however, knew of his abilities and honored him appropriately. But Hou was arrogant, and he often compared two other key generals, Pan Le (潘乐) and Gao Aocao (高敖曹), to wild boars in their charges. He also often claimed that if Gao allowed him to lead an army south, he could easily capture Emperor Wu of Liang and make Emperor Wu, an avid Buddhist, the head monk of the Taiping Temple (太平寺).

In late 534, Gao sent Hou to attack Heba Sheng (贺拔胜, Heba Yue's brother), who controlled the southern provinces at the time and was loosely allied with Yuwen Tai. Hou defeated Heba, forcing Heba to flee to the Liang Dynasty and taking those provinces for Eastern Wei. In 536, Gao put him in charge of the provinces south of the Yellow River, and from that point on, those provinces were under his command.

In 537, when Gao launched a major attack on Western Wei, seeking to destroy it, Hou was with him, and advised against advancing in a single large army, advocating dividing the army into two parts that would remain at a distance and support each other. Gao did not accept his advice, and was defeated by Yuwen Tai at Shawan (沙苑, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), suffering heavy losses — partly because Hou gave the poor tactical advice that Gao should not try to set fires against Yuwen's troops. After the defeat, Hou offered to take the elite troops to launch a surprise attack on Yuwen, arguing that Yuwen would not be taking any precautions against such an attack and could be captured. However, when Gao consulted with his wife Lou Zhaojun, Princess Lou reminded him that if Hou actually captured Yuwen, he would not return (i.e., he would then try to take power himself). Gao therefore decided against Hou's plan.

In 538, Hou recaptured several southern provinces that had defected to Western Wei in light of Eastern Wei's defeat at Shawan. He followed up by besieging the old Northern Wei capital, Luoyang, then defended by the Western Wei general Dugu Xin, precipitating a major battle in which both Eastern and Western Wei suffered major losses. In the end, however, the Western Wei troops, commanded by Yuwen, was forced to withdraw, and the Luoyang region was again controlled by Eastern Wei.

In 543, when the Eastern Wei general Gao Zhongmi (高仲密) defected to Western Wei, along with the important garrison of Hulao (虎牢, in modern Zhengzhou, Henan), which he controlled, Hou was one of the generals who served under Gao both in besieging Hulao and in combating the Western Wei forces commanded by Yuwen that tried to relieve Hulao. The Western Wei forces were defeated and forced to withdraw, but even then Hulao did not fall, with Yuwen sending secret messengers to order its defender Wei Guang (魏光) to hold his position and await relief forces. Hou captured the messengers and, judging that it was more important to capture the garrison quickly, changed the messengers' message to "Withdraw from Hulao," and then allowed the messengers to reach Wei Guang. Wei Guang quickly withdrew from Hulao, which became again under Eastern Wei control. For this achievement, Hou was promoted to the honorific post of Sikong (司空).

Rebellion against Eastern Wei

Despite the strong personal relationship between Gao Huan and Hou Jing, however, Hou had little respect for Gao's oldest son and heir apparent Gao Cheng, once making the comment to another friend of his and Gao Huan's, Sima Ziru (司马子如), that he would remain loyal if Gao Huan were still alive, but that he could not serve together with the "Xianbei boy" (i.e., Gao Cheng) if Gao Huan died. (Gao Huan was ethnically Han, but was acculturated in the Xianbei ways.) In late 546, believing that Gao Huan was dead or near death, Hou began to prepare to rebel, and he did so in spring 547. He first surrendered the 13 provinces that he commanded to Western Wei, but subsequently also surrendered to Liang. Both Western Wei and Liang sent troops to support him. Before Western Wei and Liang troops could arrive, Eastern Wei forces commanded by Han Gui (韩轨) surrounded him at Yingchuan (颍川, in modern Xuchang, Henan). Western Wei forces commanded by Wang Sizheng (王思政) soon arrived, and Han withdrew. Wang, not believing that Hou actually intended to become a loyal Western Wei subject, secured four provinces that Hou was willing to give up control to. Meanwhile, Emperor Wu of Liang was greatly pleased by Hou's surrender, and launched a major attack commanded by his nephew Xiao Yuanming the Marquess of Zhenyang, intending to relieve the pressure on Hou by opening another front to the east. Soon, Yuwen Tai demanded that Hou visit the Western Wei capital Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Wen of Western Wei, to show his good faith. Hou refused, and he tried to persuade a number of Western Wei generals to join him, but only Ren Yue (任约) did, with a minor army. The rest of the Western Wei forces withdrew their support from Hou and merely defended the provinces that Hou had given up.

Meanwhile, Gao Cheng, pursuant to directions left him by Gao Huan, commissioned Murong Shaozong as the commander of his forces against Hou—a move that caught Hou by surprise, as he was still apprehensive of Murong's abilities and was surprised that Gao Cheng would make Murong his commanding general. At the same time, Xiao Yuanming arrived at Hanshan (含山), near the important city of Pengcheng (彭城, in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu), putting pressure on the city by damming the Si River (泗水) to cause it to flood against Pengcheng. However, against the advice of the senior general Yang Kan (羊侃), Xiao Yuanming did not quickly siege Pengcheng, but merely waited, pondering his next move. Hou cautioned him against Murong, and also informed him that if he defeated Eastern Wei troops, he should not chase them too hastily, lest that he fall into a trap. He did not heed the warning, and when Murong arrived at Pengcheng, Murong attacked him. The Liang troops were initially successful and quickly forced Eastern Wei forces to retreat, but Murong, anticipating this result, laid a trap, and when Liang troops gave chase, they became trapped and were crushed. Xiao Yuanming was captured.

Having defeated Xiao Yuanming, Murong now turned his attention toward Hou, and he marched toward Chengfu (城父, in modern Bozhou, Anhui), where Hou was. Hou retreated to Woyang (涡阳, in modern Bozhou as well), and the armies faced off against each other. Initially, Hou was successful, forcing Murong's army to flee, but Murong soon regrouped, and the armies' positions stalemated. By the end of 547, Hou's army had run out of food supplies, and one of the generals who first supported him, Sima Shiyun (司马世云), surrendered to Murong. In spring 548, Murong made a public announcement to Hou's troops that their families were still safe (Hou had informed them that their families had been slaughtered by Gao Cheng), and Hou's troops, believing Murong, abandoned him. Hou fled with 800 soldiers who were still loyal to him. Murong gave chase, but gave up the chase when Hou reminded him that he himself would be useless if Hou were destroyed. The Liang general Yang Yaren (羊鸦仁), who was holding Xuanhu (悬瓠, in modern Zhumadian, Henan), abandoned Xuanhu. The provinces that Hou controlled were now all lost.

Hou himself considered what his next action would be, and he, under advice from the Liang commander Liu Shenmao (刘神茂), ambushed and seized the Liang acting governor of Southern Yu Province (南豫州, modern central Anhui), Wei An (韦黯), taking control of Southern Yu Province's capital city Shouyang (寿阳, in modern Lu'an, Anhui). He sent an apology to Emperor Wu, and Emperor Wu, not having the heart to rebuke Hou after his defeat, made him the governor of Southern Yu Province without any punishment.

Rebellion against Liang Dynasty

Meanwhile, Gao Cheng started peace negotiations with Emperor Wu, offering to return Xiao Yuanming and intending to cause Hou to become apprehensive. Hou Jing opposed peace with Eastern Wei, worried that he would be betrayed if there was peace between the two states. Emperor Wu made a personal guarantee that he would not betray Hou—but Hou then tested Emperor Wu by forging a letter from Gao Cheng, proposing an exchange of Xiao Yuanming for Hou. When Emperor Wu, under advice from Zhu Yi—a key assistant to Emperor Wu whom Hou had bribed, hoping that he would discourage peace talks, but whose opinion was unchanged by Hou's bribes—wrote back, "If you return Xiao Yuanming in the morning, I will deliver Hou Jing in the evening," Hou was incensed. He wrote a harshly worded accusation to Emperor Wu, who responded with meek words that failed to persuade Hou against a rebellion. Meanwhile, Hou entered into secret negotiations with Emperor Wu's nephew Xiao Zhengde the Prince of Linhe, offering to make the ambitious Xiao Zhangde emperor, and Xiao Zhengde agreed to assist him. At the same time, despite warnings from Yang Yaren (whom Hou had tried to persuade to join in his plans) and Xiao Fan (萧范) the Prince of Poyang, Emperor Wu failed to take precautions against a Hou rebellion.

Hou declared a rebellion in summer 548, declaring that his intentions were to have the corrupt officials Zhu Yi, Xu Lin (徐麟), Lu Yan (陆验), and Zhou Shizhen (周石珍) put to death. Emperor Wu commissioned his son Xiao Guan (萧纶) the Prince of Shaoling to lead a four-pronged attack on Shouyang, believing that he could put out Hou's rebellion quickly. Meanwhile, Hou, with advice from his strategist Wang Wei, decided he should not wait for Xiao Guan to close in; instead, he made a speedy march toward the capital Jiankang, surprising Emperor Wu. In winter 548, he arrived at Jiankang and immediately put the capital under siege, quickly capturing the outer city with Xiao Zhengde's help and forcing the imperial troops to withdraw into the palace to defend it. However, with Yang Kan defending the palace, Hou could not quickly capture it. Soon, he declared Xiao Zhengde emperor, and he married Xiao Zhengde's daughter. Meanwhile, as the siege went on, Hou began to become cruel to the civilian population, permitting his army to pillage food from the people and causing large scale starvation among the civilians. He further forced the civilians to conduct siege construction against the palace. His general Fan Taobang (范桃棒) secretly offered to defect to Liang, but Emperor Wu's crown prince Xiao Gang distrusted Fan and did not take up his offer; soon, Fan's correspondence was discovered, and Hou put him to death. Meanwhile, Yang Kan died, and Hou put even greater pressure on the palace defense.

Around the new year 549, Xiao Guan's forces returned to Jiankang and tried to lift the siege. However, Hou engaged Xiao Guan and defeated him. Xiao Guan reorganized his troops and waited for reinforcement from the other provincial governors. The reinforcements soon arrived, and the provincial generals supported Liu Zhongli (柳仲礼) as their commander, preparing an assault on Hou's troops to lift the siege. In spring 549, Hou surprised them by attacking them first, killing the general Wei Can (韦粲). Liu engaged Hou, and both sides suffered heavy losses, with both Liu and Hou nearly dying in the battle. From that point on, Liu no longer displayed any interest in attacking Hou.

Hou, with his food supplies dwindling, offered peace to Emperor Wu, who initially refused. However, Xiao Gang persuaded Emperor Wu to negotiate, and peace terms were negotiated where Hou would be allowed to return to Shouyang, and Emperor Wu would allow him to control the provinces west of the Yangtze River. However, Hou soon decided that peace would not be sustainable, and once the ceasefire had lasted sufficiently long for him to obtain additional food supplies, he reneged, accusing Emperor Wu of a number of faults, putting the palace again under siege. Liu stood by, and the palace fell. Hou took control of Emperor Wu and Xiao Gang, issuing an edict in Emperor Wu's name ordering the provincial forces to disband. They did so, and Hou now had control of the capital region, although the provincial governors largely remained resistant to his orders. Hou deposed Xiao Zhengde back to the rank of Prince of Linhe, and used Emperor Wu as token authority.

Control of Liang emperors

After Jiankang fell to Hou Jing, the northeastern provinces, north of the Yangtze River, largely surrendered to Eastern Wei, while the provinces to the east and west, hearing of the cruelty of Hou's troops, largely initially resisted him. Around this time, the key Liang potentates who were still resisting included:

• Xiao Dalian (萧大连) the Duke of Lincheng (later the Prince of Nan Commandery), Xiao Gang's son, at Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang)

• Xiao Daxin (萧大心) the Duke of Danyang (later the Prince of Xunyang), Xiao Gang's son, at Xunyang (寻阳, in modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi)

• Xiao Fan the Prince of Poyang, at Hefei

• Xiao Guan the Prince of Shaoling, at the time roving without a settlement

• Xiao Yu (萧誉) the Prince of Hedong, Emperor Wu's first crown prince Xiao Tong's son, at Changsha

• Xiao Cha the Prince of Yueyang, Xiao Tong's son, at Xiangyang

• Xiao Yi the Prince of Xiangdong, Emperor Wu's son, at Jiangling

• Xiao Ji the Prince of Wuling, Emperor Wu's son, at Chengdu

• Xiao Bo (萧勃) the Marquess of Qujiang, Emperor Wu's cousin Xiao Bing (萧昞)'s son, at Panyu (番禺, in modern Guangzhou, Guangdong)

Of these Liang potentates, the ones with the most military strength at their disposal were Xiao Yi and Xiao Ji. Xiao Ji, however, appeared content to secure his realm, particularly because Xiao Yi discouraged him from advancing east against Hou. Both Xiao Yi and Xiao Ji began to take on imperial trappings and exercised imperial authorities, although neither claimed the throne at this point. Meanwhile, Xiao Yi, believing that his nephews Xiao Yu and Xiao Cha, who were technically his subordinates but not following his orders, would act against him in a coordinated manner, launched an attack on Xiao Yu. Xiao Cha tried to attack Jiangling to relieve the pressure on his brother, but could not, and Xiao Yi's army, while initially repelled by Xiao Yu, eventually, under the general Wang Sengbian, put Changsha under siege. Unable to lift the siege on Changsha and fearful that he would be Xiao Yi's next target, Xiao Cha surrendered to Western Wei, and Western Wei put Xiangyang under its protection and created Xiao Cha the Prince of Liang, intending to have him contend for Liang's throne. Xiao Yi entered peace with Western Wei, leaving Xiao Cha alone at the moment.

Meanwhile, while Emperor Wu was effectively under arrest, he still resisted Hou's will when it came to personnel decisions and other matters that Hou wanted him to issue edicts on. In response, Hou put Emperor Wu under even greater secure guard, and it was said that Emperor Wu's supplies dwindled. In summer 549, Emperor Wu died. (Some historians believe that Hou starved him to death.) Hou allowed Xiao Gang to take the throne (as Emperor Jianwen). Meanwhile, Xiao Zhengde, angry at Hou's betrayal of him, secretly communicated with Xiao Fan, but his letters were intercepted, and Hou put him to death.

Xiao Fan tried to elicit Eastern Wei help against Hou, but even though he gave up Hefei to Eastern Wei, Eastern Wei did not actually launch troops to help him. He was forced to advance west on the Yangtze. With Xiao Daxin's approval, he settled in Xiao Daxin's realm, but soon Xiao Fan and Xiao Daxin began to have disputes over the control of the territory, and Xiao Daxin stopped supplying Xiao Fan's troops. Xiao Fan died in anger and fear. At the same time, Hou was sending his generals Hou Zijian (侯子鉴) and Song Zixian (宋子仙) against Xiao Dalian and the other Liang officials to the east of Jiankang who were still resisting him, and by winter 549, Xiao Dalian and the other officials had fallen, allowing Hou to control most of modern Zhejiang.

In spring 550, Hou married Emperor Jianwen's daughter the Princess Liyang, and it was said that he loved her greatly. His relationship with Emperor Jianwen appeared to improve by this point. Due to the wars, the territory under Hou's control suffered from a serious famine, and he ruled with the people with a heavy hand.

In summer 550, Changsha fell to Wang, and Wang put Xiao Yu to death, putting Xiao Yu's domain directly under Xiao Yi's control.

In fall 550, Hou sent Ren Yue to attack both Xiao Daxin and Xiao Fan's son Xiao Si (萧嗣). Ren killed Xiao Si in battle, and Xiao Daxin, unable to resist, surrendered, allowing Hou to take his domain under control. Meanwhile, Xiao Guan, who had by now settled at Jiangxia (江夏, in modern Wuhan, Hubei), was planning to attack Hou, but this drew Xiao Yi's ire—believing that Xiao Guan was intending to contend for the throne—and he sent Wang to attack Xiao Guan. Xiao Guan, not willing to engage Wang, abandoned Jiangxia and fled to Ru'nan (汝南, in modern Jingmen, Hubei), where he entered into an alliance with Eastern Wei's successor state Northern Qi (with Gao Cheng's brother Gao Yang having seized the throne in summer 550) and was created the Prince of Liang as well.

Later that year, Hou made Emperor Jianwen create him the Prince of Han. Additionally, Hou made Emperor Jianwen promote him to the position of "General of the Universe, Past and Present, Commanding all Forces in the Six Directions" (宇宙大将军、都督六合诸军事). Emperor Jianwen was surprised and remarked, "How can a general's command be of the universe?"

Meanwhile, Ren continued to advance west, intending to attack Xiao Yi, but was repelled by Xiao Yi's general Xu Wensheng (徐文盛). Hou personally led troops to aid Ren, leaving Wang Wei in charge of Jiankang. While Hou was away from Jiankang, Emperor Wu's grandson Xiao Huili (萧会理) the Prince of Nankang organized a plot to overthrow Wang Wei. The plot was discovered, and Wang Wei put Xiao Huili and his confederates to death. Wang Wei could not show that Emperor Jianwen was involved, but both Hou and Wang Wei became increasingly suspicious of Emperor Jianwen from this point on, and very few officials dared to visit the emperor.

In spring 551, Western Wei put Ru'nan under siege, and after capturing it, put Xiao Guan to death. Meanwhile, Xu counterattacked against Ren, and Hou again led troops to reinforce Ren, this time carrying Emperor Jianwen's crown prince Xiao Daqi as hostage. Xu initially had success against Hou, but in summer 551, Hou surprised Xu by bypassing him and making a surprise attack on Jiangxia, capturing it and seizing the general Bao Quan (鲍泉) and Xiao Yi's son Xiao Fangzhu (萧方诸), eventually putting them to death in cruel manners. Xu's forces collapsed. Xu was forced to regroup at Baling (巴陵, in modern Yueyang, Hunan), and Wang Sengbian took over command of Xiao Yi's forces there. Hou, instead of attacking Xiao Yi's headquarters at Jiangling directly, put Baling under siege but was unable to capture it, and his food supplies began to run low. Soon, he was forced to withdraw, and his forces collapsed. Ren was captured, while Song Zixian and Ding He (丁和), both major generals as well, were killed. Hou fled back to Jiankang, and Xiao Yi retook control of Jiangxia. Soon, with Wang Sengbian aided by another general, Chen Baxian, Xunyang fell to Xiao Yi's forces as well.

Hou began to believe that his days might be numbered, and he wanted to become emperor in his remaining days. Meanwhile, Wang Wei, who believed that Hou was spending too much time with the Princess Liyang and ignoring the important matters, tried to get him to change his ways, but this drew the princess' ire. Wang Wei, believing that the Princess Liyang would eventually persuade Hou to harm him, instead advised Hou to remove Emperor Jianwen to show off his authority. Hou agreed, and in fall 551, he removed Emperor Jianwen and put the sons of Emperor Jianwen under his control, including Xiao Daqi, to death. He made Xiao Tong's grandson Xiao Dong the Prince of Yuzhang emperor. Two months later, he put the former emperor to death.

Meanwhile, Hou was preparing to take the throne. He had Xiao Dong bestow him the nine bestowments. 14 days later, he had Xiao Dong yield the throne to him, and he claimed the title of Emperor of Han—a title that was not recognized by the Liang provinces not under his control, which by this point had begun to view Xiao Yi as the de facto emperor, although Xiao Yi and Xiao Ji still both declined imperial titles by this point.

As emperor

The first action Hou Jing's troops, commanded by Xie Daren (谢答仁), took after he became emperor was to attack several generals to the east of Jiankang, who had risen against him in the last days of Emperor Jianwen's reign. In winter 551, Xie first captured Yuan Jun (元頵) and Li Zhan (李占), and then in spring 552 captured Liu Shenmao—who had initially given Hou the advice on how to seize Shouyang. Hou put these generals to death in cruel manners—cutting off Yuan and Li's arms and feet and then demonstrated them to the public for more than a day until they died; and he made a rolling pin with sharp swords on it to cut Liu to pieces alive. He also executed Xiao Yi's son Xiao Fangzhu.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yi's forces, commanded by Wang Sengbian and Chen Baxian, continued to advance toward Jiankang, and they quickly arrived in Jiankang's vicinity. Hou Jing initially ordered Hou Zijian, whom he sent against Wang, not to engage Wang and Chen on water, but after Wang pretended to be apprehensive, Hou Jing changed to order and allowed Hou Zijian to engage them on water, and Wang defeated him. Chen quickly set up advance positions north of the Qinhuai River (秦淮河, just south of Jiankang), and when Hou Jing himself attacked Chen, Chen defeated him as well. Against Wang Wei's advice to defend Jiankang, Hou Jing abandoned it and fled, commenting:

:I had defeated Heba Sheng and Ge Rong a peasant rebel whom Erzhu Rong defeated and become famous north of the Yellow River. Later, after I crossed the Yangtze River, I easily captured the palace and forced Liu Zhongli to surrender. My defeats today are heaven's will.

Hou put his two young sons, born during the time he was at Jiankang, into saddle bags, and then fled east, intending to join Xie's army to the east.

Death

Hou Jing's hopes of joining Xie Daren, however, were dashed when one of Wang Sengbian's subordinate generals, Hou Tian (侯瑱), intercepted him and defeated him again, causing his remaining guard troops to collapse. Hou Jing took his remaining boats and fled on the Yangtze River, throwing his two sons into the water to drown. He ordered that the boats head to Mengshan (蒙山), an island off the modern Shandong coast—apparently intending to return to the north. His guard Yang Kun (羊鵾, son of Yang Kan and brother of one of Hou's concubines), however, had other ideas, and while Hou was asleep, he ordered that the boats turn around and head toward Jingkou (京口, in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu), by now again under Liang control. When Hou woke up, he tried to give contrary orders, but Yang killed him with a spear and delivered his body to Jingkou. His body was then stuffed with salt and delivered to Jiankang. Wang Sengbian cut off the head and delivered it to Xiao Yi and cut off the hands and delivered them to Northern Qi. He then displayed the body publicly, and the public, including Emperor Jianwen's daughter and Hou's one-time wife, the Princess Liyang, quickly cut off Hou's flesh and consumed it.

Physical Appearance

In the History of the Southern Dynasties, Hou Jing was described as a man of short stature with short legs and longer upper body, and that he had high cheekbones and wide forehead, his face was reddish with little facial hair, and he had a jackal-like voice.

Family

• Father

　• Hou Biao (侯标), posthumously honored as Emperor Yuan

• Wives

　• Name unknown (executed by Gao Cheng 547 or 548)

　• Lady Xiao, daughter of Xiao Zhengde (married 548)

　• The Princess Liyang, daughter of Emperor Jianwen of Liang (married 550)

• Major Concubines

　• Consort Yang, daughter of Liang general Yang Kan (羊侃)

• Children

　• Oldest son, name unknown (executed by Gao Cheng 547 or 548)

　• Four other sons, names unknown (executed by Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi during his reign)

　• Two sons, born in Liang territory (killed by Hou Jing himself 552)