生平

祖父萧靓是南梁的右将军，父亲萧谅，是南梁的始兴郡丞。萧摩诃年小的时候父亲就过世了，他的姑丈蔡路养当时人在南康，就将他收养。

梁武帝太清二年（548年）时爆发侯景之乱，陈霸先当时带兵攻击首都，蔡路养则带兵与他对抗，当时萧摩诃13岁，出战时就少有其他人可以匹敌。后来蔡路养兵败后，萧摩诃就跟随侯安都，侯安都非常重用他，之后就跟著侯安都一起征战。后来任约与徐嗣徽和北齐合作，陈霸先派侯安都去对抗北齐军队，两军相遇于锺山龙尾及北郊坛。侯安都对萧摩诃说，「过去听闻你的名声，千闻不如一见」，萧摩诃回答他说「我今天就让您看见」。到了对战的时候，侯安都坠马被敌军包围，萧摩诃大声一喊，一个人冲向北齐军队，北齐军队无法抵挡而撤退，侯安都因而解围。天嘉初年，除本县令，又以战胜留异和欧阳纥的战功，被任命为巴山太守。

太建十四年（582年）正月，陈叔宝派萧摩诃追杀陈叔陵。陈叔陵惶恐不安，派韦谅把自己的鼓吹仪仗送给萧摩诃，并对他说：「如果你帮助我举事成功，一定任命你为三公宰辅。」萧摩诃骗韦谅说：「必须让始兴王的心腹大将亲自来，我才能听从命令。」陈叔陵又派亲信戴温、谭骐����拜谒，萧摩诃将他们抓起来送到台省，斩首后在东城示众。叔陵计穷，自率步骑百人欲突围奔隋，从南门出逃，情急落马。萧摩诃率军将其追斩。因功被封为散骑常侍、车骑大将军，封绥建郡公，邑三千户。不久，又改授侍中、骠骑大将军，加左光禄大夫。他的女儿也被陈叔宝选为太子陈胤的正妃。

祯明二年（588年）十月，隋军攻陈，陈后主凭恃「长江天堑」，疏于防务。（陈书列传第二十五 萧摩诃）祯明三年（589年）正月元会，徵摩诃还朝，贺若弼乘虚济江，袭京口，摩诃请兵逆战，后主不许。及弼进军锺山，摩诃又请曰：贺若弼悬军深入，声援犹远，且其垒堑未坚，人情惶惧，出兵掩袭，必大克之，后主又不许。及隋军大至，将出战，后主谓摩诃曰：公可为我一决。摩诃曰：从来行阵，为国为身，今日之事，兼为妻子。后主多出金帛，颁赏诸军令……，众军南北亘二十里，首尾进退，各不相知。……，摩诃无所用力焉，为隋军所执。及京城陷，贺若弼置后主于德教殿，令兵卫守，摩诃请弼曰：今为囚虏，命在斯须，愿得一见旧主，死无所恨。弼哀而许之。……。其年入隋，授开府仪同三司。

隋仁寿四年（604年），萧摩诃与汉王杨谅起兵，反对杨广称帝。八月，萧摩诃在于清源（今山西省清徐）败于杨素之手，被俘杀。《陈书·萧摩诃列传》评：「萧摩诃气冠三军，当时良将，虽无智略，亦一代匹夫之勇矣；然口讷心劲，恂恂李广之徒欤」。

子萧坦，唐右卫郎将、郴州刺史。萧坦子雍北府果毅都尉萧怀举。

注释

During Liang Dynasty

Xiao Mohe was born in 532, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang. When he was less than 10 years old, his father Xiao Liang (萧谅) was made a commandery official at Shixing Commandery (始兴, roughly modern Shaoguan, Guangdong), and Xiao Mohe accompanied his father to the commandery. His father died while in service there, and at that time, Cai Luyang (蔡路养), who was had married either his sister or his aunt, was a member of the local gentry at nearby Nankang Commandery (南康, roughly modern Ganzhou, Jiangxi), and Cai took him and raised him. As Xiao Mohe grew in age, he became known for being resolute and strong.

In 548, the rebel general Hou Jing rose against Emperor Wu and by 549 had captured the capital Jiankang, taking Emperor Wu and his crown prince Xiao Gang (the eventual Emperor Jianwen) hostage. In winter 549, the ambitious general Chen Baxian raised an army at Guang Province (广州, roughly modern Guangdong) and planned to march north, eventually to head to Jiankang to attack Hou. His path, however, was blocked by Cai, who then controlled Nankang as a local warlord. Xiao served in Cai's forces and fought so fiercely that none of Chen's soldiers was a match for him, but eventually Cai was defeated, and Xiao surrendered. Xiao became a subordinate of Chen's commander Hou Andu. He was part of Chen's campaign, as Chen joined with Wang Sengbian, the chief general of Xiao Yi the Prince of Xiangdong (the eventual Emperor Yuan), to destroy Hou Jing.

By 556, Chen was the regent over Emperor Jing, Emperor Yuan's son and the chief among the claimants for the Liang throne after Emperor Yuan's capture and execution by Western Wei in 555, after Chen ambushed and killed Wang Sengbian and deposed Xiao Yuanming, the candidate favored by Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi who was declared emperor by Wang. Wang's subordinates Ren Yue (任约) and Xu Sihui (徐嗣徽) sought Northern Qi aid in resisting Chen, and Northern Qi forces soon arrived in Jiankang's vicinity. Chen sent Hou Andu to engage Northern Qi forces. Before battle, Hou commented to Xiao, "You are famed for your ferocity in battle, but seeing is better than hearing." Xiao responded, "I will let you see today." During the battle, Hou was having a hard time and was nearly captured by the enemy forces. Xiao experienced a surge of fury, roaring fiercely and single handedly fighting through the frontlines to save Hou from Northern Qi soldiers, and no men could stop him. Eventually, Hou was able to repel Northern Qi forces, and for his accomplishments was created a duke. It is not clear whether and how Xiao was awarded, although it was said that Xiao was one of the few subordinates that Hou treated with respect and honor.

During Chen Dynasty

In 557, Chen Baxian seized the throne from Emperor Jing, establishing Chen Dynasty as its Emperor Wu. Xiao Mohe's superior, Hou Andu, served as a major general under Emperor Wu, and became particularly prominent after Emperor Wu died in 559 and was succeeded by his nephew Emperor Wen. However, Hou came under Emperor Wen's suspicions in 563, and Emperor Wen forced him to commit suicide. The impact of Hou's death on Xiao's career is unclear, but prior to Hou's death he participated with distinction in the campaigns against the warlords Liu Yi (留异) (561-562, a campaign commanded by Hou) and Ouyang Ge (569-570), and for those accomplishments he was eventually promoted to the post of governor of Bashan Commandery (巴山, roughly modern Ji'an, Jiangxi).

It was as the governor of Bashan Commandery that Xiao served under the major general Wu Mingche in 573 as Wu, commissioned by Emperor Wen's brother Emperor Xuan, led a campaign against Northern Qi, seeking to capture the region between the Yangtze River and the Huai River. The Chen forces under Wu were intimidated by a small vanguard force in the Northern Qi army, commanded by the Xianbei generals Wei Pohu (尉破胡) and Zhangsun Honglüe, this elite squad consisted of tens of sturdy looking fighters with great physical strength and they were all above 1.9 metres tall, and accompanied by a sharpshooting Eurasian bowsman from the Western Regions (Xiyu). Wu informed Xiao of this, while praising him as having fortitude equivalent to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. In response, Xiao first sought out the Xiyu bowsman, charged forward and killed him with a dart, and then dozens of fighters from the elite squad came forth and challenged Xiao to a small battle, Xiao fought fiercely and eventually slew all of them, leading to the Northern Qi forces' losing morale and collapsing. Wei fled, while Zhangsun was killed in battle. Wu was eventually able to capture all of the region between the Yangtze and the Huai later that year. For Xiao's contributions, he was created the Count of Lianping and soon promoted to the rank of marquess. During the subsequent minor campaigns against Northern Qi over the next several years, Xiao also contributed.

After Northern Zhou destroyed Northern Qi in 577, Emperor Xuan wished to contend for the Xu Province (徐州, roughly modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu) region, and he sent Wu to attack the region in winter 577. Xiao served under Wu. Initially, Wu defeated the Northern Zhou governor of Xu Province Liang Shiyan, forcing Liang to withdraw inside Pengcheng (彭城, the capital of Xu Province) and defend it. Wu put Pengcheng under siege. In spring 578, the Northern Zhou general Wang Gui arrived with a force to lift the siege, and he, as his first step, cut off Wu's supply route (and escape path). Xiao Mohe advised Wu to attack Wang as quick as he could to prevent the supply route from being cut off, but Wu did not follow Xiao's suggestion. Soon, the Chen forces were trapped. Wu subordinates suggested destroying the levee near Pengcheng so that the area would flood, allowing them to escape by ships. Wu agreed, but believing that he, as the commanding general, should withdraw last, did so, sending Xiao with the cavalry first. The cavalry was therefore able to escape, but most of the foot soldiers—30,000—and Wu himself were captured by Wang and taken to the Northern Zhou capital Chang'an. Xiao was able to return to Jiankang and continued to serve as a general under Emperor Xuan. In 580, after Northern Zhou captured the region between the Yangtze and Huai from Chen, Emperor Xuan made an attempt to recapture the territory, and Xiao served in the campaign along with Emperor Xuan's nephew Chen Huiji, but after he was unable to capture Guangling (, in modern Huaiyin, Jiangsu), he withdrew. Another campaign waged by Xiao and Zhou Luohou in 581 also ended in failure.

In 582, Emperor Xuan died, and his son Chen Shuling tried to assassinate the crown prince Chen Shubao, but only managed to wound, not kill, Chen Shubao. Chen Shuling fled back to his mansion and mobilized troops under his command, and he made overtures to Xiao Mohe, asking Xiao to join his coup attempt. Xiao initially pretended to agree, and when Chen Shuling sent his associates Dai Wen and Tan Qi to confer with Xiao, Xiao beheaded them and hang their heads on the city walls. Chen Shuling's troops lost morale and collapsed, and he was killed. For Xiao's contribution, Chen Shubao, who soon took the throne, created Xiao the Duke of Suijian and awarded Chen Shuling's considerable wealth to Xiao. He also selected Xiao's daughter to be the wife and crown princess of his son and crown prince Chen Yin. He also granted Xiao several honors normally reserved for the highest-ranked officials. He subsequently made Xiao the governor of Southern Xu Province (南徐州, roughly modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu), to defend against potential attacks by Northern Zhou's successor state Sui Dynasty from Guangling.

In spring 589, when Xiao was at Jiankang, the Sui general Heruo Bi took the chance to cross the Yangtze (as part of the overall campaign by Emperor Wen of Sui to destroy Chen) and captured Jingkou (京口, the capital of Southern Xu Province). Soon, Heruo arrived at Zhongshan (now Purple Mountain), near Jiankang, and Xiao volunteered to engage Heruo. Chen Shubao agreed, despite warnings by another major general, Ren Zhong (任忠), not to engage Heruo. Xiao's own motivation level was said to be low, however, due to an affair that Chen Shubao was having with Xiao's wife. Heruo defeated him and captured him. Heruo threatened him with beheading, and yet Xiao would not prostrate himself. Heruo was impressed and spared Xiao. Subsequently, Heruo captured Chen Shubao as well, and Xiao obtained permission to cook and serve Chen Shubao one final meal from the Chen imperial kitchen as well as to make a tearful farewell—acts that greatly impressed Sui's Emperor Wen.

During Sui Dynasty

Emperor Wen made Xiao Mohe a general, but unlike the situation with Zhou Luohou, did not give him great responsibilities. However, when Xiao Mohe's son Xiao Shilüe participated in resistance campaigns by former Chen subjects against Sui rule, Emperor Wen pardoned Xiao Mohe from any punishments that he would otherwise have suffered based on Xiao Shilüe's rebellion, on the basis that Emperor Wen believed that Xiao Shilüe was forced to participate.

In 604, when Emperor Wen died and was succeeded by Emperor Yang, Xiao was serving under Emperor Yang's brother Yang Liang the Prince of Han, who was the commandant at Bing Province (, roughly modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). Yang Liang, not willing to yield to Emperor Yang, rebelled, a rebellion encouraged by Xiao and Wang Kui (, Wang Sengbian's son). However, when Xiao engaged Emperor Yang's general Yang Su, Yang Su defeated and captured him, and then had him executed. His sons were not killed but were seized as imperial servants, and his subordinate Chen Zhishen took his body and gave it a proper burial.