中英雙語話歷史 第57期:南北朝(蕭樑)
Xiao Yan, the founder of Liang, was a master of poems and was appointed the Garrison Commander of Yongzhou in 499. Taking advantages of confusion in Southern Qi, he secured the throne and established Liang.
He was called Emperor Wu of Liang and his court existed 48 years.
蕭衍是爲梁武帝，共在位48年。At that time the Wei in the south was split and weak enough to be defeated, however, the rulers of Liang let the opportunity slip through their fingers except focus their minds on exploiting their people. With no rules from the Emperor to regulate, Liang underwent a dark situation in which the children of prestigious family acted at their wills or even killed persons and seized his goods to the view；the officials of the court were mad in gathering money. One governor, Yu Hong once said that he would snatch all the wealth to the extent that there was no fish in water, no games in woods, no grains in fields and no people in towns.
在武帝時期,北方的魏國已經衰落，再無能力對南方形成威脅。這本應是南方發展的大好時機，但武帝卻昏庸無能，縱容大臣剝削人民，在蕭衍的縱容下，樑朝政治腐敗。貴族子弟在京城胡作非爲，甚至公開殺人越貨。樑朝官吏可以公開貪污，三任郡守魚弘說他做官要做到四盡:“水中魚鱉盡，山中獐鹿盡，田中米穀盡，村裏民庶盡。”
Besides , the rulers of Liang were merciless to their people. For example there were as much as 5000 civilians was sentenced to prisonment above two years given the fact that the total registered permanent residents was 500 000 then. The prison was always crowded.
蕭衍對百姓用刑極其殘酷，南朝注籍的戶口只有500多萬人，樑每年判處二年以上徒刑的就達5000人之多，國家監獄裏總是塞得滿滿的。In 547, Hou Jing, the general of the Eastern Wei, had a quarrel with Gao Cheng, who held an important position in the government.
公元547年（太清元年），東魏大將侯景因與掌權的高澄發生矛盾，表示願獻所據河南十三州之地降樑。To betray his country and to contribute to Liang, Hou Jing promised to surrender with 13 cities south of the Yellow River under his administration.
梁武帝貪圖利益，派蕭淵明率大軍北上接應侯景，結果被東魏在彭城打敗，蕭淵明被俘。Tempted by this, Emperor Wu sent general Xiao Yuanming to march north to receive the surrender.
不久,東魏又在渦陽（安徽蒙城）瓦解了侯景40000之衆，侯景率800人退據壽陽。However, Xiao Yuan-ming was defeated and captured by the armies of the Eastern Wei.
高澄爲挑起侯景與樑朝的矛盾,表示願與樑重新通好。Shortly afterwards, the Eastern Wei disintegrated 40 000 of Hou Jing’s solders in Guoyang(now Meng city, Anhui) and the latter retreated to Shouyang.
梁武帝不顧大臣和侯景的一再反對，同意通好，並答應以侯景交換蕭淵明。To further destroy Hou Jing, Gao Cheng plotted to build friendly terms with Liang.
侯景走投無路，於548年8月反於壽陽。侯景渡江，很快攻下建康石頭城和東府城,但蕭衍所住的臺城卻一時攻打不下。Without approvals from his ministers Emperor Wu of Liang agreed and promised to hand out Hou Jing in return of Xiao Yuanming.
隨後，臺城在久圍之下，糧食斷絕，餓死者十之八九。Trapped in the corner in 548, Hou Jing fought back to Shouyang, crossed the Yangtze River, seized the Shitou Cheng(Stone district) and Dong Cheng(Eastern City District)of Jiankang City and isolated Tai Cheng, the district where Xiao Yan resided.
次年3月，侯景攻入臺城，蕭衍被軟禁，不久餓死在臺城。Being isolated and surrounded, most the soldiers starved to death. In March the following year, Tai Cheng was occupied, Xiao Yan was put under house arrest and starved to death soon.
蕭衍死後，侯景立太子蕭綱爲傀儡皇帝。Xiao Gang became a figurehead emperor after Xiao Yan died.
侯景雖然攻下了建康，但當他的勢力向四周擴展時，卻遇到樑軍和地主武裝的強烈抵抗。However, while projecting his influence, Hou Jing was confronted by severe opposes from the re-maining army of Liang and local militia. The army led by Wang Sengbian，subordinate of King of Xiang Dong，Xiao Yi，the seventh son of Xiao Yan，beat Hou Jing and headed for the east. Even worse, governor Chen Baxian of Liang also set out with his army from Guang Dong.
蕭衍第七子、湘東王蕭繹派大將王僧辯東討，連敗侯景，並乘勝東下，樑太守陳霸先也從廣州率兵北上。Being eager to ascend to throne, Hou Jing dethroned Xiao Gang, then Xiao Dong and proclaimed to be Emperor of Han accompanied with the mass killing of Xiao9s families. Up to now, Liang was at the end of the rope.
侯景見形勢不利，急於稱帝，於是廢蕭綱，蕭棟自立，改國號漢，大殺蕭衍子孫，此時樑已完全處於崩潰的邊緣。In 552, Wang Sengbian and Chen Baxian captured Jiankang and Hou Jing was killed by his followers in an attempted escape.
公元552年，王僧辯、陳霸先攻下建康，侯景企圖逃胞，被部下所殺。In 557, Chen Baxian replaced Liang with Chen.
公元557年，陳霸先滅樑，建立陳。
