Xiao Fang (; 796–875), courtesy name Sidao (思道), formally the Marquess of Lanling (蘭陵侯), was a Chinese politician during the Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xizong.
Background
Xiao Fang was born in 796, during the reign of Emperor Dezong. He came from a prominent clan, descended from the imperial line of Liang Dynasty. Xiao Fang's great-grandfather Xiao Song and grandfather Xiao Hua both served as chancellors, as did his cousin Xiao Mian. Xiao Fang's father Xiao Wu (蕭悟) served as a judge at the supreme court. Xiao Fang himself passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class in 827, during the reign of Emperor Dezong's great-great-grandson Emperor Wenzong, and he entered governmental service thereafter.
During Emperor Xuānzong's reign
During the Dazhong era (847-860) of Emperor Wenzong's uncle Emperor Xuānzong, Xiao Fang served successively as Jianyi Daifu (諫議大夫, an imperial consultant) and imperial attendant (給事中, Jishizhong). In 858, there was an occasion when Emperor Xuānzong was set to commission the imperial guard general Li Sui (李燧) as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Lingnan Circuit (嶺南, headquartered in modern Guangzhou, Guangdong), and had already sent an eunuch to Li Sui's mansion to bestow Li Sui with a staff signifying imperial authority. However, when Xiao received the edict commissioning Li Sui, he, per his authority as imperial attendant, sealed and returned the edict to Emperor Xuānzong, signifying his disagreement. (The reason for Xiao's disagreement is not stated in historical accounts.) Emperor Xuānzong, when he received the returned edict, was watching a play, but respecting Xiao's disagreement with the commission, he tried to send another eunuch to intercept the eunuch sent to Li Sui's mansion; he could not find one, so instead he sent a performer in the performance that he was watching, and the performer was able to stop the eunuch right in front of Li Sui's mansion. Instead of Li Sui, Emperor Xuānzong ultimately commissioned another general, Li Chengxun (李承勳), and Li Chengxun was able to suppress the rebellions that were then affecting Lingnan.
However, on a later occasion, Xiao Fang was accused of having improperly returned an edict to Emperor Xuānzong and was set to be punished. The assistant imperial scholar Kong Wenyu (孔溫裕) argued that Xiao should be encouraged for his review of edicts, and should not be punished; Emperor Xuānzong agreed and did not punish Xiao. Subsequently, there was a time when the powerful chancellor Linghu Tao recommended Li Zhuo (李涿) as the commandant of Annan (安南, i.e., modern northern Vietnam). Li Zhuo was subsequently removed for harshness, and Linghu then wanted to commission Li Zhuo as the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙, headquartered in modern Xuancheng, Anhui). Xiao, not afraid of offending Linghu, submitted a petition opposing Li Zhuo's commission, and thus was much admired for his honesty. Later, Xiao was himself commissioned to be the military governor of Lingnan, and it was said that while there were many opportunities to collect valuable objects due to Lingnan being a key post for commerce, he refused to do so. On one occasion, when a family member was ill, and the physician ordered that plum be used in the medication; Xiao's attendants took plums that were in the government storage for this purpose, but when Xiao found out, he ordered that the plums be returned.