During the Southern Dynasties, Xiao Gang, Emperor Wu of Liang's third son, was exceptionally gifted with a remarkable memory. At just four years old, he was appointed Prince of Jin'an.
Emperor Wu of Liang appointed the Grand Tutor to teach the young prince Xiao Gang reading and writing, and Xiao Gang quickly displayed his extraordinary talent—he could remember everything he read at a single glance, and by the age of just six, he was already composing essays that left people in awe.
Emperor Wu of Liang, hearing rumors of such a prodigy, refused to believe it. One day, he summoned Xiao Gang before him, ready to test the boy on the spot and see if the tales were true.
Emperor Wu of Liang once presented a spontaneous challenge, commanding Xiao Gang to compose an essay. Without any haste, Xiao Gang spread out his paper, blinked his bright, large eyes, picked up his brush, and swiftly produced a beautifully ornate piece of parallel prose. The emperor read it with endless praise and joyfully declared, "This child is truly the Dong'e King of our house!" (referring to the famed Three Kingdoms poet Cao Zhi, who was once enfeoffed as the Prince of Dong'e).
As Xiao Gang grew older, he delved into an even broader range of texts, reading with astonishing speed—reportedly able to scan ten lines at a single glance. Before long, he had devoured nearly every work of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and when it came to composing essays or poems, his pen moved with effortless grace, as if cutting through a well-worn path.
At just 11 years old, Xiao Gang was appointed General of Xuanhui and Governor of Danyang by his father, Emperor Wu of Liang. Despite his youth, he independently managed various affairs and steadily built a reputation among the officials.
In 531 AD, Xiao Tong, the eldest son of Emperor Wu of Liang, passed away, and Xiao Gang was appointed crown prince. Moving into the Eastern Palace, he spent his days composing poetry with the renowned scholars Yu Jianwu and Xu Chi, enjoying a life of aristocratic luxury.
Xiao Gang was extremely fond of writing poetry. He claimed he had a passion for poetry at age seven and still felt the same, never growing tired of it. However, due to the narrow and dissolute life of the court, most of his poems were of low taste and licentious content, known as "palace-style poetry." When they spread outside the palace, they had a very negative influence on the literary style of the time.
In 549 AD, the warlord Hou Jing rebelled, stormed the capital Jiankang (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu), and Emperor Wu of Liang died of grief and rage. Hou Jing installed Xiao Gang as Emperor Jianwen, but real power remained in Hou Jing's hands. For over two years, Xiao Gang was a puppet emperor, pouring out his inner anguish through poetry each day. Eventually, Hou Jing poisoned him with lethal wine.
Later, people used the idiom "Ten Lines at a Glance" to describe reading at lightning speed with exceptional intelligence.
Source: *History of the Southern Dynasties*, "Annals of Emperor Jianwen of Liang"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "十行俱下" came to describe how reading at lightning speed with exceptional intelligence.