Hou Jing

Hou Jing, courtesy name Wanjing (萬景), was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician. He was a general of Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, and Liang, and briefly, after controlling the Liang imperial regime for several years, usurped the Liang throne, establishing a state of Han. He was soon defeated by the Liang prince Xiao Yi, the prince of Xiangdong, and was killed by his own associates while in flight. The entire period from 548–552 is known as the Hou Jing or Houjing Disturbance (侯景之亂). Hou Jing is one of the most reviled figures in imperial Chinese history, known for his extreme cruelty to enemies and civilians. He is also known to have called himself "Grand General of the Universe, Chief Controller of all Military Affairs in the Six Directions" (宇宙大將軍、都督六合諸軍事).