As Xiao Kui's older brother and Emperor Xuan's original heir apparent Xiao Liao (蕭嶚) had died earlier, Emperor Xuan created Xiao Kui crown prince. Emperor Xuan was, however, never able to gain much support among Liang's provinces and was only able to hold a small amount of territory around his capital Jiangling (江陵, in modern Jingzhou, Hubei).
Xiao Kui's older brother, Xiao Liao, had passed away earlier, leading Emperor Xuan to designate Xiao Kui as crown prince.  Emperor Xuan was unable to secure widespread support from the provinces of Liang and only managed to maintain a limited territory around his capital, Jiangling (in modern Jingzhou, Hubei).