Xiao Yaonan is a general of the Qing Empire and a member of Zhili Clique. His connections within the 'Hubei Generals' give him a large amount of clout within Beijing, as Hubei is one of the few provinces that are industrially profitable.
History[]
Born into an impoverished family of the rural gentry, Xiao was forced to turn away from his dreams of becoming an imperial official due to a lack of funds. Instead, he was selected by Zhang Zhidong to join his new Hubei Military Academy. Xiao graduated in 1909, and used connections to Cao Kun’s family to stay adrift in the turmoil of the Xinhai revolution, then using them to become governor of Hubei. He consolidated his rule over the province, and helped organize the ‘Hubei Generals’, an informal group of textile manufacturers, the main industry of Hubei.
He narrowly survived an assassination attempt in 1926 carried out by enemies of Cao Kun, and was drawn further and further into the Zhili sphere during and after the German intervention. He still maintains his hold over Hubei, modernizing the province while still working with Beijing.