While Sima Rui served as Left Prime Minister under Emperor Min, the teenage Sima Shao was put in charge of defending Guangling.
They were soon joined by a number of other conspirators, and in spring 404 they started the uprising against Huan from the cities of Jingkou (京口, in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) and Guangling.
Originally from Guangling, now a district of Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province, he became addicted to wine and women, but was nonetheless recognized for his unusual phrenology.
Zhang Miao followed Lü Bu and left his brother Zhang Chao (張超), Administrator of Guangling, to take care of their family at Yongqiu.
In 580, after Northern Zhou captured the region between the Yangtze and Huai from Chen, Emperor Xuan made an attempt to recapture the territory, and Xiao served in the campaign along with Emperor Xuan's nephew Chen Huiji (陳慧紀), but after he was unable to capture Guangling (廣陵, in modern Huaiyin, Jiangsu), he withdrew.