Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi
Encyclopedia
Emperor Wenxuan of Qi ((北)齊文宣帝) (529–559), personal name Gao Yang (高洋), courtesy name Zijin (子進), was the first emperor of the Chinese
dynasty Northern Qi
. He was the second son of Eastern Wei
's paramount general Gao Huan
, and the death of his brother and Gao Huan's designated successor Gao Cheng
in 549 became the regent of Eastern Wei. In 550, he forced Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei
to yield the throne to him, ending Eastern Wei and starting Northern Qi.
Early in Emperor Wenxuan's reign, he was known for attentiveness to military matters, and the strength of the Northern Qi military was at its prime. He also tried to equalize the tax burden and reduce corruption by offering officials sufficient salary. He entrusted most governmental matters to the capable Yang Yin
, and for a while, the government was effective, and the military was strong. However, Emperor Wenxuan eventually turned cruel, and his erratic behavior, fueled by alcoholism, plunged his administration into chaos.
was a general under Northern Wei
's paramount general Erzhu Rong
. His mother Lou Zhaojun
was Gao Huan's wife, on whose financial support Gao's early career had relied on. He was their second son, after his older brother Gao Cheng
. After Erzhu Rong's death in 530, Gao Huan overthrew Erzhu's family and became Northern Wei's paramount general, and after Northern Wei divided into Eastern Wei
and Western Wei
in 534 became the actual power controlling Eastern Wei. Gao Yang thus grew up in a household of power. In 535, he was created the Duke of Taiyuan.
Gao Yang was not well regarded as a child, as he was awkward in interpersonal skills and at times considered developmentally disabled
, being unable to carry out many tasks common for children. However, it appeared that he was actually of fairly high capability in many areas, and once, when Gao Huan tried to test his children's intelligence by giving them tangled balls of yarn to untangle, Gao Yang took out his sword and sliced the ball open, stating that that was the only solution. As Gao Huan's sons grew older, on one occasion, Gao Huan wanted to test their military abilities by having his general Peng Le (彭樂) launch a mock attack on them. All of Gao Huan's sons, including the older Gao Cheng, were fearful, but Gao Yang reacted calmly and actually captured Peng. As he grew, he continued to be awkward and appearing to be unintelligent, and Gao Cheng, in particular, often looked down on him.
Gao Huan died in 547, and thereafter, Gao Cheng, who had already controlled many aspects of Eastern Wei imperial government's operations, took over as regent
. He moved to consolidate his power further, and when Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei
tried to form a plot to kill him, he discovered the plot and put Emperor Xiaojing under effective house arrest. He then planned taking the throne himself, but at a meeting in 549 at the capital Yecheng (鄴城, in modern Handan
, Hebei
), with his officials Chen Yuankang (陳元康), Cui Jishu (崔季舒), and Yang Yin
, to discuss the procedure for doing so, he was assassinated by his servant Lan Jing (蘭京), who was angry at his wrongful treatment. At that time, Gao Yang happened to be in Yecheng, and he quickly gathered the guards and killed Lan and his co-conspirators. He chose not to announce Gao Cheng's death immediately, while moving to consolidate power.
, Shanxi
), and consolidated his military command there, quickly impressing the generals who had previously looked down on him with quick and careful decisions.
In fall and winter 549, with rival Liang Dynasty
under internal turmoil after the rebellion of Hou Jing
(a former Eastern Wei general who had defected to Liang in 547), Gao Yang sent Peng Le to attack the Liang border provinces, taking over the region between the Huai River
and Yangtze River
with ease.
In spring 550, Gao Yang had Emperor Xiaojing convey on him the greater title of Prince of Qi Commandery. Two months later, his title was made the even greater title of Prince of Qi.
In summer 550, under advice from the officials Gao Dezheng (高德政), Xu Zhicai (徐之才), and Song Jingye (宋景業), Gao Yang decided to take the throne, despite reservations from Gao Yang's mother Princess Dowager Lou. He therefore headed from Jinyang to Yecheng, but even as he was on the way and had reached the halfway city of Pingdu (平都, in modern Jinzhong
, Shanxi
), the officials largely pretended to ignore his overtures at taking the throne, so he returned to Jinyang. Soon thereafter, he had Emperor Xiaojing issue an edict conferring the nine bestowments
on him, further displaying his posture of taking the throne. He then proceeded to Yecheng again, and Emperor Xiaojing yielded the throne to him, ending Eastern Wei and establishing Northern Qi
, with Gao Yang as its Emperor Wenxuan. He created the former Emperor Xiaojing the Prince of Zhongshan. He posthumously honored Gao Huan and Gao Cheng as emperors, while honoring his mother as empress dowager
.
and Han
ethnicities to form the border defense corps. To equalize the tax and labor burden, he divided the households under his rule into nine classes based on their wealth, requiring the wealthy to pay more taxes and the poor to contribute more labor. Continuing a trend set by both his father Gao Huan and his brother Gao Cheng, he divided his time between Yecheng and Jinyang, effectively making Jinyang a second capital.
While Emperor Wenxuan was ethnically Han, like his father Gao Huan, he viewed himself as Xianbei rather than Han. Further, more than his father did, he looked down on Han traditions, not willing to follow them. Because of this, Gao Dezheng and another official, Gao Longzhi (高隆之), who wanted to ingratiate themselves with Emperor Wenxuan's cousin and powerful general Duan Shao (段韶), suggested he make Duan Shao's sister Lady Duan, a concubine of his, empress. Emperor Wenxuan did not follow their advice and, pursuant to expected norm, created his wife Princess Li Zu'e
empress and created her son Gao Yin
crown prince
.
In response to the establishment of Northern Qi, Yuwen Tai
, the paramount general of rival Western Wei, launched a major attack on Northern Qi. Emperor Wenxuan personally led troops to defend against Yuwen's attack. When Yuwen saw that Emperor Wenxuan's troops were well-organized, he sighed and stated, "Gao Huan is not yet dead." He was unable to overcome Emperor Wenxuan's defense and so was forced to withdraw, and in fact lost some border commanderies to Northern Qi in the campaign.
Around the new year 552, Emperor Wenxuan wanted to put the former emperor, the Prince of Zhongshan, to death. He first invited his sister and the prince's wife, the Princess Taiyuan, to a feast. As soon as she left the prince's household, he sent assassins to force the prince to drink poison, and also killed his three sons. He buried the former emperor with imperial honors, but at a later point, for reasons unknown, he dug out the former emperor's casket and threw it into the Zhang River (漳水, flowing near Yecheng).
In spring 552, Emperor Wenxuan himself led troops against the Kumo Xi
tribe (in the upper Liao River
drainage area) and achieved a great victory. Around the same time, he also sent generals to seize certain border cities with Liang, as Liang troops continued to battle Hou Jing, who declared himself the Emperor of Han in 551 but was subsequently defeated by Emperor Yuan of Liang
in 552. The campaigns of seizing Liang cities continued even after Hou's defeat, although he did not at this point launch a single major attack on Liang. The campaigns appeared to end in winter 552, and Emperor Wenxuan in fact promised the Liang generals Wang Sengbian
and Chen Baxian, whom Emperor Yuan put in charge of the eastern half of Liang territory, to return the cities of Guangling (廣陵, in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
) and Liyang (歷陽, in modern Chaohu, Anhui
).
Also in winter 552, Emperor Wenxuan personally led troops from Jinyang to Lishi (離石, in modern Lüliang
, Shanxi
), and he ordered the construction of a great wall
from Huanglu Mountain (黃櫨嶺, also in modern Lüliang) to Sheping Fortress (社平戍, in modern Xinzhou, Shanxi
), apparently to defend against Western Wei and Tujue.
In winter 553, Khitan
tribes were attacking Northern Qi's northern borders, and Emperor Wenxuan himself led troops to attack Khitan—and on this campaign, he was described as personally exposing himself to the dangers and contributing much personally to defeating the Khitan.
Also in winter 553, Emperor Wenxuan, wanting to put Northern Qi-friendly emperor on the Liang throne, commissioned an army commanded by Guo yuanjian (郭元建) to escort Emperor Yuan's cousin Xiao Tui (蕭退), who had surrendered to Eastern Wei in 548, back to Liang territory. However, Northern Qi forces were defeated by the Liang general Hou Tian (侯瑱), and Xiao Tui returned to Yecheng.
Around the new year 554, the remnants of Rouran
, which by that point was near its end, surrendered to Northern Qi to seek protection from Tujue attacks. Emperor Wenxuan personally attacked the Tujue, fighting its army off, and then created Yujiulü Anluochen as the new khan
of Rouran, settling the Rouran people within Northern Qi territory, at Mayi (馬邑, in modern Shuozhou
, Shanxi
).
In spring 554, Emperor Wenxuan, assisted by the senior general Hulü Jin (斛律金) and his brother Gao Yan
the Prince of Changshan, launched a major attack on the Shanhu (山胡) tribe (in modern Lüliang). After victory, he ordered that all 11-year-old and older males of the Shanhu be slaughtered, and that the females and the young males be awarded as spoils of war to the soldiers. When one of his commanders died because that commander's lieutenant, Lu Huili (路暉禮), was unable to save him, Emperor Wenxuan ordered that Lu's internal organs be cut out of his body and that the soldiers consume them. Many traditional historians, including Li Yanshou (李延壽), the author of the History of Northern Dynasties
, and Sima Guang
, the author of the Zizhi Tongjian
, saw this battle as the turning point of Emperor Wenxuan's rule—that thereafter, he began to act violently and capriciously. For example, in spring 554, when Rouran rebelled and he personally led troops to defeat Yujiulü Anluochen, he felt that warhorses offered by the general Heba Ren (賀拔仁) the Prince of Anding were not of sufficient quality—and he punished Heba by plucking out Heba's hair and demoting to commoner status, and further ordering Heba to serve as a worker in a coal processing facility. In another example, in fall 554, after he had put the official Yuan Xu (元旭), a former Northern Wei prince, to death, he remembered the snubs that Gao Longzhi, who was a friend of Yuan Xu's, had shown him before he became Eastern Wei's regent, and he had Gao Longzhi battered so severely that Gao Longzhi died several days later—and at a later point, still angry at Gao Longzhi, arrested Gao Longzhi's 20 sons and, with 20 executioners lined up, had the sons beheaded simultaneously, and then threw their bodies and Gao Longzhi's body thrown into the Zhang River.
Starting in 551, Emperor Wenxuan had ordered his official Wei Shou
to compile a history of Northern Wei. Wei Shou completed the work in 554, but his work (Book of Wei
) was criticized by many to be defamatory to ancestors of many political enemies (so much so that they referred to the work as Huishu (穢書—the Book of Filth)), and several officials filed reports condemning Wei Shou. Wei Shou submitted a petition to Emperor Wenxuan defending himself, and Emperor Wenxuan, in an act that he believed to be protecting the integrity of history, jailed the officials who condemned Wei Shou.
In late 554, Western Wei launched a major attack on Jiangling (江陵, in modern Jingzhou
, Hubei
), then the capital of Liang. Emperor Wenxuan commissioned an army commanded by Gao Huan's cousin Gao Yue (高岳) the Prince of Qinghe to attack Western Wei's An Province (安州, roughly modern Xiaogan
, Hubei
) to try to relieve pressure from Jiangling, but by the time that Gao Yue arrived, Jiangling had already fallen, and Western Wei captured and then executed Emperor Yuan.
the Emperor of Liang, but the declaration was not recognized by most Liang generals, and the chief of those generals, Wang Sengbian, welcomed Emperor Yuan's son Xiao Fangzhi
the Prince of Jin'an to the old Liang capital Jiankang
, declaring him the Prince of Liang in spring 555 and preparing to make him emperor. Emperor Wenxuan had other ideas, however, and he created Emperor Yuan's cousin Xiao Yuanming
the Marquess of Zhenyang, whom Eastern Wei captured in 547 during Liang's attempt to aid Hou Jing's rebellion against Eastern Wei, emperor, commissioning his brother Gao Huàn (高渙, note tone difference with his father) the Prince of Shangdang to command an army to escort Xiao Yuanming back to Liang territory. Emperor Wenxuan wrote letters to Wang recommending Xiao Yuanming as emperor, arguing that Xiao Fangzhi (who was 12 years old) was too young. Wang initially rejected Xiao Yuanming, but after Gao Huan won a few battles over Wang's generals, Wang decided to submit and, after Northern Qi escorting troops agreed to limit their presence to 1,000 men, and Xiao Yuanming agreed to make Xiao Fangzhi crown prince, accepted Xiao Yuanming as emperor. To show his good faith, Wang sent his son Wang Xian (王顯) and nephew Wang Shizhen (王世珍), as well as Wang Xian's mother Lady Liu, to Yecheng as hostages. Xiao Yuanming became Liang's emperor, and there was peace between Northern Qi and Liang, with Liang now a vassal.
Just four months later, however, the situation changed. Wang Sengbian's lieutenant Chen Baxian, displeased over Xiao Yuanming's ascension (as he saw Xiao Yuanming's claim as being too attenuated), make a surprise attack on Jiankang from his headquarters of Jingkou (京口, in modern Zhenjiang
, Jiangsu
), killing Wang Sengbian and forcing Xiao Yuanming to yield the throne to Xiao Fangzhi (who took the throne as Emperor Jing). Initially, Chen claimed that Liang would still agree to be a vassal, and Emperor Wenxuan sent the official Sima Gong (司馬恭) to swear an oath with Liang officials. However, with several generals loyal to Wang Sengbian rising against Chen following Wang's death, Emperor Wenxuan's mind changed, particularly after two, Xu Sihui (徐嗣徽) and Ren Yue (任約) submitted to him, making a surprise attack on the near-Jiankang fortress Shitou and capturing it. Emperor Wenxuan sent the general Xiao Gui (蕭軌) to reinforce Xu and Ren. Chen defeated Northern Qi troops and Xu and Ren, however, and Xiao Gui's assistant Liu Damo (柳達摩), sieged by Chen in Shitou, sought peace. Chen agreed, and sent his nephew Chen Tanlang (陳曇朗), Emperor Jing's nephew Xiao Zhuang
the Prince of Yongjia, and Wang Min (王珉), the son of the key official Wang Chong (王沖), to serve as hostages to Northern Qi, allowing Liu to withdraw. (Upon Liu's return to Northern Qi, however, Emperor Wenxuan had him executed.)
During the campaign against Liang, Emperor Wenxuan made another display of his increasing instability, as he, jealous over the fact that his concubine Consort Xue had previously had a sexual relationship with Gao Yue, ordered Gao Yue to commit suicide. Thereafter, he beheaded Consort Xue and hid her head in his sleeves. At a banquet later that day, he tossed her head onto a platter and cut her body into pieces, beginning to play with her leg, surprising all of the banquet attendants. At the end of the banquet, he packed her body parts and began crying, following the cart carrying her body on foot.
In fall 555, Emperor Wenxuan became convinced that Buddhism
and Taoism
should be but one religion, and that one of them should be merged into the other. He had the leading Buddhist and Taoist monks debate before him, and he declared the Buddhists the victors, ordering Taoism merged into Buddhism and Taoist monks to become Buddhist monks. Some Taoist monks initially rejected this edict, but after he executed four monks, the others submitted, and Taoism became banned within Northern Qi.
In spring 556, border battles between Northern Qi and Liang resumed, and Northern Qi prepared another campaign against Liang. In summer 556, Northern Qi forces were again south of the Yangtze, operating in Jiankang's vicinity, but they were stalemated against Liang troops, eventually defeated by Chen and his generals after they ran out of food. A number of Northern Wei generals were captured and executed by Liang, and in response, Emperor Wenxuan put Chen Tanlang to death.
By this point, Emperor Wenxuan's erratic behavior became even greater in scope, fueled by his alcoholism. As described by Sima Guang in his Zizhi Tongjian:
Once, when he was drunk and acting irrationally, Empress Dowager Lou rebuked him, and he threatened to marry her to an old barbarian. When she became angry, he became fearful, and he wanted to induce her to smile again, so he crawled on the ground under her seat, but in doing so, he flipped the seat over, and she was injured. After he sobered up, he realized how he had been injured, and he set a large fire, intending to jump in to die, causing her to have to grab him to save him. He thereafter pledged not to drink any more, but was only able to do so for 10 days before he began drinking again. He also once shot an arrow at Empress Li's mother Lady Cui and whipped her. Further, it was described that most women of the imperial Gao clan were forced to have sexual relations with him at one point or another. When Gao Huan's concubine Erzhu Ying'e
, the Princess Dowager of Pengcheng, refused, he killed her with his own hands. Emperor Wenxuan also became homicidal when he drank, and he always wanted to kill people when he was drunk. Yang Yin, who was prime minister at this point, therefore set up a group of condemned prisoners to be available to the palace guards—if Emperor Wenxuan wanted to kill someone, a condemned prisoner would be brought out for him to kill, and if a prisoner was able to survive for three months without being killed, he would be set free.
However, even in his erratic behavior, Emperor Wenxuan was still attentive to many important matters, and because of his harshness, his officials did not dare to be corrupt. Further, Yang was a capable prime minister, and Emperor Wenxuan gave him full authorization to carry out laws properly. Therefore, it was said at the time that while the emperor was violent and insane, the government was nevertheless efficient.
In winter 557, believing prophecies that Gao Huàn would be emperor, he ordered Gao Huàn arrested. Gao Huàn tried to resist, but was nevertheless captured and delivered to Yecheng. When another brother, Gao Jun (高浚) the prince of Yong'an, sent petitions urging him to change his behavior, he had Gao Jun arrested as well, and the two princes were imprisoned in a dungeon.
Also in winter 557, Chen Baxian had Liang's Emperor Jing yield the throne to him, establishing Chen Dynasty
, and subsequently had Emperor Jing killed in 558. The general Wang Lin
, then in control of modern Hunan
and eastern Hubei
, refused to submit to Chen and sought to continue Liang's lineage. He therefore requested Northern Qi to return Xiao Zhuang the Prince of Yongjia to be emperor. In spring 558, Northern Qi troops escorted Xiao Zhuang to Wang's territory, and Wang declared Xiao Zhuang emperor, as a Northern Qi vassal, with his capital at Jiangxia (江夏, in modern Wuhan
, Hubei
).
By this point, Emperor Wenxuan's military campaigns and other wasteful behavior had caused the imperial treasury to be drained. He had also become unhappy with his son Gao Yin, believing that Gao Yin was too Han-like in behavior, and he considered deposing Gao Yin. Once, he ordered Gao Yin to personally execute a prisoner, but Gao Yin could not bring himself to do so, and Emperor Wenxuan battered him with a whip handle, causing Gao Yin to thereafter have a panic disorder
and at times unable to speak. When Emperor Wenxuan became drunk, he would often state that he might eventually pass the throne to his brother Gao Yan, and he stopped stating as such only after urging by Yang and Wei Shou, who believed that his words were causing an unstabling effect in causing a doubt as to who would succeed him.
Around the new year 559, Emperor Wenxuan visited the imprisoned Gao Jun and Gao Huàn. He initially took pity on them and considered releasing them, but, at the urging of another brother, Gao Dan
the Prince of Changguang, did not do so, and further started to pierce them with spears. He also ordered that torches be thrown at them, burning them to death. He rewarded the princes' wives to the soldiers who delivered the death blows.
In summer 559, Emperor Wenxuan, suspecting that the members of the Northern Wei imperial Yuan clan would eventually try to return to power, ordered the Yuans to be slaughtered, regardless of age or gender, and had the bodies thrown into the Zhang River. Only several households who were particularly close to the Gaos were spared.
In fall 559, Emperor Wenxuan suffered a major illness that historians believed to be alcoholism-driven. He stated to Empress Li, "A person will live and die, and there is nothing to regret, other than that our son Gao Yin is still young, and someone else will take his throne." He stated to Gao Yan, "Go ahead and take the throne, but do not kill him!" However, he did not change the succession order, and after his death, Gao Yin took the throne as Emperor Fei. The officials tried to mourn at his death, but no one was actually able to shed a tear other than Yang Yin.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Northern Qi
Northern Qi
The Northern Qi Dynasty was one of the Northern dynasties of Chinese history and ruled northern China from 550 to 577.-History:The Chinese state of Northern Qi was the successor state of the Chinese/Xianbei state of Eastern Wei and was founded by Emperor Wenxuan...
. He was the second son of Eastern Wei
Eastern Wei
The Eastern Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 534 to 550.In 534 Gao Huan, the potentate of the eastern half of what was Northern Wei territory following the disintegration of the Northern Wei dynasty installed Yuan Shanjian a descendant of...
's paramount general Gao Huan
Gao Huan
Gao Huan , nickname Heliuhun , formally Prince Xianwu of Qi , later further formally honored by Northern Qi initially as Emperor Xianwu , then as Emperor Shenwu with the temple name Gaozu , was the paramount general of the...
, and the death of his brother and Gao Huan's designated successor Gao Cheng
Gao Cheng
Gao Cheng , courtesy name Zihui , formally Prince Wenxiang of Bohai , later further posthumously honored by Northern Qi as Emperor Wenxiang with the temple name Shizong , was the paramount official of the Chinese/Xianbei state Eastern Wei, a branch successor state of Northern Wei...
in 549 became the regent of Eastern Wei. In 550, he forced Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei
Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei
Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei , personal name Yuan Shanjian , was the only emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Eastern Wei – a branch successor state to Northern Wei...
to yield the throne to him, ending Eastern Wei and starting Northern Qi.
Early in Emperor Wenxuan's reign, he was known for attentiveness to military matters, and the strength of the Northern Qi military was at its prime. He also tried to equalize the tax burden and reduce corruption by offering officials sufficient salary. He entrusted most governmental matters to the capable Yang Yin
Yang Yin
Yang Yin , courtesy name Zhunyan , nickname Qinwang , was a high level official of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi.- Background :Yang Yin came from a clan that produced many officials of Northern Wei...
, and for a while, the government was effective, and the military was strong. However, Emperor Wenxuan eventually turned cruel, and his erratic behavior, fueled by alcoholism, plunged his administration into chaos.
Early life
Gao Yang was born in 529, while his father Gao HuanGao Huan
Gao Huan , nickname Heliuhun , formally Prince Xianwu of Qi , later further formally honored by Northern Qi initially as Emperor Xianwu , then as Emperor Shenwu with the temple name Gaozu , was the paramount general of the...
was a general under Northern Wei
Northern Wei
The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
's paramount general Erzhu Rong
Erzhu Rong
Erzhu Rong , courtesy name Tianbao , formally Prince Wu of Jin , was a general of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
. His mother Lou Zhaojun
Empress Dowager Lou Zhaojun
Empress Dowager Lou Zhaojun , formally Empress Ming , was an empress dowager of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. She was the wife of Gao Huan, the paramount general of Northern Wei and its branch successor state Eastern Wei, and during Gao Huan's lifetime was already influential on the political...
was Gao Huan's wife, on whose financial support Gao's early career had relied on. He was their second son, after his older brother Gao Cheng
Gao Cheng
Gao Cheng , courtesy name Zihui , formally Prince Wenxiang of Bohai , later further posthumously honored by Northern Qi as Emperor Wenxiang with the temple name Shizong , was the paramount official of the Chinese/Xianbei state Eastern Wei, a branch successor state of Northern Wei...
. After Erzhu Rong's death in 530, Gao Huan overthrew Erzhu's family and became Northern Wei's paramount general, and after Northern Wei divided into Eastern Wei
Eastern Wei
The Eastern Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 534 to 550.In 534 Gao Huan, the potentate of the eastern half of what was Northern Wei territory following the disintegration of the Northern Wei dynasty installed Yuan Shanjian a descendant of...
and Western Wei
Western Wei
The Western Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556.After the Xianbei general Yuwen Tai killed the Northern Wei emperor Yuan Xiu, he installed Yuan Baoju as emperor of Western Wei while Yuwen Tai would remain as the virtual ruler...
in 534 became the actual power controlling Eastern Wei. Gao Yang thus grew up in a household of power. In 535, he was created the Duke of Taiyuan.
Gao Yang was not well regarded as a child, as he was awkward in interpersonal skills and at times considered developmentally disabled
Developmental disability
Developmental disability is a term used in the United States and Canada to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18. It is not synonymous with "developmental delay" which is often a consequence of a temporary illness or trauma during...
, being unable to carry out many tasks common for children. However, it appeared that he was actually of fairly high capability in many areas, and once, when Gao Huan tried to test his children's intelligence by giving them tangled balls of yarn to untangle, Gao Yang took out his sword and sliced the ball open, stating that that was the only solution. As Gao Huan's sons grew older, on one occasion, Gao Huan wanted to test their military abilities by having his general Peng Le (彭樂) launch a mock attack on them. All of Gao Huan's sons, including the older Gao Cheng, were fearful, but Gao Yang reacted calmly and actually captured Peng. As he grew, he continued to be awkward and appearing to be unintelligent, and Gao Cheng, in particular, often looked down on him.
Gao Huan died in 547, and thereafter, Gao Cheng, who had already controlled many aspects of Eastern Wei imperial government's operations, took over as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
. He moved to consolidate his power further, and when Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei
Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei
Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei , personal name Yuan Shanjian , was the only emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Eastern Wei – a branch successor state to Northern Wei...
tried to form a plot to kill him, he discovered the plot and put Emperor Xiaojing under effective house arrest. He then planned taking the throne himself, but at a meeting in 549 at the capital Yecheng (鄴城, in modern Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
), with his officials Chen Yuankang (陳元康), Cui Jishu (崔季舒), and Yang Yin
Yang Yin
Yang Yin , courtesy name Zhunyan , nickname Qinwang , was a high level official of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi.- Background :Yang Yin came from a clan that produced many officials of Northern Wei...
, to discuss the procedure for doing so, he was assassinated by his servant Lan Jing (蘭京), who was angry at his wrongful treatment. At that time, Gao Yang happened to be in Yecheng, and he quickly gathered the guards and killed Lan and his co-conspirators. He chose not to announce Gao Cheng's death immediately, while moving to consolidate power.
As Eastern Wei regent
Initially, Emperor Xiaojing, who had received rumors that Gao Cheng had died, thought he might have a chance to regain power. However, upon meeting Gao Yang, who made a display of force by having more than 200 guards accompany him, Emperor Xiaojing saw that Gao Yang could not be easily dealt with. Meanwhile, Gao Yang headed for the Gaos' stronghold of Jinyang (晉陽, in modern TaiyuanTaiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
), and consolidated his military command there, quickly impressing the generals who had previously looked down on him with quick and careful decisions.
In fall and winter 549, with rival Liang Dynasty
Liang Dynasty
The Liang Dynasty , also known as the Southern Liang Dynasty , was the third of the Southern dynasties in China and was followed by the Chen Dynasty...
under internal turmoil after the rebellion of Hou Jing
Hou Jing
Hou Jing , courtesy name Wanjing , was a general for the Chinese states Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, and Liang Dynasty, and briefly, after controlling the Liang imperial regime for several years, usurped the Liang throne, establishing a state of Han...
(a former Eastern Wei general who had defected to Liang in 547), Gao Yang sent Peng Le to attack the Liang border provinces, taking over the region between the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
and Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
with ease.
In spring 550, Gao Yang had Emperor Xiaojing convey on him the greater title of Prince of Qi Commandery. Two months later, his title was made the even greater title of Prince of Qi.
In summer 550, under advice from the officials Gao Dezheng (高德政), Xu Zhicai (徐之才), and Song Jingye (宋景業), Gao Yang decided to take the throne, despite reservations from Gao Yang's mother Princess Dowager Lou. He therefore headed from Jinyang to Yecheng, but even as he was on the way and had reached the halfway city of Pingdu (平都, in modern Jinzhong
Jinzhong
Jinzhong is a prefecture-level city with 3,249,425 inhabitants at the 2010 census in east central Shanxi province of the People's Republic of China.-Administrative divisions:...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
), the officials largely pretended to ignore his overtures at taking the throne, so he returned to Jinyang. Soon thereafter, he had Emperor Xiaojing issue an edict conferring the nine bestowments
Nine bestowments
The nine bestowments were awards given by Chinese emperors to extraordinary officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. The nine bestowments were awards given by Chinese emperors to extraordinary officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. The nine...
on him, further displaying his posture of taking the throne. He then proceeded to Yecheng again, and Emperor Xiaojing yielded the throne to him, ending Eastern Wei and establishing Northern Qi
Northern Qi
The Northern Qi Dynasty was one of the Northern dynasties of Chinese history and ruled northern China from 550 to 577.-History:The Chinese state of Northern Qi was the successor state of the Chinese/Xianbei state of Eastern Wei and was founded by Emperor Wenxuan...
, with Gao Yang as its Emperor Wenxuan. He created the former Emperor Xiaojing the Prince of Zhongshan. He posthumously honored Gao Huan and Gao Cheng as emperors, while honoring his mother as empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
.
Early reign
Early in Emperor Wenxuan's reign, he was known for being attentive to important matters of state, particularly military matters. He revised Eastern Wei laws, and he selected elite soldiers from both XianbeiXianbei
The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...
and Han
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
ethnicities to form the border defense corps. To equalize the tax and labor burden, he divided the households under his rule into nine classes based on their wealth, requiring the wealthy to pay more taxes and the poor to contribute more labor. Continuing a trend set by both his father Gao Huan and his brother Gao Cheng, he divided his time between Yecheng and Jinyang, effectively making Jinyang a second capital.
While Emperor Wenxuan was ethnically Han, like his father Gao Huan, he viewed himself as Xianbei rather than Han. Further, more than his father did, he looked down on Han traditions, not willing to follow them. Because of this, Gao Dezheng and another official, Gao Longzhi (高隆之), who wanted to ingratiate themselves with Emperor Wenxuan's cousin and powerful general Duan Shao (段韶), suggested he make Duan Shao's sister Lady Duan, a concubine of his, empress. Emperor Wenxuan did not follow their advice and, pursuant to expected norm, created his wife Princess Li Zu'e
Empress Li Zu'e
Empress Li Zu'e was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi, known at times semi-formally as Empress Zhaoxin . Her husband was Emperor Wenxuan ....
empress and created her son Gao Yin
Emperor Fei of Northern Qi
Emperor Fei of Northern Qi , personal name Gao Fei , courtesy name Zhengdao , posthumously Prince Mindao of Ji'nan , was briefly an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. He was the oldest son of the first emperor, Emperor Wenxuan , and he became emperor after Emperor Wenxuan's death in 559...
crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
.
In response to the establishment of Northern Qi, Yuwen Tai
Yuwen Tai
Yuwen Tai , nickname Heita , formally Duke Wen of Anding , later further posthumously honored by Northern Zhou initially as Prince Wen then as Emperor Wen with the temple name Taizu , was the paramount general of the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Wei, a branch successor state of Northern Wei...
, the paramount general of rival Western Wei, launched a major attack on Northern Qi. Emperor Wenxuan personally led troops to defend against Yuwen's attack. When Yuwen saw that Emperor Wenxuan's troops were well-organized, he sighed and stated, "Gao Huan is not yet dead." He was unable to overcome Emperor Wenxuan's defense and so was forced to withdraw, and in fact lost some border commanderies to Northern Qi in the campaign.
Around the new year 552, Emperor Wenxuan wanted to put the former emperor, the Prince of Zhongshan, to death. He first invited his sister and the prince's wife, the Princess Taiyuan, to a feast. As soon as she left the prince's household, he sent assassins to force the prince to drink poison, and also killed his three sons. He buried the former emperor with imperial honors, but at a later point, for reasons unknown, he dug out the former emperor's casket and threw it into the Zhang River (漳水, flowing near Yecheng).
In spring 552, Emperor Wenxuan himself led troops against the Kumo Xi
Kumo Xi
The Kumo Xi ) were a Mongolic steppe people located in current Manchuria from 207 AD to 907 AD. After the death of their ancestor Tadun in 207 they were no longer called Wuhuan but joined the Khitan Xianbei in submitting to the Yuwen Xianbei. Their history is widely linked to the more famous Khitan...
tribe (in the upper Liao River
Liao River
The Liao River is the principal river in northeast China . The province of Liaoning and the Liaodong Peninsula derive their names from the river....
drainage area) and achieved a great victory. Around the same time, he also sent generals to seize certain border cities with Liang, as Liang troops continued to battle Hou Jing, who declared himself the Emperor of Han in 551 but was subsequently defeated by Emperor Yuan of Liang
Emperor Yuan of Liang
Emperor Yuan of Liang , personal name Xiao Yi , courtesy name Shicheng , nickname Qifu , was an emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
in 552. The campaigns of seizing Liang cities continued even after Hou's defeat, although he did not at this point launch a single major attack on Liang. The campaigns appeared to end in winter 552, and Emperor Wenxuan in fact promised the Liang generals Wang Sengbian
Wang Sengbian
Wang Sengbian , courtesy name Juncai , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Liang Dynasty. He came to prominence as the leading general under Emperor Yuan 's campaigns against the rebel general Hou Jing and other competitors for the Liang throne, and after Emperor Yuan was defeated by Western Wei...
and Chen Baxian, whom Emperor Yuan put in charge of the eastern half of Liang territory, to return the cities of Guangling (廣陵, in modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) and Liyang (歷陽, in modern Chaohu, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
).
Also in winter 552, Emperor Wenxuan personally led troops from Jinyang to Lishi (離石, in modern Lüliang
Lüliang
Lüliang is a prefecture-level city in Shanxi province in China. It has an area of 21,000 square kilometers and a population of 3,600,000.-Administration:Lüliang has direct jurisdiction over:-External links:*...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
), and he ordered the construction of a great wall
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups...
from Huanglu Mountain (黃櫨嶺, also in modern Lüliang) to Sheping Fortress (社平戍, in modern Xinzhou, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
), apparently to defend against Western Wei and Tujue.
In winter 553, Khitan
Khitan people
thumb|250px|Khitans [[Eagle hunting|using eagles to hunt]], painted during the Chinese [[Song Dynasty]].The Khitan people , or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally located at Mongolia and Manchuria from the 4th century...
tribes were attacking Northern Qi's northern borders, and Emperor Wenxuan himself led troops to attack Khitan—and on this campaign, he was described as personally exposing himself to the dangers and contributing much personally to defeating the Khitan.
Also in winter 553, Emperor Wenxuan, wanting to put Northern Qi-friendly emperor on the Liang throne, commissioned an army commanded by Guo yuanjian (郭元建) to escort Emperor Yuan's cousin Xiao Tui (蕭退), who had surrendered to Eastern Wei in 548, back to Liang territory. However, Northern Qi forces were defeated by the Liang general Hou Tian (侯瑱), and Xiao Tui returned to Yecheng.
Around the new year 554, the remnants of Rouran
Rouran
Rouran , Mongolia name Jujan or Nirun Ruanruan/Ruru , Tan Tan , Juan-Juan or Zhu-Zhuwas the name of a confederation of nomadic tribes on the northern borders of Inner China from the late 4th century until the middle 6th century...
, which by that point was near its end, surrendered to Northern Qi to seek protection from Tujue attacks. Emperor Wenxuan personally attacked the Tujue, fighting its army off, and then created Yujiulü Anluochen as the new khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
of Rouran, settling the Rouran people within Northern Qi territory, at Mayi (馬邑, in modern Shuozhou
Shuozhou
Shuozhou is a city in the north of Shanxi Province in North China, located on the upper reaches of the Fen River. As of 2004, its population is approximately 1.25 million, and the city has an area of approximately 5,737 square kilometres. Administratively, Shuozhou is a prefecture-level city, with...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
).
In spring 554, Emperor Wenxuan, assisted by the senior general Hulü Jin (斛律金) and his brother Gao Yan
Emperor Xiaozhao of Northern Qi
Emperor Xiaozhao of Northern Qi , personal name Gao Yan , courtesy name Yan'an , was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. He was generally considered a capable ruler, but ruled only less than two years before dying from injuries suffered from falling off a horse...
the Prince of Changshan, launched a major attack on the Shanhu (山胡) tribe (in modern Lüliang). After victory, he ordered that all 11-year-old and older males of the Shanhu be slaughtered, and that the females and the young males be awarded as spoils of war to the soldiers. When one of his commanders died because that commander's lieutenant, Lu Huili (路暉禮), was unable to save him, Emperor Wenxuan ordered that Lu's internal organs be cut out of his body and that the soldiers consume them. Many traditional historians, including Li Yanshou (李延壽), the author of the History of Northern Dynasties
History of Northern Dynasties
The History of Northern Dynasties is one of the official Chinese historical works in the Twenty-Four Histories canon. It contain 100 volumes and covers the period from 386 to 618, the histories of Northern Wei, Western Wei, Eastern Wei, Northern Zhou, Northern Qi, and Sui Dynasty...
, and Sima Guang
Sima Guang
Sīmǎ Guāng was a Chinese historian, scholar, and high chancellor of the Song Dynasty, jinshi 1038.-Life, profession, and works:...
, the author of the Zizhi Tongjian
Zizhi Tongjian
The Zizhi Tongjian was a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084, under the form of a chronicles. In 1065 CE, Emperor Yingzong of Song ordered the great historian Sima Guang to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the...
, saw this battle as the turning point of Emperor Wenxuan's rule—that thereafter, he began to act violently and capriciously. For example, in spring 554, when Rouran rebelled and he personally led troops to defeat Yujiulü Anluochen, he felt that warhorses offered by the general Heba Ren (賀拔仁) the Prince of Anding were not of sufficient quality—and he punished Heba by plucking out Heba's hair and demoting to commoner status, and further ordering Heba to serve as a worker in a coal processing facility. In another example, in fall 554, after he had put the official Yuan Xu (元旭), a former Northern Wei prince, to death, he remembered the snubs that Gao Longzhi, who was a friend of Yuan Xu's, had shown him before he became Eastern Wei's regent, and he had Gao Longzhi battered so severely that Gao Longzhi died several days later—and at a later point, still angry at Gao Longzhi, arrested Gao Longzhi's 20 sons and, with 20 executioners lined up, had the sons beheaded simultaneously, and then threw their bodies and Gao Longzhi's body thrown into the Zhang River.
Starting in 551, Emperor Wenxuan had ordered his official Wei Shou
Wei Shou
Wei Shou , born in Xingtai, Hebei, was a Chinese author. He wrote the Book of Wei, composed in 554, an important Chinese historical text.-References:*Cao, Daoheng, . Encyclopedia of China, 1st ed....
to compile a history of Northern Wei. Wei Shou completed the work in 554, but his work (Book of Wei
Book of Wei
The Book of Wei is a classic Chinese historical writing compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and serves as an important historical text describing the Northern Wei and Eastern Wei from 386 to 550....
) was criticized by many to be defamatory to ancestors of many political enemies (so much so that they referred to the work as Huishu (穢書—the Book of Filth)), and several officials filed reports condemning Wei Shou. Wei Shou submitted a petition to Emperor Wenxuan defending himself, and Emperor Wenxuan, in an act that he believed to be protecting the integrity of history, jailed the officials who condemned Wei Shou.
In late 554, Western Wei launched a major attack on Jiangling (江陵, in modern Jingzhou
Jingzhou
Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.Its population is 5,691,707 at the 2010 census whom 1,154,086 in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.-Geography:Jingzhou occupies an area of...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
), then the capital of Liang. Emperor Wenxuan commissioned an army commanded by Gao Huan's cousin Gao Yue (高岳) the Prince of Qinghe to attack Western Wei's An Province (安州, roughly modern Xiaogan
Xiaogan
Xiaogan is a prefecture-level city in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. Its population is 5,060,000 residents.-Subdivisions:*Xiaonan District *Yingcheng City *Anlu City *Hanchuan City *Xiaochang County...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
) to try to relieve pressure from Jiangling, but by the time that Gao Yue arrived, Jiangling had already fallen, and Western Wei captured and then executed Emperor Yuan.
Late reign
Western Wei declared Emperor Yuan's nephew Xiao ChaEmperor Xuan of Western Liang
Emperor Xuan of Liang , personal name Xiao Cha , courtesy name Lisun , was a emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
the Emperor of Liang, but the declaration was not recognized by most Liang generals, and the chief of those generals, Wang Sengbian, welcomed Emperor Yuan's son Xiao Fangzhi
Emperor Jing of Liang
Emperor Jing of Liang , personal name Xiao Fangzhi , courtesy name Huixiang , nickname Fazhen , was an emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty. As the only surviving son of Emperor Yuan, he was declared emperor by the general Chen Baxian in 555, but in 557 Chen forced him to yield the throne and...
the Prince of Jin'an to the old Liang capital Jiankang
Jiankang
Jiankang was the capital city of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Southern Dynasties. Its walls are extant ruins in the modern municipal region of Nanjing.-History:...
, declaring him the Prince of Liang in spring 555 and preparing to make him emperor. Emperor Wenxuan had other ideas, however, and he created Emperor Yuan's cousin Xiao Yuanming
Xiao Yuanming
Xiao Yuanming , courtesy name Jingtong , often known by his pre-ascension title of Marquess of Zhenyang , at times known by his post-removal title Duke of Jian'an , honored Emperor Min by Xiao Zhuang, was briefly an emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty. He was the nephew of the founding emperor...
the Marquess of Zhenyang, whom Eastern Wei captured in 547 during Liang's attempt to aid Hou Jing's rebellion against Eastern Wei, emperor, commissioning his brother Gao Huàn (高渙, note tone difference with his father) the Prince of Shangdang to command an army to escort Xiao Yuanming back to Liang territory. Emperor Wenxuan wrote letters to Wang recommending Xiao Yuanming as emperor, arguing that Xiao Fangzhi (who was 12 years old) was too young. Wang initially rejected Xiao Yuanming, but after Gao Huan won a few battles over Wang's generals, Wang decided to submit and, after Northern Qi escorting troops agreed to limit their presence to 1,000 men, and Xiao Yuanming agreed to make Xiao Fangzhi crown prince, accepted Xiao Yuanming as emperor. To show his good faith, Wang sent his son Wang Xian (王顯) and nephew Wang Shizhen (王世珍), as well as Wang Xian's mother Lady Liu, to Yecheng as hostages. Xiao Yuanming became Liang's emperor, and there was peace between Northern Qi and Liang, with Liang now a vassal.
Just four months later, however, the situation changed. Wang Sengbian's lieutenant Chen Baxian, displeased over Xiao Yuanming's ascension (as he saw Xiao Yuanming's claim as being too attenuated), make a surprise attack on Jiankang from his headquarters of Jingkou (京口, in modern Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Jiangsu province in the eastern People's Republic of China . Sitting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the east, and Yangzhou across the river to the north.Once...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), killing Wang Sengbian and forcing Xiao Yuanming to yield the throne to Xiao Fangzhi (who took the throne as Emperor Jing). Initially, Chen claimed that Liang would still agree to be a vassal, and Emperor Wenxuan sent the official Sima Gong (司馬恭) to swear an oath with Liang officials. However, with several generals loyal to Wang Sengbian rising against Chen following Wang's death, Emperor Wenxuan's mind changed, particularly after two, Xu Sihui (徐嗣徽) and Ren Yue (任約) submitted to him, making a surprise attack on the near-Jiankang fortress Shitou and capturing it. Emperor Wenxuan sent the general Xiao Gui (蕭軌) to reinforce Xu and Ren. Chen defeated Northern Qi troops and Xu and Ren, however, and Xiao Gui's assistant Liu Damo (柳達摩), sieged by Chen in Shitou, sought peace. Chen agreed, and sent his nephew Chen Tanlang (陳曇朗), Emperor Jing's nephew Xiao Zhuang
Xiao Zhuang
Xiao Zhuang , often known by his princely title of Prince of Yongjia , was a grandson of Emperor Yuan of Liang, who was declared by the general Wang Lin to be the legitimate emperor of Liang Dynasty in 558, under military assistance by Northern Qi...
the Prince of Yongjia, and Wang Min (王珉), the son of the key official Wang Chong (王沖), to serve as hostages to Northern Qi, allowing Liu to withdraw. (Upon Liu's return to Northern Qi, however, Emperor Wenxuan had him executed.)
During the campaign against Liang, Emperor Wenxuan made another display of his increasing instability, as he, jealous over the fact that his concubine Consort Xue had previously had a sexual relationship with Gao Yue, ordered Gao Yue to commit suicide. Thereafter, he beheaded Consort Xue and hid her head in his sleeves. At a banquet later that day, he tossed her head onto a platter and cut her body into pieces, beginning to play with her leg, surprising all of the banquet attendants. At the end of the banquet, he packed her body parts and began crying, following the cart carrying her body on foot.
In fall 555, Emperor Wenxuan became convinced that Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
should be but one religion, and that one of them should be merged into the other. He had the leading Buddhist and Taoist monks debate before him, and he declared the Buddhists the victors, ordering Taoism merged into Buddhism and Taoist monks to become Buddhist monks. Some Taoist monks initially rejected this edict, but after he executed four monks, the others submitted, and Taoism became banned within Northern Qi.
In spring 556, border battles between Northern Qi and Liang resumed, and Northern Qi prepared another campaign against Liang. In summer 556, Northern Qi forces were again south of the Yangtze, operating in Jiankang's vicinity, but they were stalemated against Liang troops, eventually defeated by Chen and his generals after they ran out of food. A number of Northern Wei generals were captured and executed by Liang, and in response, Emperor Wenxuan put Chen Tanlang to death.
By this point, Emperor Wenxuan's erratic behavior became even greater in scope, fueled by his alcoholism. As described by Sima Guang in his Zizhi Tongjian:
- ... [Emperor Wenxuan] drank heavily and lived immorality, carrying out cruel and barbarous act at his on whim. Sometimes he sang and danced day and night. Sometimes he spread his hair and wore barbarian clothing with colorful sashes. Sometimes he bared his body and put on makeup. Sometimes he rode donkeys, cows, camels, or elephants without using saddles. Sometimes he ordered Cui Jishu or Liu Taozhi (劉桃枝) to carry him and a large drum to allow him to beat the drums. He was accustomed to making surprise charges into the nobles' and imperial officials' private residences. He often crossed streets, sometimes sitting in the streets and sometimes even sleeping on them. Sometimes when it is warm, he would be naked to bask in the sun, but even in the coldest winter, he would strip naked as well and run around. His attendants could not stand his behavior, but he himself did not care. ... Once, he asked a woman on the street, "How is the Son of HeavenSon of HeavenSon of Heaven may refer to:* Emperor of China* Emperor of Japan* Emperors of Vietnam* Son of God* Son of Heaven , book on Guangxu Emperor by Princess Der Ling...
like?" The woman responded, "He is so crazy that he really cannot be considered a Son of Heaven." He beheaded her.
Once, when he was drunk and acting irrationally, Empress Dowager Lou rebuked him, and he threatened to marry her to an old barbarian. When she became angry, he became fearful, and he wanted to induce her to smile again, so he crawled on the ground under her seat, but in doing so, he flipped the seat over, and she was injured. After he sobered up, he realized how he had been injured, and he set a large fire, intending to jump in to die, causing her to have to grab him to save him. He thereafter pledged not to drink any more, but was only able to do so for 10 days before he began drinking again. He also once shot an arrow at Empress Li's mother Lady Cui and whipped her. Further, it was described that most women of the imperial Gao clan were forced to have sexual relations with him at one point or another. When Gao Huan's concubine Erzhu Ying'e
Empress Erzhu Ying'e
Empress Erzhu Ying'e was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. She was the wife of Emperor Xiaozhuang and a daughter of the paramount general Erzhu Rong...
, the Princess Dowager of Pengcheng, refused, he killed her with his own hands. Emperor Wenxuan also became homicidal when he drank, and he always wanted to kill people when he was drunk. Yang Yin, who was prime minister at this point, therefore set up a group of condemned prisoners to be available to the palace guards—if Emperor Wenxuan wanted to kill someone, a condemned prisoner would be brought out for him to kill, and if a prisoner was able to survive for three months without being killed, he would be set free.
However, even in his erratic behavior, Emperor Wenxuan was still attentive to many important matters, and because of his harshness, his officials did not dare to be corrupt. Further, Yang was a capable prime minister, and Emperor Wenxuan gave him full authorization to carry out laws properly. Therefore, it was said at the time that while the emperor was violent and insane, the government was nevertheless efficient.
In winter 557, believing prophecies that Gao Huàn would be emperor, he ordered Gao Huàn arrested. Gao Huàn tried to resist, but was nevertheless captured and delivered to Yecheng. When another brother, Gao Jun (高浚) the prince of Yong'an, sent petitions urging him to change his behavior, he had Gao Jun arrested as well, and the two princes were imprisoned in a dungeon.
Also in winter 557, Chen Baxian had Liang's Emperor Jing yield the throne to him, establishing Chen Dynasty
Chen Dynasty
The Chen Dynasty , also known as the Southern Chen Dynasty, was the fourth and last of the Southern dynasties in China, eventually destroyed by the Sui Dynasty....
, and subsequently had Emperor Jing killed in 558. The general Wang Lin
Wang Lin
Wang Lin , courtesy name Ziheng , formally Prince Zhongwu of Baling , was a general of the Chinese dynasties Liang Dynasty and Northern Qi...
, then in control of modern Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
and eastern Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, refused to submit to Chen and sought to continue Liang's lineage. He therefore requested Northern Qi to return Xiao Zhuang the Prince of Yongjia to be emperor. In spring 558, Northern Qi troops escorted Xiao Zhuang to Wang's territory, and Wang declared Xiao Zhuang emperor, as a Northern Qi vassal, with his capital at Jiangxia (江夏, in modern Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
).
By this point, Emperor Wenxuan's military campaigns and other wasteful behavior had caused the imperial treasury to be drained. He had also become unhappy with his son Gao Yin, believing that Gao Yin was too Han-like in behavior, and he considered deposing Gao Yin. Once, he ordered Gao Yin to personally execute a prisoner, but Gao Yin could not bring himself to do so, and Emperor Wenxuan battered him with a whip handle, causing Gao Yin to thereafter have a panic disorder
Panic disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurring severe panic attacks. It may also include significant behavioral change lasting at least a month and of ongoing worry about the implications or concern about having other attacks. The latter are called anticipatory attacks...
and at times unable to speak. When Emperor Wenxuan became drunk, he would often state that he might eventually pass the throne to his brother Gao Yan, and he stopped stating as such only after urging by Yang and Wei Shou, who believed that his words were causing an unstabling effect in causing a doubt as to who would succeed him.
Around the new year 559, Emperor Wenxuan visited the imprisoned Gao Jun and Gao Huàn. He initially took pity on them and considered releasing them, but, at the urging of another brother, Gao Dan
Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi
Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi , personal name Gao Dan , nickname Buluoji , was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. During his reign, he devoted much of his time to feasting and pleasure-seeking, neglecting the affairs of the state and causing Northern Qi's political system to degrade...
the Prince of Changguang, did not do so, and further started to pierce them with spears. He also ordered that torches be thrown at them, burning them to death. He rewarded the princes' wives to the soldiers who delivered the death blows.
In summer 559, Emperor Wenxuan, suspecting that the members of the Northern Wei imperial Yuan clan would eventually try to return to power, ordered the Yuans to be slaughtered, regardless of age or gender, and had the bodies thrown into the Zhang River. Only several households who were particularly close to the Gaos were spared.
In fall 559, Emperor Wenxuan suffered a major illness that historians believed to be alcoholism-driven. He stated to Empress Li, "A person will live and die, and there is nothing to regret, other than that our son Gao Yin is still young, and someone else will take his throne." He stated to Gao Yan, "Go ahead and take the throne, but do not kill him!" However, he did not change the succession order, and after his death, Gao Yin took the throne as Emperor Fei. The officials tried to mourn at his death, but no one was actually able to shed a tear other than Yang Yin.
Personal information
- Father
- Gao HuanGao HuanGao Huan , nickname Heliuhun , formally Prince Xianwu of Qi , later further formally honored by Northern Qi initially as Emperor Xianwu , then as Emperor Shenwu with the temple name Gaozu , was the paramount general of the...
, Prince Xianwu of Bohai
- Gao Huan
- Mother
- Princess Lou ZhaojunEmpress Dowager Lou ZhaojunEmpress Dowager Lou Zhaojun , formally Empress Ming , was an empress dowager of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. She was the wife of Gao Huan, the paramount general of Northern Wei and its branch successor state Eastern Wei, and during Gao Huan's lifetime was already influential on the political...
- Princess Lou Zhaojun
- Wife
- Empress Li Zu'eEmpress Li Zu'eEmpress Li Zu'e was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi, known at times semi-formally as Empress Zhaoxin . Her husband was Emperor Wenxuan ....
(created 550), mother of Crown Prince Yin and Prince Shaode
- Empress Li Zu'e
- Major Concubines
- Consort Duan, sister of Duan Shao (段韶)
- Consort Feng, mother of Prince Shaoyi
- Consort Pei, mother of Prince Shaoren
- Consort Yan, mother of Prince Shaolian
- Consort Wang
- Consort Xue
- Children
- Gao Yin (高殷), the Crown Prince (created 550), later Emperor Fei of Northern QiEmperor Fei of Northern QiEmperor Fei of Northern Qi , personal name Gao Fei , courtesy name Zhengdao , posthumously Prince Mindao of Ji'nan , was briefly an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. He was the oldest son of the first emperor, Emperor Wenxuan , and he became emperor after Emperor Wenxuan's death in 559...
- Gao Shaode (高紹德), the Prince of Taiyuan (killed by Emperor Wucheng of Northern QiEmperor Wucheng of Northern QiEmperor Wucheng of Northern Qi , personal name Gao Dan , nickname Buluoji , was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. During his reign, he devoted much of his time to feasting and pleasure-seeking, neglecting the affairs of the state and causing Northern Qi's political system to degrade...
562) - Gao ShaoyiGao ShaoyiGao Shaoyi , often known by his princely title of Prince of Fanyang , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi, who claimed the Northern Qi throne in exile under the protection of Tujue after rival Northern Zhou seized nearly all of Northern Qi territory and captured the emperors,...
(高紹義), initially the Prince of Guangyang (created 559), later the Prince of Fanyang (created 560), later emperor in exile - Gao Shaoren (高紹仁), the Prince of Xihe
- Gao Shaolian (高紹廉), initially the Prince of Changle (created 559), later the Prince of Longxi (created 560)
- Princess Zhongshan
- Gao Yin (高殷), the Crown Prince (created 550), later Emperor Fei of Northern Qi