31 Facts About Gao Cheng

Gao Cheng was Gao Huan's oldest son, and because his father wielded actual power during Emperor Xiaojing's reign, Gao Cheng received increasingly great authority, and after his father's death in 547 took over the reign of the state.

In 549, he was assassinated by his servant Lan Jing, and his younger brother Gao Yang took over the control over the Eastern Wei regime.

Gao Cheng was born in 521, when his father Gao Huan was still a courier of documents between the Northern Wei capital Luoyang and the old capital Pingcheng.

In 525, the ambitious Gao Cheng Huan joined the agrarian rebellion led by Du Luozhou but subsequently became convinced that Du was not a successful leader, and sought to flee from Du's camp with his associates Wei Jing, Duan Rong, and Cai Jun.

Gao Cheng Huan defeated the Erzhus in 532 and entered Luoyang victoriously, and he made Yuan Xiu the Prince of Pingyang emperor.

In 535, Gao Huan found out that Gao Cheng had been conducting an affair with Gao Huan's concubine Lady Zheng Dache.

Still, Princess Lou and Gao Cheng were forced to repeatedly bow and crawl on the ground to beg Gao Huan's forgiveness, and Gao Huan allowed Gao Cheng to remain heir apparent.

In 536, the 15-year-old Gao Cheng, who was then with his father at his military headquarters of Jinyang, requested permission to become in charge of the Eastern Wei imperial government at Yecheng.

Gao Cheng soon arrived at Yecheng and took over the imperial administration.

Gao Cheng became known as a harsh but capable enforcer of laws, in comparison to his father's policy of relaxed enforcement.

Gao Cheng abolished the seniority-based system of promotion that had caused the imperial administration to stagnate, seeking out capable individuals and promoting them quickly.

Around this time, Gao Cheng married Emperor Xiaojing's sister the Princess Fengyi as his wife.

Gao Cheng Zhongmi had earlier married Cui's sister as his wife, but later abandoned her, and this led to hatred between Gao Cheng Zhongmi and Cui.

Cui, therefore, found many reasons to pick fault with selections of officials that Gao Zhongmi had made, and Gao Cheng agreed with Cui.

Therefore, when Gao Cheng Zhongmi became the governor of Northern Yu Province, he surrendered the capital of Northern Yu Province, the key garrison Hulao, to Western Wei.

However, Gao Cheng, displaying the influence that he had on his father by this point, was able to persuade Gao Huan, through Gao Huan's assistant Chen Yuanda, that punishing Cui would undermine Gao Cheng's authority, and therefore Gao Huan never did punish Cui.

Gao Cheng further showed off his authority by acting imperiously toward those officials.

Gao Cheng installed his assistant Cui Jishu as Emperor Xiaojing's secretary, to keep watch on Emperor Xiaojing.

Later in 544, Gao Cheng, wanting to stamp out corruption within the imperial administration, empowered Cui Xian and Song Youdao to investigate high-level officials for corruption.

Cui and Song each made several accusations against high-level officials, and Gao Cheng had, in particular, Sima Ziru stripped of all titles and offices, and Yuan Tan the Prince of Xianyang stripped of his offices.

At that time, Gao Cheng was apprehensive that the general Hou Jing, who commanded the provinces south of the Yellow River, would rebel, and Gao Huan left him a list of officials that he could trust, and specifically instructed him to make Murong Shaozong the commander of the army against Hou if Hou rebelled.

Also in spring 547, Hou Jing, unsure whether Gao Cheng Huan was still alive but believing that Gao Cheng Huan had died, rebelled, first surrendering the 13 provinces he commanded to Western Wei, and then to Liang Dynasty.

Gao Cheng initially sent Han Gui against Hou, and Han had some successes against Hou's forces but was forced to withdraw when Western Wei forces arrived, taking four of Hou's provinces in exchange for supporting Hou.

Gao Cheng made peace overtures to Hou, promising to keep him in command of the southern provinces if he would submit.

In winter 547, the plot was discovered, and Gao Cheng put the emperor under arrest and executed his coconspirators.

When Xiao Yuanming was delivered to Gao Cheng, Gao Cheng treated him with respect, intending to try to use Xiao Yuanming as a pawn against Hou.

Gao Cheng then began negotiating peace with Liang's Emperor Wu, intending to create instability in the relationship between Emperor Wu and Hou.

Meanwhile, Gao Cheng was trying to recapture the provinces that Western Wei had taken from Hou.

In summer 549, Gao Cheng himself commanded reinforcements and arrived at Changshe.

Gao Cheng intensified the siege, and soon, Changshe fell, and he captured Wang, whom he treated with respect.

Meanwhile, Gao Cheng was beginning to confer with his associates on how he could seize the throne.