Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi ((北)齊武成帝) (537–569), personal name Gao Zhan (高湛; also romanized as Gao Dan), nickname Buluoji (步落稽), was an emperor of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. In traditional Chinese historiography, he was presented as a minimally competent ruler who devoted much of his time to feasting and pleasure-seeking, neglecting the affairs of the state. The state was governed with assistance from his adviser He Shikai and other appointed administrators. In 565, he passed the throne to his young son Gao Wei, taking the title Taishang Huang (retired emperor), but continued to make key decisions. He died in 569 at the age of 31, and the Northern Qi would fall in 577.
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Background
Gao Zhan was born in 537, as the fourth of six sons of Eastern Wei's paramount general Gao Huan and his wife Lou Zhaojun (and Gao Huan's ninth son overall). He was greatly favoured by his father due to his exceptionally good looks. In 544, Gao Huan, in order to try to form an alliance with Rouran, took, as a wife for Gao Zhan, a daughter of Rouran's Khan Yujiulü Anluochen, who carried the title of Princess Linhe. At their public wedding ceremony, Gao Zhan was said to be appropriate in his actions despite his young age, surprising the guests. He was later created the Duke of Changguang. After the deaths of Gao Huan and Gao Zhan's oldest brother Gao Cheng, another brother Gao Yang became regent, and in 550, he had Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei yield the throne to him, ending Eastern Wei and establishing Northern Qi as its Emperor Wenxuan. Gao Zhan, as a younger brother to the emperor, was created the Prince of Changguang.
During Emperor Wenxuan's reign
Emperor Wenxuan's reign was initially a diligent one, but eventually turned violent and degenerate. When he was drunk, he was accustomed to battering his brothers, including Gao Zhan; two of his brothers, Gao Jun (高浚) the Prince of Yong'an and Gao Huan (高渙, courtesy name "Jingshou" [敬寿]) the Prince of Shangdang, were imprisoned and later killed cruelly. During this period, Gao Zhan closely associated with He Shikai and Zu Ting, even calling them brothers—and both of them would eventually have key roles in his administration.
During Emperor Fei's and Xiaozhao's reigns
In late 559, Emperor Wenxuan died and was succeeded by his son Gao Yin (as Emperor Fei). Pursuant to Emperor Wenxuan's will, the government was in the hands of several of his trusted officials -- Yang Yin the Prince of Kaifeng, Gao Guiyan (高歸彥) the Prince of Pingqin, Yan Zixian (燕子獻), and Zheng Yi (鄭頤). These officials (except for Gao Guiyan) were distrustful of Gao Zhan and his older brother Gao Yan the Prince of Changshan, believing that, as the young emperor's honored uncles, they posed a threat to the emperor. Meanwhile, the ambitious Yang was carrying out a governmental reorganization scheme to trim unnecessary offices and titles and to remove incompetent officials. The officials who were hurt by Yang's actions became disaffected and largely hoped that Gao Yan and Gao Zhan would take action and began to encourage them to do so. Yang considered sending Gao Yan and Gao Zhan outside the capital to be provincial governors, but Emperor Fei initially disagreed. Yang wrote a submission to Emperor Fei's mother Empress Dowager Li to ask her to consider, and she consulted her lady in waiting Li Changyi (李昌儀), who leaked the news to Grand Empress Dowager Lou. She informed the two princes, and in summer 560, they set up an ambush, with Gao Guiyan and the generals Heba Ren (賀拔仁) and Hulü Jin, at a ceremony where Gao Yan was to be named to a ceremonial post. Yang, Kezhuhun, Yan, Zheng, and Song Qindao (宋欽道) were all seized and severely battered (at Gao Zhan's order). Gao Yan and Gao Zhan then entered the palace and publicly accused Yang and his associates of crimes; Yang and his associates were executed, and Gao Yan took control of the government. He soon went to take up post at the secondary capital Jinyang (晉陽, in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), controlling the government remotely, leaving the capital Yecheng in Gao Zhan's control.
Later in 560, Gao Yan, after his advisors persuaded him that if he allowed Emperor Fei to remain emperor, his relationship with the young emperor would never be healed and he would be in danger, persuaded Grand Empress Dowager Lou of the same. She issued an edict deposing Emperor Fei and making Gao Yan emperor (as Emperor Xiaozhao). Emperor Xiaozhao continued to take up residence at Jinyang, again leaving Gao Zhan in control at Yecheng.
The relationship between the brothers began to sour, however, because while Emperor Xiaozhao had promised Gao Zhan that he would be made crown prince, soon created his own son Gao Bainian crown prince instead. In 561, Emperor Xiaozhao tried to transfer some of Gao Zhan's authorities at Yecheng to Hulü Jin's son Hulü Xian (斛律羨), but Gao Zhan refused to transfer that authority. Meanwhile, sorcerers informed Emperor Xiaozhao that the imperial aura was still at Yecheng, making Emperor Xiaozhao concerned. Gao Guiyan, who was concerned that Gao Yin would one day take the throne again and retaliate against him, persuaded Emperor Xiaozhao that his nephew had to be removed, and so Emperor Xiaozhao issued an edict to summon the Prince of Ji'nan to Jinyang. Gao Zhan, was disappointed at Emperor Xiaozhao not created him crown prince, briefly considered redeclaring Gao Yin emperor and starting a rebellion against Emperor Xiaozhao, but ultimately chose not to do it, as his own sorcerers informed him that they believed that he would become emperor one day anyway. He therefore sent Gao Yin to Jinyang, and soon, Emperor Xiaozhao had Gao Yin killed.
Reign as emperor
In spring 562, Emperor Wucheng created his wife Princess Hu empress and her son Gao Wei crown prince.
Also in spring 562, Emperor Wucheng, agreeing with his officials Gao Yuanhai (高元海), Bi Yiyun (畢義雲), and Gao Qianhe (高乾和) that Gao Guiyan was unreliable, removed Gao Guiyan from his position and made him the governor of Ji Province (冀州, roughly modern Hengshui, Hebei). When Gao Guiyan got to Ji Province, his subordinate Lü Sili (呂思禮) reported him as planning a rebellion, and Emperor Wucheng sent the senior generals Duan Shao and Lou Rui (婁叡) against him; they quickly defeated him, and he was executed along with his sons and grandsons.
In summer 562, Empress Dowager Lou died, but Emperor Wucheng refused to wear white mourning clothes and continued to wear his red robe and continued to feast and play music. When He Shikai advised him to stop the music, Emperor Wucheng was angry enough that he slapped He Shikai, normally a close confidant.
Sometime after Emperor Wucheng assumed the throne, he began to force Empress Li Zu'e, the mother of his predecessor Gao Yin to have a sexual relationship with him—threatening her that he would kill her son Gao Shaode (高紹德) the Prince of Taiyuan if she did not agree. Eventually, she became pregnant, and in shame, she began to refuse seeing Gao Shaode. Gao Shaode found out that she was pregnant and became indignant. In shame, when she bore a daughter around the new year 563, she threw the infant away, causing the child's death. When Emperor Wucheng found out, he became angry, and he stated, "Because you killed my daughter, I will kill your son." He summoned Gao Shaode and, in her presence, beat him to death with the hilt of a sword. She cried bitterly, and Emperor Wucheng, in anger, stripped her and pounded her. She suffered severe injuries, but eventually recovered, and Emperor Wucheng expelled her from the palace to be a Buddhist nun.
By 563, He Shikai had become so favored and trusted by Emperor Wucheng that Emperor Wucheng could not bear not seeing him, often requiring him to stay at the palace. Whenever He Shikai would go home, Emperor Wucheng would soon summon him to the palace again, and he rewarded He Shikai with great wealth. They participated in what were described as "immoral games" together, lacking boundaries between emperor and subject. He Shikai thereafter started an affair with Empress Hu. He Shikai stated to Emperor Wucheng:
As retired emperor
Due to Gao Wei's young age, Emperor Wucheng continued to be in control of major decisions, despite his "retirement." Favoring another son of his and Empress Hu's, Gao Yan (note different character than Emperor Xiaozhao) the Prince of Dongping greatly, even though Gao Yan was even younger than Gao Wei, he piled many honors and titles on Gao Yan, and Gao Yan, who was considered more intelligent and resolute than Gao Wei, at times questioned why Gao Wei was the emperor. Emperor Wucheng and Empress Hu considered deposing Gao Wei and replacing him with Gao Yan, but ultimately did not do so.
In 566, with He Shikai and Zu Ting falsely accusing Gao Xiaowan (his nephew, through Gao Cheng) of plotting rebellion, Emperor Wucheng arrested Gao Xiaowan and tortured him, eventually breaking his legs. Gao Xiaowan died from the injuries, and when Gao Xiaowan's younger brother Gao Yanzong mourned Gao Xiaowan, Emperor Wucheng arrested and tortured Gao Yanzong as well, but did not kill him.
In 567, Zu, hungry for greater power, accused Zhao Yanshen, Gao Wenhao, and He Shikai of corruption and factionalism, but Zhao, Gao, and He Shikai received word of this prior to Zu's submission and make defenses of themselves first. Emperor Wucheng arrested Zu and interrogated him. During the interrogation, Zu offended Emperor Wucheng by pointing out that he should not be hoarding as many ladies in waiting as he had been and by comparing him to Xiang Yu—although as Zu then pointed out, Emperor Wucheng's accomplishments paled in comparison to Xiang's. Emperor Wucheng, angry, whipped Zu 200 times and had him imprisoned in a dungeon—and during that imprisonment, Zu's eyes, smoked by smoke from the lamp (which was burning Chinese cabbage seed as the light source) went blind.
In spring 568, Emperor Wucheng suffered a major illness, and the official Xu Zhicai (徐之才), who was an accomplished physician, treated him back to health. After Emperor Wucheng recovered, however, He Shikai, whose position was lower than Xu's, wanted to be promoted, and so had Xu sent out to Yan Province (兗州, roughly modern Jining, Shandong) to be governor. In winter 568, Emperor Wucheng suddenly fell ill again, and he summoned Xu. Before Xu could arrive, however, around the new year 569, he died, while holding He Shikai's hands and entrusting the important matters to him.
Family
Consorts and Issue:
Princess Linhe, of the Yujiulü clan (鄰和公主 鬱久閭氏; 538–550), personal name Chidelian (叱地連), buried in the Tomb of Princess Linhe
Empress Wucheng, of the Hu clan of Anding (武成皇后 安定胡氏)
Gao Wei, Emperor (皇帝 高緯; 556–577), second son
Gao Yan, Emperor Gong'ai of Chu (楚恭哀皇帝 高儼; 557–571), third son
Furen, of the Li clan of Zhao (弘德夫人 趙郡李氏; d. 574)
Gao Chuo, Prince of Nanyang (南陽王 高綽; 556–574), first son
Lady, of the Ren clan (任氏)
Gao Renzhi, Prince of Danyang (丹陽王 高仁直; d. 577), 12th son
Lady, of the Li clan of Zhao (趙郡李氏), personal name Zu'e (祖娥)
A daughter (562)
Unknown
Gao Kuo, Prince An of Qi (齊安王 高廓; d. 577), fourth son
Gao Zhen, Prince of Beiping (北平王 高貞; d. 577), fifth son
Gao Renying, Prince of Gaoping (高平王 高仁英; d. 594), sixth son
Gao Renguang, Prince of Huainan (淮南王 高仁光; d. 577), seventh son
Gao Renji, Prince of Xihe (西河王 高仁幾; d. 577), eighth son
Gao Renyong, Prince of Leping (樂平王 高仁邕; d. 577), ninth son