Gao Yan (Northern Qi prince)

Gao Yan (高儼; pinyin Gāo Yǎn) (558–571), courtesy name Renwei (仁威), posthumously honored Emperor Gong'ai of Chu (楚恭哀帝), was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. He was a son of Emperor Wucheng (Gao Zhan), and was much favored by both Emperor Wucheng and Empress Hu. In 571, during the reign of his older brother Gao Wei, he tried to seize power and killed Gao Wei's trusted official He Shikai, but his uprising subsequently collapsed when he hesitated at taking further action. Later that year, Gao Wei put him to death.

Gao Yan was born in 558, as the third son of Gao Zhan, then the Prince of Changguang under his brother Emperor Wenxuan, and the second son of Gao Zhan's wife Empress Hu.

In 564, Emperor Wucheng created Gao Yan the Prince of Dongping. In 565, at the urging of the officials He Shikai and Zu Ting, who persuaded Emperor Wucheng that astrological signs called for a change of imperial reign, and that passing the throne to Gao Yan's older brother, the Crown Prince Gao Wei would be a good way to ensure proper transition, Emperor Wucheng passed the throne to Gao Wei, but retained most imperial powers and took on the title of Taishang Huang (retired emperor).

Although Gao Wei was emperor, both Emperor Wucheng and Retired Empress Hu favored Gao Yan more than Gao Wei. As of 567, Gao Yan carried, among his other official titles, the title of Chief Examiner (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng). As the Chief Examiner had the official responsibility of investigating official misconducts, during Northern Qi's predecessor dynasty Northern Wei, in order to show the authority of the Chief Examiner, he was allowed to take on the same honor as a crown prince while out on the street, and that even officials as honored as princes and duke were required to yield to the Chief Examiner's trains. This ritual, however, had been long abolished, but Emperor Wucheng, in order to give Gao Yan greater honor, revived the ritual. Gao Yan was so honored that even his uncles would bow down to him, and he was allowed to use all kinds of imperial implements that Gao Wei used, normally reserved to use by the emperor. Once, when he was visiting Gao Wei's palace, he saw fresh plums that had come from an ice cellar, and he threw a temper tantrum, stating, "Why is it that my brother gets to have them and I do not?" From that point on, if Gao Wei was supplied with something and Gao Yan was not, the imperial supplier would be punished.

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