Emperor Wenxuan of the Northern Qi Dynasty (529-559) Gao Yang, courtesy name Zijin, was the founding emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. He reigned for 10 years from 550 to 559. He is the second son of Gao Huan, a powerful minister of the Eastern Wei Dynasty and Emperor Shenwu of the Northern Qi Dynasty (posthumous title, but not yet in fact on the throne), and the half-brother of Gao Cheng, Emperor Wenxiang of the Northern Qi Dynasty (also posthumous title, but not in fact on the throne yet). He is a Han nationality.
When he was young, he was unattractive and taciturn, but in fact he was as wise as a fool and extremely intelligent. Although he was occasionally laughed at or teased by his brothers, his talent was highly appreciated by his father. After Gao Cheng was assassinated by a slave, Gao Yang firmly took power. Emperor Xiaojing of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, Yuan Shan, had no choice but to make him Prime Minister and King of Qi. Gao Yang was unwilling to be a minister of the puppet emperor, so he abolished Yuan Shanjian in 550, established himself as emperor, changed the Yuan Dynasty to "Tianbao", established the capital Ye, and established the Northern Qi Dynasty at the age of twenty. In the tenth year of Tianbao in the Northern Qi Dynasty (559), Gao Yang died at the age of 31. His posthumous title was Emperor Wenxuan, and his temple name was Xianzu.