city. Once Gao Wei arrived at Yecheng, he ordered that high rewards be posted for people who would join the army, but he himself was unwilling to contribute treasures from his own palace holdings. Further, when he was giving a speech intending to raise morale, his irreverent attitude instead infuriated the generals. The generals and the officials all lost the will to fight. The official Gao Mai (高勱), who had escorted Empress Dowager Hu and Crown Prince Heng back from Shuo Province, suggested making one last stand at Yecheng, but Gao Wei did not accept his suggestion. When astrologers indicated that the imperial seat is about to be changed, he decided to pass the throne to Gao Heng and did so in spring 577, even though Gao Heng was only seven years old. Gao Wei himself took the title of Taishang Huang. As retired emperor Gao Wei continued to exercise imperial authority, even though Gao Heng was emperor. He honored his mother Empress Dowager Hu as Grand Empress Dowager, while Empress Mu took the title of empress dowager. Meanwhile, the official Moduolou Jingxian (莫多婁敬顯) and the general Wei Xiangyuan (尉相願) plotted to try to have Gao Anagong killed, and then declare Gao Xiaoheng emperor, but the plot dissolved when the ambush they set in place for Gao Anagong could not be carried out. Meanwhile, Gao Xiaoheng requested an army so that he could resist Northern Zhou, but Gao Anagong and Han Zhangluan, suspecting him of plotting a coup, sent him out to be the governor of Cang Province (滄州, roughly modern Cangzhou, Hebei). Meanwhile, Gao Wei, receiving news that Northern Zhou forces were about to arrive at Yecheng, decided to abandon Yecheng and head to the provinces south of the Yellow River to organize a resistance—but that if the resistance would fail, to flee to Chen. He left the general Murong Sanzang (慕容三藏) in charge of Yecheng and fled toward Ji Province (濟州, roughly modern Liaocheng, Shandong), where had earlier sent Grand Empress Dowager Hu, Empress Dowager Mu, and the emperor Gao Heng. Once Gao Wei left, Murong Sanzang was unable to defend the city, and it fell. When Gao Wei arrived at Ji Province, he issued an edict in Gao Heng's name further passing the throne to Gao Wei's uncle Gao Jie (高湝) the Prince of Rencheng, sending the edict and the imperial seal to Gao Jie at Ying