treason, and while Emperor Gaozong initially wanted to take no actions against Li Xian, at Empress Wu's insistence he relented. In fall 680, he with her advice reduced Li Xian to commoner rank, and created Li Zhe as the new crown prince. In 681, the Göktürk territory flared up again, as the chieftain Ashina Fu'nian claimed khan title and allied with Ashide Wenfu to attack Chinese territory. Emperor Gaozong again commissioned Pei to attack Göktürk forces. Pei's assistant Cao Huaishun () was initially defeated by Ashina Fu'nian, but after Pei sent spies to spread rumors, the rumors led to discord between Ashina Fu'nian and Ashide Wenfu. When Pei's forces approached Ashina Fu'nian's position, Ashina Fu'nian arrested Ashide Wenfu and surrendered. (Against Pei's recommendation to spare Ashina Fu'nian, Emperor Gaozong executed him.) In 682, the Western Turkic Khaganate chieftain Ashina Chebo () rebelled against Tang rule, and Emperor Gaozong initially was to commission Pei again, but before the army could depart, Pei died. However, the commandant at Anxi, Wang Fangyi (王方翼, Empress Wang's cousin) was able to defeat Ashina Chebo and crush the rebellion. Also in 682, the Göktürk chief Ashina Gudulu rose, in alliance with Ashide Yuanzhen (), to claim khan title. This, unlike the several earlier rebellions, actually saw the Göktürk khanate being permanently reestablished to Tang's north and persisting for decades, and would plague the last two years of Emperor Gaozong's reign as well as the reigns of his successors. Late in 683, Emperor Gaozong was seriously ill, and he, who was then at Luoyang, and only the Empress Wu were allowed to see her; the chancellors were not, and she attending to his; and at his direction (of course, she was in ruling power for many years), handling the all major affairs of state, and he at her request, summoned Li Zhe, then in charge of Chang'an, to Luoyang to meeted to him, so that at the time of his death he might sit on the throne. In November his illness led him to blindness. Imperial physician Qin Minghe (秦鳴鶴), hailing from the West/Daqin (now believed to be from Syria/Eastern Roman Empire) offered a cure of acupuncture and bloodletting, which was applied (and healed the blindness) despite Empress Wu's protests. Of course, he quickly became ill again, and his condition worsened. On 27 December 683, he died. At the time of his death, Empress Wu issued orders