Gao Huan (simplified Chinese: 高欢; traditional Chinese: 高歡; pinyin: Gāo Huān) (496 – 13 February 547[1]), Xianbei name Heliuhun (賀六渾), formally Prince Xianwu of Qi (齊獻武王), later further formally honored by Northern Qi initially as Emperor Xianwu (獻武皇帝), then as Emperor Shenwu (神武皇帝) with the temple name Gaozu (高祖), was the paramount general and a minister of the Xianbei-led Northern Wei dynasty and its branch successor state Eastern Wei dynasty.

[2] He was ethnically Han, but his family, having resided at Huaishuo ever since his grandfather Gao Mi (高謐) was exiled there for faults while serving as a Northern Wei official, had largely been acculturated in the Xianbei ways.

In his young days, his family was poor, and he became a servant at the old Northern Wei capital Pingcheng (平城, in modern Datong, Shanxi).

While serving at Pingcheng, Lou Zhaojun an ethnic Xianbei, and the daughter of a wealthy house, saw him and was impressed with his appearance and behavior, and she married him despite her parents' opposition.

[3] It was only after this marriage that Gao had sufficient money to buy a horse, and he became a courier for the Pingcheng defense headquarters, often delivering official mail to and from the capital Luoyang.

The regent Empress Dowager Hu (Emperor Xiaoming's mother) did not dare to punish them, but largely pardoned them except for eight leaders.

Gao was unimpressed by Empress Dowager Hu's actions and believed that Northern Wei was on the verge of collapse.

His associates around this time included people from diverse ethnic backgrounds such as Xianbei, Chinese and Xiongnu, in addition to his brother-in-law Wei Jing, Sima Ziru (司馬子如), Liu Gui (劉貴), Jia Xianzhi (賈顯智), Sun Teng (孫騰), Hou Jing (侯景), and Cai Jun (蔡儁).

In 525, in the midst of the Rebellion of the Six Frontier Towns (Chinese: 六镇之乱[4]) against Northern Wei's rule, Gao and his associates joined one of the major Xianbei and Turkic rebel leaders, Du Luozhou (杜洛周).

Gao Huan was also reported as having frequently said to his soldiers in Xianbei language that the native Chinese "are your slaves," "they bring you supplies and clothing", while simultaneously telling the native Chinese that the Xianbei "are your clients" and "they fight for you and enable you to have peace and order".

[9][10][11][12] He had become Xianbeified as his clan had lived in Xianbei cultural region for some time after being relocated from what is now modern Hebei (Bohai).

Luoyang's defenses collapsed, and Erzhu arrested and threw Empress Dowager Hu and Yuan Zhao into the Yellow River to drown.

In 530, Emperor Xiaozhuang, believing that Erzhu would eventually seize the throne, ambushed and killed him in the palace.

Despite this, Gao remained nominally under the Erzhus' command structure, and when, around the new year, the general Gedouling Bufan (紇豆陵步番), loyal to Emperor Xiaozhuang, attacked Erzhu Zhao and initially defeated him, approaching Jinyang, Gao came to Erzhu Zhao's aid, and together they defeated and killed Gedouling.

However, Gao Gan and Li Yuanzhong (李元忠) were able to persuade him that the Erzhus, because of their corruption, were hated by the people, and he could overthrow them.

Gao Huan's troops believed the forged orders, and when he declared a rebellion in summer 531, they supported him.

Gao became the paramount general of the empire, although the imperial government became largely run by Husi Chun and Emperor Xiaowu's associate Wang Sizheng (王思政).

In winter 533, he sent his associate Zhai Song (翟嵩) to persuade Heba Yue's lieutenant Houmochen Yue (侯莫陳悅) to betray Heba, while in spring 534 ambushing a major tribal leader, Gedouling Yili (紇豆陵依利), whom Emperor Xiaowu had also made overtures to, taking over Gedouling's troops.

Meanwhile, Gao Huan took over the Luoyang region, and soon also defeated Heba Sheng, taking over his territory and forcing him to flee to Liang.

In spring 536, Gao made a deep incursion into Western Wei territory, capturing Xia Province (夏州, roughly modern Yulin, Shaanxi), while also rescuing his ally Cao Ni (曹泥) the governor of Ling Province (靈州, roughly modern Yinchuan, Ningxia), who had been trapped behind Western Wei lines.

In spring 537, Gao Huan launched a major attack three-pronged on Western Wei, commanded by himself and his key generals Dou Tai (竇泰) and Gao Aocao (高敖曹), intending to draw Yuwen's troops to himself while having Dou advance deep into Western Wei territory.

Yuwen, pretending to be ready to abandon Chang'an to withdraw to modern eastern Gansu, instead launched a surprise attack on Dou's troops, slaughtering most of them.

Yuwen and Emperor Wen led the Western Wei troops to aid Luoyang's defender, the general Dugu Xin, and a largely inconclusive battle with heavy losses on both sides occurred—with Western Wei being able to kill Gao Aocao, and Yuwen nearly killed in the battle as well.

In winter 541, Gao Huan had Emperor Xiaojing issue an edict standardizing measurement units for cloth, to avoid the populace's being unfairly taxed.

He therefore surrendered the important garrison of Hulao (虎牢, in modern Zhengzhou, Henan) to Western Wei.

(In retaliation, Gao Huan later had all of Heba's sons who remained in Eastern Wei territory executed.)

Based on Cui Xian's and Song's recommendations, Sima was arrested and reduced to commoner rank, while Yuan Tan (元坦) the Prince of Xianyang was relieved of all governmental posts.

Lou Zhaojun supported and assisted Gao Huan when he married more women, wanting to expand his power.

[19] In fall 546, Gao Huan launched another major attack on Western Wei, apparently to make one final attempt to destroy it.

Western Wei subsequently declared that Wei had killed Gao Huan with a powerful crossbow, and Gao Huan, in order to dispel the rumor, appeared before his army to sing the "Song of the Chile" with Hulü Jin in front of his generals.