In 577, with rival Northern Zhou having launched a major attack on Northern Qi, then-emperor Gao Wei (Emperor Wucheng's son) fled from the secondary capital Jinyang (晉陽, in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) back to Yecheng, and he made Gao Shaoyi the governor of Ding Province (定州, roughly modern Baoding, Hebei).
He led his troops south to try to recapture Jinyang, but was unsuccessful in first sieging Xinxing (新興, in modern Xinzhou, Shanxi), and Northern Zhou's counterattack was successful in capturing Lu Qiong (陸瓊), the governor of Xian Province (顯州, part of modern Xinzhou), and Gao Shaoyi retreated to Mayi.
[7] He transferred the former Northern Qi subjects, whether they fled to or were captured to Tujue, to be under Gao Shaoyi's command.
[8] Almost all of Northern Qi territory fell into Northern Zhou hands, but Gao Baoning (高寶寧), a distant relative of the Gao imperial line and governor of Ying Province (營州, roughly modern Chaoyang, Liaoning), refused to surrender.
Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou created the daughter of his uncle Yuwen Zhao (宇文招) the Prince of Zhao the Princess Qianjin, offering to give her to Tuobo Khan in marriage if Tuobo Khan would be willing to surrender Gao Shaoyi.
After the marriage, Yang then sent the official Heruo Yi (賀若誼) to Tujue to bribe Tuobo Khan to give up Gao Shaoyi.
In fall 580, Gao Shaoyi was delivered to Northern Zhou's capital Chang'an, and he was exiled to modern Sichuan.
Meanwhile, his wife Princess Feng had fled back from Tujue, and while they were not able to reunite, Gao Shaoyi sent her a letter that stated, "The barbarians were faithless, and they sent me here."