Gaoche state

The Six Frontier Towns, also known as Northern Frontier Towns, refers to six military towns that the Northern Wei government has built during the Huangshi era and the Yanhe era to prevent the southward invasion by the Rouran Khaganate.

These towns, from west to east, are Woye, Huaishuo, Wuchuan, Fumin, Rouxuan and Huaihuang.

The official Li Chong sees that the people of the six northern military garrisons, largely ethnic Xianbei, who have for generations been forced to stay at these garrisons to defend against Rouran attacks, are stirring with discontent, and in 523 he suggests to Yuan Cha and Emperor Xiaoming that the garrisons be converted into provinces and that the people be given the rights of the people of other provinces.

Yuan Cha refuses.

Later this year, …

…the people of Huaihuang (in modern Zhangjiakou, Hebei) and …

…Woye (in modern Baynnur, Inner Mongolia) Garrisons rebel—rebellions that Northern Wei forces cannot quickly quell, and the rebellions soon spread throughout not only the six garrisons but throughout virtually the entire empire.

The more important rebels include Poliuhan Baling, with his rebellion concentrated around Woye; …

…Hu Chen, Tiele tribal chief, with his rebellion concentrated around Gaoping Garrison (in modern Guyuan, Ningxia); and …

…Mozhe Dati, with his rebellion concentrated around Qin Province (roughly modern Tianshui, Gansu), later succeeded by his son Mozhe Niansheng, who will declare himself Emperor of Qin.

Yuan Faseng, the governor of Xu Province (modern northern Jiangsu), who had been a close associate of Yuan Cha, believing that Yuan Cha will soon fall, rebels as well, declaring himself emperor in 525.

After some initial defeats at the hands of Northern Wei forces sent against him, he surrenders his post of Pengcheng (in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu) to Northern Wei's southern rival, the Liang Dynasty.

Yuan Cha's precautions against Empress Dowager Hu have been greatly relaxed by this point, particularly after Liu Teng's death in 523, as he no longer sees her as a threat.

Empress Dowager Hu, Emperor Xiaoming, and Yuan Yong therefore take the opportunity to conspire against Yuan Cha.

Empress Dowager Hu first relaxes Yuan Cha's guard by often discussing his overly trusting of Yuan Faseng, which causes Yuan Cha to be an apologetic mood.

Then, with his agreement, she relieves him of his command of the imperial guards, replacing him with his associate Hou Gang.

In summer 525, she takes sudden action and declares herself regent again, killing most of Yuan Cha's and Liu's associates and putting Yuan Cha under house arrest.

However, she is initially hesitant to take further action against Yuan Cha, because of her relationship with her sister.

Eventually, however, with popular opinion favoring Yuan Cha's death, she forces him and his brother Yuan Gua to commit suicide, but still posthumously awards him much honor.

Empress Dowager Hu, after resumption of her regency over Emperor Xiaoming, allows her lover Zheng Yan to assume great power, and while Yuan Yong and Yuan Lüe the Prince of Dongping (Yuan Xi's brother) are trusted and have high ranks, Zheng and Zheng's associate Xu Ge are more powerful than they.

The agrarian and other revolts continue, and during these years, …

…additional chief rebels include Xianyu Xiuli, with his rebellion centering on Ding Province (roughly modern Baoding, Hebei.

After Xianyu's death, his general Ge Rong will take over and become very strong, proclaiming himself the Emperor of Qi; …

…Xiao Baoyin, son of Emperor Ming of Southern Qi, who seeks to reestablish Southern Qi, with his rebellion centering on Chang'an; …

…Xing Gao, with his rebellion centering on Beihai (roughly modern Weifang, Shandong); and …