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.

Northern Wei is able to recapture Pengcheng from Liang in late 525, its only real military success and a fortuitous one, as the Liang prince Xiao Zong, the son of Emperor Wu of Liang and his concubine Consort Wu, who was previously the concubine of Southern Qi emperor Xiao Baojuan, becomes convinced that he is actually Xiao Baojuan's posthumous son, and surrenders to Northern Wei, causing his own army to collapse and allowing Northern Wei to reenter Pengcheng.

Emperor Xiaoming, by now a teenager, is said to spend much of his time drinking.

He is also said to favor his concubine Consort Pan greatly, to the exclusion of his wife Empress Hu (his cousin) and the other concubines.

In 528, Consort Pan bears him a daughter.

However, Empress Dowager Hu falsely declares that Consort Pan's child is a son, and orders a general pardon.

By this time, Emperor Xiaoming, aged eighteen, is tired of the hold that his mother has on his administration, and he further despises Zheng Yan and Xu Ge.

He therefore sends secret messengers to the general Erzhu Rong, who controls the region around Bing Province (modern central Shanxi), ordering him to advance on Luoyang to force Empress Dowager Hu to remove Zheng and Xu.

After Erzhu advances to Shangdang (in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), Emperor Xiaoming suddenly changes his mind and sends messengers to stop him, but the news leaks.

Zheng and Xu therefore advises Empress Dowager Hu to have Emperor Xiaoming poisoned.

She does so, and after initially announcing that Emperor Xiaoming's "son" by Consort Pan will succeed him, admits that the "son" is actually a daughter, and instead selects Yuan Zhao, the two-year-old son of Yuan Baohui the Prince of Lintao, to succeed Emperor Xiaoming.

Erzhu Rong refuses to recognize this arrangement, and soon arrives at and captures Luoyang, throwing Empress Dowager Hu and Yuan Zhao into the Yellow River to drown.