Gao Yang, founder of the Northern Qi dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, inherited his power from his father Gao Huan, who had risen through the ranks of rebel armies and eventually seized control of the Eastern Wei military as Grand Chancellor, laying the groundwork for his son's imperial ambitions.
In 550 AD, Gao Yang overthrew the Eastern Wei to establish the Northern Qi dynasty, proclaiming himself Emperor Wenxuan. He selected fierce Xianbei warriors to form his personal guard, calling them the "Hundred Preserved Xianbei," and chose brave Han soldiers for border defense, naming them "Brave Warriors." For years, he launched campaigns against the Rouran, Turks, and Khitan, winning most battles, and conscripted 1.8 million men to build the Great Wall.
Gao Yang, like his father Gao Huan, was a Sinicized Xianbei man known for his fierce bravery. He had a son, Gao Yin, who was gentle and studious. One day, Gao Yang ordered his son to kill a man, but Gao Yin struggled, cutting several times without managing to sever the head. Enraged, Gao Yang struck him with a horsewhip, shouting, "You're too weak and cowardly—how can you ever succeed me as emperor?"
According to the *Book of Northern Qi*, Gao Yang handled state affairs with "decisive boldness" and "never tired throughout the day." On the battlefield, he always led his troops from the front, fearless of death, personally blocking enemy arrows and stones, and during combat, he only feared that the enemy was too few.
Gao Yang was known for his fierce combat skills, but he was also infamous for his drunken madness, debauchery, and brutal cruelty.
Later, the idiom "facing arrows and stones personally" came to describe bravery in battle and fearlessness of sacrifice.
Source: *Book of Northern Qi*, "Biography of Emperor Wenxuan"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "亲当矢石" came to describe bravery in battle and fearlessness of sacrifice.