 Gao Yan consulted Empress Dowager Hu's brother-in-law Feng Zicong (馮子琮), who encouraged him to start an uprising to kill He Shikai.Gao Yan then had his associate Wang Ziyi (王子宜) submit a petition accusing He Shikai submit a petition accusing He Shikai of crimes and requesting that he be arrested—and Feng then put the petition along with other ordinary petitions.Gao Wei, without reading the petition carefully, approved it.