 In anger, Emperor Xiaowen sent a cane to her mother Lady Chang, and Lady Chang was forced to cane Empress Feng herself as punishment.Later that year, Emperor Xiaowen grew seriously ill, and he left instructions to Yuan Xie to force Empress Feng to commit suicide after his own death, but to bury her with imperial honors still to avoid shame to the Feng clan.He then died, and Yuan Xie sent the palace official Bai Zheng (白整) to give her poison.