Disaster of Yongjia

Han's army committed a massacre of the city's inhabitants, killing the Jin crown prince, a host of ministers, and over 30,000 civilians.

Though the Western Jin would survive for a few more years, this event is often seen as one of the worst disasters in Chinese history, as both the emperor and one of the ancient capitals fell to the hands of “barbarian” forces.

Accompanying the constant warfare were great famines which turned many of the people in northern China into refugees or bandits, and there were even rampant cases of cannibalism.

In June 308, the Chinese rebel, Wang Mi, who at this point had only nominally submitted to Han, led his forces to attack Luoyang shortly after emptying the armory in Xuchang.

For the rest of his reign, Liu Yuan did not encroach on Luoyang, although his generals continued to raid the North China Plain and recruit more followers.

Shi Le attempted to take Cangyuan (倉垣, in present-day Kaifeng, Henan) in Chenliu, but was defeated by the Jin general, Wang Zan (王讚).

After retreating to Wenshi Crossing (文石津; southwest of present-day Xun County, Henan), Shi Le invaded Nanyang, seizing the region and absorbing the local rebels.

With the attacks and famine worsening by the day, Sima Yue wanted to bring the imperial army out on the field in order to campaign against Shi Le.

Soon, Gou Xi began openly denouncing Yue for his crimes, and the emperor sent him an imperial edict permitting him to campaign against the prince.

However, Yue discovered their plot after intercepting their messenger and prepared to attack Gou Xi, but became overly-stressed by the situation to the point he was bedridden.

Gou Xi proposed to Emperor Huai to move the capital to his base in Cangyuan, sending his subordinate, Liu Hui (劉會) with several dozen boats, 500 guards and 1,000 hú (斛) of grain to welcome him.

Soon, however, the famine in Luoyang reached a point where the inhabitants started eating each other, and around eighty to ninety percent of the government officials abandoned the capital.

While Wang Mi suggested that they shift the capital to Luoyang, Liu Yao believed that the city was too surrounded by enemies and instead burnt it down before leaving.

The Jin Inspector of You Province, Wang Jun, also formed his own provisional government within his domain, acclaiming an unnamed candidate as the new Crown Prince.

Days before the fall, a minister, Xun Fan fled the city, and following Emperor Huai's capture, he founded a provisional government at Mi County.

Luoyang remained a hotly contested region among the competing states in the coming years, but it would not be until 495, during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei, that it regained its status as a capital.