Hui moved his tribe inwards, eventually settling at Jicheng (棘城, in modern Jinzhou, Liaoning) and making it their capital, where they adopted an agricultural lifestyle and the Jin governing system.

During the upheaval of the Five Barbarians, Murong Hui welcomed many fleeing refugees into his territory and recruited Chinese scholar-officials into his administration, even setting up new commaderies to accommodate them based on their native provinces.

Later that year, Former Yan invaded Goguryeo and sacked the capital Hwando, forcing their king Gogugwon into submission.

Huang also abolished the Eastern Jin era names within his domain in 345, instead claiming that they were now in the 12th year of his reign since he first succeeded his father.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Murong Jun began an invasion of the Central Plains, during which he moved the capital to Jìcheng (薊城; modern day Beijing) in 350.

The destruction of Ran Wei established Former Yan as a regional power on the North China Plain, competing with the Di-led Former Qin in the west and the Eastern Jin in the south.

He continued to entrust Murong Ke with defeating the remnants of the Later Zhao, including the Duan Qi state in Shandong.

Still, Ke held considerable power under Murong Wei, and traditional historians regarded him as one of the greatest statesmen and commanders of his period.

As a result, the imperial treasury was stretched thin, many officials had unpaid salaries and the public grain stores were exhausted.

As the Yan court was thrown into a panic, Chui volunteered to lead the defense and decisively defeated Huan Wen at the Battle of Fangtou.

During the Jin invasion, Yan had agreed to cede the Luoyang region to Qin for reinforcements, but went back on their promise after repelling the attack.

Despite their numerical advantage, the incompetently-led main Yan force was destroyed by Wang Meng's army at the Battle of Luchuan.

The destruction of the Former Yan established Former Qin as the main hegemon in the north, beginning their rapid unification of northern China.