As the Jin defences continued to falter, Liu Cong sent Huyan Yan with fresh troops to aid the trio in taking the capital.
[2] In 315, Liu Cong had removed his close advisor, Chen Yuanda from power as he remonstrated him for his controversial marital practice of having multiple empresses at once.
In 318, Liu Cong was dying, so he made a number of appointments to his officials, including making Huyan Yan the Grand Guardian and authority over the Masters of Writings.
Huyan Yan led the surviving loyalists from Pingyang to meet Liu Yao at Chibi, where they urged him to become emperor.
Huyan Yan in particular was made Minister of Works, and following this, Liu Yao and Shi Le quickly put down Jin Zhun's rebellion.
[3] In 320, Liu Yao was struck with a crisis as the non-Xiongnu tribes in the Guanzhong region rebelled and place his capital under pressure.
He had previously imprisoned the minister, You Ziyuan, who was against his decision to execute all the conspirators of a prior rebellion that led to the more drastic current one.