Initially considered able, Murong Chao turned out to be capricious and thoroughly unwilling to accept criticism once he became emperor, and after he provoked the Eastern Jin dynasty, the Eastern Jin general Liu Yu captured and killed him in 410, ending the Southern Yan.
After Former Yan's destruction by Former Qin in 370, the Former Qin emperor Fu Jiān initially made Murong Na a commandery governor, but later Murong Na was relieved from that post and relocated, along with his mother Lady Gongsun and wife Lady Duan to be with his younger brother Murong De, who was the governor of Zhangye Commandery (張掖, roughly modern Zhangye, Gansu).
Later, after Later Liang surrendered to Later Qin in 403, Huyan Ping, Lady Duan, and Murong Chao were among the populace of the Later Liang capital Guzang (姑臧, in modern Wuwei, Gansu) forcibly relocated to the Later Qin capital Chang'an.
Yao Xing summoned Murong Chao to an audience with him, but Murong Chao continued the charade and intentionally gave wrong answers or no answers at all when Yao Xing asked him questions.
Murong Chao, at this time, was described to be a careful server to his uncle and appropriate in all his outward actions, leading the officials and the populace all to be happy with him.
He immediately made one of his associates, Gongsun Wulou (公孫五樓), a major general, despite Gongsun's commonly perceived lack of qualifications, and he disassociated himself from the officials Murong Zhong (慕容鍾) the Prince of Beidi and Duan Hong (段宏), whom Murong De had entrusted with great responsibilities.
In 406, Gongsun, in order to grab even more power, falsely accused Murong Zhong of treason.
In 407, Murong Chao sent his official Feng Kai (封愷) to Later Qin to negotiate to have Yao Xing turn his mother and wife over to him.
On lunar new year 409, Murong Chao held the traditional imperial gathering, and he lamented the lack of imperial musicians, and he proposed an attack on Jin to capture people to be trained as musicians, despite the opposition from Han Zhuo (Han Fan's brother, name not in Unicode).
A month later, Murong Chao sent the generals Murong Xingzong (慕容興宗), Hugu Ti (斛穀提), and Gongsun Gui (公孫歸, Gongsun Wulou's brother) to attack Jin, capturing Suyu (宿豫, in modern Suqian, Jiangsu) and 2,500 men and women, who were given to the music director to be taught music.
Gongsun Wulou and Murong Zhen proposed that Southern Yan armies defend Daxian Mountain (大峴山, in modern Weifang, Shandong) and not allow Jin forces to pass.
He further rejected suggestions that the crops be burned to prevent them from being used as food supply by Jin forces.
Jin general Hu Fan (胡藩) made a surprise attack on Linqu, capturing it and forcing Murong Chao to flee.