[8] The year of Sima Chong's birth was a tumultuous time for the Western Jin court.
In April, Sima Yue, then the regent for Emperor Huai, died of illness near Xuchang, and the imperial army under him was annihilated by Han forces the following month; Sima Yue's sons were all captured and presumably killed by Han general Shi Le.
Only Princess Pei fled, and after much suffering, including a stint where she was enslaved, she arrived in Jianye during the Tai'xing era (318-321).
[9] In July 311, Emperor Huai was captured by Han after the fall of the capital Luoyang in the Disaster of Yongjia.
By the time Princess Pei reached Jianye, Sima Rui had already claimed the imperial throne.