At the time of the Disaster of Yongjia in July 311, Yan Ding brought the nephew of Emperor Huai, Sima Ye, to Chang'an, where a group of loyalists from Anding (安定, present-day Zhenyuan, Gansu) were in the process of retaking the region from Han-Zhao forces.
Mi County was the base of the provisional government under Xun Fan after Emperor Huai of Jin and the capital, Luoyang fell to the Han-Zhao during the Disaster of Yongjia in July 311.
With encouragement from the Prefect of Heyin (河陰, in modern Luoyang, Henan), Fu Chang (傅暢), he made preparations to depart, but Xun Fan and his peers were reluctant to leave, as they did not want to abandon their homes in the east.
[3] Yan Ding began his journey at Wan, but before he went to Chang'an, he decided to make a stop by Luoyang as he wanted to pay respects to the imperial tombs and recruit more refugees.
Yan Ding was driven away and fled to Yong, where he was killed by a Di tribesman named Dou Shou (竇首).