Early Life
Sima Yi was born in 342, to Emperor Cheng and his concubine Consort Zhou, who was also the mother of his only brother, Sima Pi, who was one year older than he was. Later in 342, Emperor Cheng grew gravely ill. Typically, the throne would be passed down to a son, but Emperor Cheng's uncle Yu Bing (庾冰), who wanted to control the government a little longer, suggested that, because Jin was then facing the threat of Later Zhao, that an older emperor was needed, and so persuaded Emperor Cheng to pass the throne to his younger brother Sima Yue the Prince of Langye, who was Yu Bing's nephew as well. Emperor Cheng agreed, and after his death, Sima Yue took the throne as Emperor Kang. Emperor Kang created Sima Yi the Prince of Donghai.
In Sima Yi's youth, he went through a progression of official ranks. While he was still the Prince of Donghai, he married Yu Bing's daughter Yu Daolian as his princess. In 361, after the death of his cousin Emperor Mu (Emperor Kang's son), his older brother Sima Pi took the throne as Emperor Ai, and he took over the greater title of Prince of Langye, which Emperor Ai had previously held. In 365, after Emperor Ai died without a son, Sima Yi took the throne by decree of his aunt Empress Dowager Chu (Emperor Kang's wife). He created his wife Princess Yu empress.
Read more about this topic: Emperor Fei Of Jin
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