Sima Daozi - During Emperor Xiaowu's Reign

During Emperor Xiaowu's Reign

As the emperor's only surviving brother, Sima Daozi was in an honored position. In 380, when he was just 16, he was offered the position of prime minister, but he declined. In 383, he finally accepted the title while the empire was preparing for a showdown with the powerful rival Former Qin, and, after Jin forces repelled Former Qin forces at the Battle of Fei River, thus guaranteeing the dynasty's continued survival, he soon came into a power conflict with Xie An, who had served as Emperor Xiaowu's regent ever since Emperor Xiaowu's ascension; this conflict was aggravated by Xie An's son-in-law Wang Guobao (王國寶), whose cousin was Sima Daozi's wife and whom Xie disfavored, who therefore retaliated by slandering Xie before Emperor Xiaowu and Sima Daozi. Emperor Xiaowu therefore began to listen to Xie less, and in 385, Xie volunteered to lead an army and leave the capital to avoid further conflict with Sima Daozi. When Xie died later that year, Sima Daozi became the head of the government under Emperor Xiaowu, who entrusted his brother with most important affairs of state.

Both Emperor Xiaowu and Sima Daozi were described to be spending much of their times with drinking and feasting, rather than with important affairs of state. A number of politicians who wanted power gathered around Sima Daozi and flattered him, causing him to be less and less deferential to the emperor. He was also known for being obsessed with gathering wealth and for extravagance in living—including constructing an artificial hill in the back of his mansion, an excessively expensive and difficult task. Emperor Xiaowu eventually became angry about the situation, and he commissioned the well-known officials Wang Gong (王恭) and Yin Zhongkan (殷仲堪) to be provincial governors to counteract Sima Daozi's authority. The emperor and the prince at times suspected of each other, requiring intervention of their mother Empress Dowager Li. However, eventually they reconciled. It was around this time that Sima Daozi would, fatefully, inadvertently offend Huan Wen's son Huan Xuan the Duke of Nan Commandery—as at one feast where Sima Daozi invited Huan Xuan as a guest, after Sima Daozi became drunk, he made the statement, "Was it not true that when Huan Wen became old, he planned treason?" Huan Xuan was so struck by the statement that he fell prostrate on the ground, fearing that Sima Daozi would kill him, and from this point he bore a grudge against the prince.

In 392, Sima Daozi was created the Prince of Kuaiji, to permit the greater title of Prince of Langye be given to Emperor Xiaowu's second son Sima Dewen (the younger brother to the developmentally disabled Crown Prince Sima Dezong).

In 396, Emperor Xiaowu, after offending his favorite concubine Consort Zhang, was suffocated by her in his sleep. However, with the crown prince being developmentally disabled and with Sima Daozi being foolish and unthinking, no one investigated his death. Crown Prince Dezong took the throne as Emperor An, and Sima Daozi, as uncle, served as regent.