Yu Liang - The Su Jun Disturbance

The Su Jun Disturbance

As Emperor Ming neared death in 325, he entrusted his four-year-old son Crown Prince Yan, by Yu Liang's sister Empress Yu, to a number of high level officials, including Yu, Sima Yang (司馬羕) the Prince of Xiyang, Wang Dao, Bian Kun (卞壼), Chi Jian (郗鑒), Lu Ye (陸瞱), and Wen Jiao. Initially, after he died later that year and was succeeded by Crown Prince Yan (as Emperor Cheng), the officials were in charge together, but as Empress Dowager Yu became regent, Yu Liang became effectively the most powerful official in the administration. He changed from the lenient policies of Wang (who was prime minister during Emperor Ming's reign) to stricter applications of laws and regulations, which offended the officials accustomed to Wang's lenience. Further, he became apprehensive of the generals Tao Kan and Zu Yue (祖約) -- neither of whom was mentioned in the list of honors and promotions announced by Emperor Ming's will and believed that Yu had erased their names from the will -- and Su Jun, who had allowed many criminals to join his army. In 326, he alienated public opinion by falsely accusing Sima Yang's brother Sima Zong (司馬宗) the Prince of Nandun of treason and killing him and deposing Sima Yang.

In 327, apprehensive of Su's ambitions, Yu became intent on stripping him of his military command, and he promoted Su to the post of minister of agriculture in order ot do so. Su refused and rebelled, in alliance with Zu. Yu, initially believing that he could defeat Su easily, declined assistance from provincial officials, including Wen's Jiang Province (江州, modern Jiangxi) forces, but instead Su quickly descended on the capital Jiankang (name changed from Jianye due to naming taboo of Emperor Min's name) and captured it in early 328, taking Emperor Cheng and Empress Dowager Yu and forcing Yu Liang to flee to Wen.

Yu and Wen quickly prepared their forces for a counterattack against Su. They invited Tao to join them, and Tao, initially refusing because of his residual anger against Yu, eventually accepted, but as Tao's forces were about to arrive, a rumor spread that Tao was going to kill Yu. Yu, hearing the rumor, decided to greet Tao and prostrate himself, apologizing for his errors. Tao's anger dissipated, and they joined forces, killing Su in battle in late 328 and defeating the remnants of his forces in early 329.