After the establishment of the Eastern Jin regime, it successively experienced two rebellions led by Wang Dun and Su Jun. Although both uprisings were suppressed, the rulers of the Eastern Jin dynasty were terrified, fearing that military commanders holding army power might launch another revolt. It was at this time that Huan Wen, the governor of Jingzhou who controlled the military forces along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, aroused the vigilance of the Eastern Jin rulers due to his excessive influence.
When Huan Wen was fifteen years old, his father Huan Yi was killed by Han Huang, a general under Su Jun's command. Although Huan Wen was just a young and inexperienced child, as the eldest son in the family, he had to be strong and shoulder the heavy burden of the household after his father's death. Once, his mother fell seriously ill and needed to eat mutton as a remedy. However, his family was extremely poor, barely able to make ends meet, and simply could not afford mutton. To treat his mother, Huan Wen endured great pain and exchanged his youngest brother for a small amount of mutton from a mutton seller. This incident left a deep impression on young Huan Wen, teaching him the hardships of life and intensifying his hatred for his father's murderer. Determined to avenge his father as soon as possible, Huan Wen worked tirelessly during the day to support his family, and at night he would go to the garden alone to practice martial arts. No matter how tired he was or what the weather was like, he persisted in his training without ever stopping. Three years passed, and Huan Wen's martial skills greatly improved, but he then heard that Han Huang, the murderer of his father, had already died. Realizing he could no longer kill his enemy, he decided to kill his enemy's relatives instead. So, pretending to be a mourner at a funeral, he went to Han Huang's home and killed Han Huang's two sons and one brother. This incident quickly spread, and Emperor Cheng of Jin heard about Huan Wen. The emperor personally summoned Huan Wen and entrusted him with important responsibilities. From then on, Huan Wen's official career went smoothly: he was appointed Commandant of the Imperial Carriages and Grand Administrator of Langya, and later became Inspector of Xuzhou and Inspector of Jingzhou, gaining control over the military forces along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
In November 345 AD, Huan Wen sent Yuan Qiao with 2,000 men as the vanguard while he personally led the main army as the rear force to launch a campaign against Shu. The imperial court did not agree with this action, but after submitting a memorial, he set off on his own, and by the time the court tried to stop him, it was too late. When Li Shi, the emperor of Cheng Han, received news that Huan Wen was leading a large army to attack his state, he appeared very relaxed. He believed that the treacherous roads of Shu would cause Huan Wen's troops great hardship, ultimately leading to their defeat without a fight. However, he did not anticipate that Huan Wen's army would advance swiftly, reaching the plains near Chengdu by February 347 AD. Only then did Li Shi realize the gravity of the situation and hastily sent his uncle Li Fu, cousin Li Quan, and general Zan Jian to divide their forces into three routes to confront Huan Wen's army. Zan Jian inexplicably led his troops to Jianwei (present-day Pengshan East, Sichuan) without encountering Huan Wen's forces. Huan Wen's army arrived at Pengmo (present-day Pengshan Northeast, Sichuan), only 200 li from Chengdu, while Zan Jian, unaware of the Jin army's location, waited foolishly in Jianwei. Yuan Qiao said to Huan Wen, "Now we are on a distant expedition, deep in enemy territory. If we win, it will be a great achievement; if we lose, we will surely be completely annihilated. Therefore, we must concentrate our forces and launch a fierce attack on the enemy. If we split into two routes, our strength will be greatly weakened." He also proposed burning the boats and breaking the cauldrons, carrying only three days' worth of provisions, to inspire the soldiers to fight with all their might. Huan Wen found Yuan Qiao's words very reasonable and personally led the troops to attack Chengdu. Huan Wen encountered Li Quan's forces, and after three fierce battles, Li Quan's troops were utterly defeated and fled back to Chengdu in panic. Huan Wen pressed forward relentlessly, leading his army to the outskirts of Chengdu. At this time, Zan Jian in Jianwei hurriedly led his troops to rescue Chengdu. However, upon seeing that the Jin army was about to breach the city, Zan Jian's soldiers became panicked and disintegrated before even engaging the enemy. Seeing the dire situation, Li Shi personally led his troops out of the city to meet Huan Wen's army at Zuoqiao (present-day Southwest Chengdu, Sichuan). Li Shi and his men fought desperately, pushing the Jin army back and making it difficult for them to advance. At this critical moment, war drums suddenly sounded, and Yuan Qiao drew his sword to command. The soldiers fought to the death against the enemy, ultimately achieving a great victory. Subsequently, Huan Wen led his troops to the gates of Chengdu and set fire to them. Li Shi fled under cover of darkness to a nearby city. Believing that continuing to fight Huan Wen would only lead to death, he chose to surrender to Huan Wen for self-preservation, and Cheng Han was thus destroyed. Huan Wen completed the arduous task of pacifying Ba and Shu.
Later, in order to expand his own power, Huan Wen launched three northern expeditions one after another. These three northern campaigns made his reputation even more prominent, and his influence within the military grew increasingly strong. As his power gradually increased, his political ambitions also swelled. On one occasion, he touched his pillow and sighed with emotion: "Since I cannot leave a good name for a hundred generations, what harm is there in being infamous for ten thousand years?"
In 371 AD, Huan Wen suffered a defeat at Fangtou, which greatly damaged his prestige. To restore his authority, he led his troops into Jiankang, deposed Emperor Fei of Jin, Sima Yi, and installed Sima Yu as the new emperor, known as Emperor Jianwen. Huan Wen then appointed himself Grand Marshal, stationed his army at Gushu (present-day Dangtu, Anhui), and remotely controlled the reins of government.
The following year, Emperor Jianwen passed away. In his will, he designated his son, Crown Prince Sima Yao, to inherit the throne. Upon hearing the news of Emperor Jianwen's death, Huan Wen was overjoyed, believing he could finally ascend to the throne he had long dreamed of. However, when he learned that Emperor Jianwen had not appointed him as emperor, he was deeply disappointed and furious, deciding to use military force to realize his imperial ambitions. He led fully armored soldiers carrying weapons to Jiankang. The officials who came to greet Huan Wen by the roadside were terrified, their faces turning ashen at the sight of his armed troops with murderous intent. Huan Wen invited Wang Tanzhi and Xie An to his residence, intending to kill them. Wang Tanzhi and Xie An had already anticipated this; upon arriving at Huan Wen's home, Wang Tanzhi was so frightened that he kept breaking out in cold sweat, but Xie An remained remarkably calm and composed. After they entered the hall and sat down, Xie An said to Huan Wen, "Stationing troops at the borders to prevent foreign invasions is what a righteous general should do. Duke Huan, what do you intend by placing soldiers behind the walls?" Huan Wen, feeling deeply ashamed, replied, "I am merely taking precautions against unforeseen events." Afterward, he quietly ordered the soldiers hidden behind the walls to be withdrawn.
Huan Wen originally planned to seize the throne by force, but after seeing that many aristocratic families opposed him, he changed his mind and decided to hold his troops back. Not long after, Huan Wen, who had attempted to usurp the throne, died of illness.