1. Huan Xuan, courtesy name Jingdao, nickname Lingbao, formally Emperor Wudao of Chu, was a Jin Dynasty warlord who briefly took over the imperial throne from Emperor An of Jin and declared his own state of Chu in 403, known in historiography as Huan Chu, but was defeated by an uprising led by the general Liu Yu in 404 and killed.
Huan Xuan was born in 369, as the youngest son of Huan Wen, then the paramount general of Jin, and his wife, Sima Xingnan the Princess of Nankang, the daughter of Emperor Ming of Jin.
Effectively, Huan Xuan got his way with both the people and the governor, whatever he wanted.
Huan Xuan, believing that a disturbance would help his cause, encouraged Yin to join Wang Gong's campaign.
In 398, Huan Xuan requested the post of governor of Guang Province, and Sima Daozi, afraid that he would start a new disturbance with Yin, was quite willing to give him the post.
Huan Xuan accepted the post but did not actually report to Panyu, the capital of Guang Province.
Yin, apprehensive of Huan Xuan, soon entered into an alliance with Yang.
Huan Xuan took this opportunity to make a major attack on Yin.
Yang came to Yin's aid, but with the troops poorly supplied, Huan Xuan defeated both Yin and Yang and killed them, seizing their provinces, becoming effectively in control of two thirds of Jin territory.
Huan Xuan became even more ambitious, and often had people offer him signs of fortune to try to show that he was being favored by the gods.
Huan Xuan further wrote to Sima Daozi, accusing him of falsely having Wang Gong killed.
Liu, who was more concerned that Sima Yuanxian would become uncontrollable if he were victorious against Huan Xuan, again changed sides and joined Huan Xuan, who was initially fearful of attacking the capital but eventually did so at the urging of Bian Fanzhi, soon reached Jiankang, and Sima Yuanxian's forces collapsed.
Huan Xuan took over the control of the imperial regime, executed Sima Yuanxian, and exiled Sima Daozi.
Huan Xuan soon displayed signs of over confidence and lack of actual fortitude.
Huan Xuan had Emperor An issue an edict ordering him to advance north against Later Qin, but then had Emperor An issue another edict ordering him not to do so.
Huan Xuan was hypercritical of his officials; any small error would draw a serious punishment from him.
Huan Xuan was very attached to treasures, and whenever he saw precious paintings, calligraphy, or houses, he would find some way to obtain them.
In 403, Huan Xuan had himself created the Prince of Chu and given the nine bestowments, both signs of coming usurpation.
Huan Xuan posthumously honored his parents as emperor and empress, and he created his wife Lady Liu empress.
Huan Xuan was described as being constantly in fear after he became emperor, not being able to sleep well.
Huan Xuan forced his officials to spend all day on minutiae, and he further started major palatial construction projects that imposed great burden on the people.
Huan Xuan panicked, and as soon as his cousin Huan Qian the Prince of Xinye lost some relatively minor battles to Liu Yu, Huan fled west with Emperor An, yielding Jiankang to Liu Yu's coalition.
Huan Xuan soon arrive at his old headquarters of Jiangling.
Huan Xuan soon encountered Mao Qu's troops, which made heavy bow-and-arrow attacks on his fleet, causing it to scatter.