to campaign against Wang Dun. Chi Jian turned down the appointments Emperor Ming gave to him and instead advised him to reach out to Su Jun and Liu Xia (劉遐) to join his war against Wang Dun. Emperor Ming defeated Wang Dun's forces the same year, and Wang Dun died from natural causes before the war ended. Chi Jian told Emperor Ming that Wang Dun's remains should be given back to his family members to display himself as righteous. Later, Chi Jian called for Emperor Ming to execute Wang Dun's partisans on two occasions, but both times he found his suggestion rejected in favour of Wen Jiao and Wang Dun's advice respectively. Su Jun's Rebellion Emperor Ming died at a young age in 325. He was succeeded by his child heir, Emperor Cheng of Jin, guided by his brother-in-law Yu Liang. Months prior to his death, he appointed Chi Jian as General of Chariots and Cavalry, Chief Controller of Xuzhou, Yanzhou, and Qingzhou, and Inspector of Yanzhou. After his death, Chi Jian held a series of important appointments for the next two years. In 327, a rebellion broke out led by Su Jun and Zu Yue. Chi Jian offered to send reinforcements from Xuzhou to the capital, but Yu Liang turned him down. The capital was lost to rebel forces the following year and Su Jun became the de facto head of state with Emperor Cheng of Jin under his control. Yu Liang slipped away to Xunyang (尋陽, in present-day Huangmei County, Hubei) where he met Wen Jiao and conspired with him to reclaim the capital. He also got Chi Jian to join them, making him Minister of Works. Chi Jian proposed a strategy to Wen Jiao. There was a rumour that Su Jun was intending to bring the emperor east to Kuaiji. He told him that the loyalists should occupy strategic locations around the area and fortify them while scorching the fields. That way, when Su Jun arrives, it would be difficult for him to attack and there would be no rations for his army. Chi Jian led the eastern army over to Daye (大業, in present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu), Qu'a (曲阿縣; present-day Danyang, Jiangsu), and Chengting (庱亭, in present-day Wujin County, Jiangsu) where they set up barricades to weaken Su Jun's assaults. Surely enough, Su Jun arrived at Daye on his way to Kuaiji, where he besieged the commander