Western Wei and Northern Zhou In winter 552, Emperor Yuan summoned Chen Chang and Chen Baxian's nephew Chen Xu to the then-capital Jiangling, making them low-level imperial officials but effectively using them as hostages to guarantee Chen Baxian's loyalty. In 554, Western Wei forces attacked Jiangling and captured it, and around the new year 555, they put Emperor Yuan to death. Much of the population of Jiangling were taken to Western Wei as captives, and Chen Chang and Chen Xu, while they were treated with respect, were also taken to the Western Wei capital Chang'an. Chen Baxian and his commanding general, Wang Sengbian, who controlled the eastern provinces of Liang, refused to recognize the emperor installed by Western Wei, Emperor Xuan of Western Liang, instead initially intending to install Emperor Yuan's son Xiao Fangzhi the Prince of Jin'an as the new Liang emperor. However, in spring 555, fearful of Northern Qi attacks, Wang accepted the candidate proposed by Northern Qi, Emperor Yuan's cousin Xiao Yuanming. Displeased over this selection, Chen made a surprise attack on Jiankang in fall 555, killing Wang and deposing Xiao Yuanming, making Xiao Fangzhi emperor (as Emperor Jing). In 557, he had Emperor Jing yield the throne to him, establishing Chen Dynasty (as Emperor Wu). After Emperor Wu took the throne, he made repeated requests to Northern Zhou (which had now succeeded Western Wei) to return Chen Chang and Chen Xu. The Northern Zhou government agreed but did not actually return Chen Chang and Chen Xu. In 559, when Emperor Wu died suddenly, the officials therefore supported Chen Chang's cousin (Chen Xu's brother) Chen Qian the Prince of Linchuan as Emperor Wu's successor, and he took the throne as Emperor Wen. Death For reasons unknown, only after hearing Emperor Wu's death did Northern Zhou send Chen Chang on his way to Chen territory. However, because the Liang general Wang Lin, who had by that point supported the Liang prince Xiao Zhuang as emperor, controlled the parts of Yangtze River that Chen Chang was required to travel on to reach Jiankang, Chen Chang was unable to proceed much on his journey, and he had to stop at Anlu (安陸, in modern Xiaogan, Hubei). In spring 560, Emperor Wen's forces, under the general Hou Tian (侯瑱), defeated Wang Lin's, and both Wang and Xiao Zhuang fled to Northern Qi. The territory that Wang formerly controlled were divided between