Later Yan ancestral temples and Murong Bao's spirit, blaming Murong Bao's murder on Lan Jia'nan. Upon hearing these things, Lan Ti and Lan Jia'nan became angry and started a rebellion of their own. Lan Han's crown prince Lan Mu, meanwhile, suggested that Murong Sheng be killed, and Lan Han initially agreed, but Murong Sheng, upon hearing the news through Princess Lan, declined to attend an imperial meeting that Lan Han called, and Lan Han soon changed his mind. Soon thereafter, after Lan Mu had won a victory over Lan Ti and Lan Jia'nan, Lan Han held a feast for the soldiers, at which both he and Lan Mu became extremely drunk. Murong Sheng used this opportunity to join some army officers whom he had persuaded to join his cause, and they killed Lan Han and Lan Mu, and then Lan Ti, Lan Jia'nan, and Lan Han's other sons Lan He () the Duke of Lu and Lan Yang () the Duke of Chen. Murong Sheng then declared Later Yan's restoration and took the throne, but in order to show humility, did so with his present title of Prince of Changle, rather than claiming imperial title immediately. Reign Initially, the people were glad that Murong Sheng was victorious, believing that he would be a capable ruler. That Murong Sheng's reign would be a harsh one, however, was immediately hinted at as he considered executing his wife Princess Lan as being of the traitor Lan Han's family. His mother Consort Ding opposed—citing the fact that Princess Lan had protected both Murong Sheng and her—and Princess Lan was spared, but was never able to become empress. (However, Murong Sheng would also never create another person as empress during his reign.) In winter 398, he formally accepted imperial title, and he honored his father's wife Empress Duan as the empress dowager, while honoring his mother with the title Empress Xianzhuang (). Murong Sheng's reign, indeed, was one in which he showed strong personal abilities, and yet at the same time alienated the officials and the people with his harshness. As a result, many officials were executed based on actual or suspected treasonous plots. These included: Fall 398: the general Ma Le () and Murong Sheng's cousins Murong Chong (慕容崇, note different character than the Western Yan emperor) the Duke of Gaoyang and Murong Cheng () the Duke of Dongping (sons of Murong Long) Winter