Murong Bao
After Murong Bao became emperor, he made Murong De the viceroy at Yecheng, over the southern empire. Soon, however, the entire state was under Northern Wei attack, and Murong Bao decided to defend just large cities in the Hebei plains to wear down Northern Wei troops, while Northern Wei took the rest of the territory. Eventually, only Zhongshan and Yecheng remained in Later Yan hands. Murong De fought off several attempts by Northern Wei to capture Yecheng, but in the meantime, Murong Bao had abandoned Zhongshan and fled back to the old Former Yan capital Longcheng (龍城, in modern Jinzhou, Liaoning), and Murong De lost regular contact with him. On several occasions his subordinates asked him to take imperial title, but each time, after receiving confirmation that Murong Bao was still alive, he did not do so. In late 397, a proposal by Murong De to Murong Bao to advance south to recover the lost territory reached Murong Bao, and Murong Bao agreed and prepared for a major campaign in 398.