Empress Yang Zhi, Emperor Wu’s second wife, had borne him a son, Sima Hui, in 283, but Prince Hui had died in 284.

Empress Yang has been instrumental in keeping Crown Prince Zhong's wife Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng from being deposed, as Princess Jia is jealous and violent.

After several of the crown prince's concubines had become pregnant, Princess Jia had personally had them killed.

When Emperor Wu heard about this, he had been angry and wanted to depose the crown princess, but Empress Yang had persuaded him to remember the crown princess' father Jia Chong's contribution to the establishment of Jin.

She had also rebuked the crown princess to try to rein in her behavior—but the crown princess, not knowing that the empress had persuaded the emperor not to depose her, bears a grudge against the empress as a result.