The Later Qin emperor Yao Hong (Yao Xing's son) requests emergency assistance in spring 417.
Emperor Mingyuan summons his council to consider whether to launch armies to try to stop Jin advances to try to save Later Qin.
Most of his advisors, apprehensive at whether Liu Yu actually intends to attack Northern Wei as well, suggest that Emperor Mingyuan try to intercept Liu Yu's forces.
However, Cui Hao opines that this would make Northern Wei the target of Jin attacks; Emperor Mingyuan partially agrees, but still sends some one hundred thousand men, commanded by Baba Song, to guard the northern bank of the Yellow River to prepare for battle.
If a Jin ship is blown by the wind to the northern bank, Northern Wei forces seize the ship and kill or capture its crew, and when Jin forces then land on the northern banks, Northern Wei forces temporarily retreat, then reestablish the northern bank defensive posture as soon as Jin forces reboard their ships.
Angry at this harassment, Liu Yu sends his general Ding Wu to land on the northern bank and deal Northern Wei forces a major defeat.
This ends Emperor Mingyuan's attempts to save Later Qin, and there are no further Jin/Northern Wei battles throughout the campaign as, while Emperor Mingyuan still plans to cut off Liu Yu's path if he is stopped by Later Qin forces, Liu Yu is able to capture Chang'an and destroy Later Qin by fall 417, and Emperor Mingyuan's planned attacks never materialize.
Many former Jin officials who oppose Liu Yu, who had taken refuge with Later Qin, flee to Northern Wei, and Emperor Mingyuan further orders that anyone who can save and deliver members of the Yao imperial clan to Pingcheng will be greatly rewarded.
(How effectively this order was fulfilled is not known; most members of the Yao clan are captured and killed by Liu Yu.)
