Hearing his third brother Chen Shang say that Xie An had accepted Huan Wen's invitation to serve at the Western Headquarters, Chen Caozhi asked, "Is Lord Anshi serving as Army Sima at the Western Headquarters?"
Although Chen Shang found his sixteenth brother's foreknowledge somewhat strange, he was not particularly surprised. "Yes. People in the capital are quite puzzled that Lord Anshi would stoop to serve as an eighth-rank Army Sima, but Grand Marshal Huan is reportedly delighted. Having someone of Xie Anshi's reputation join the Western Headquarters has given Grand Marshal Huan a great deal of face."
Chen Caozhi knew that this was an act of forbearance on Xie An's part. Xie An's elder brother Xie Yi—the father of Xie Daoyun and Xie Xuan—had enjoyed a close personal friendship with Huan Wen and had once served as his military aide. Later, Xie Yi became Inspector of Yu Province. After Xie Yi died of illness in the twelfth year of Yonghe, Huan Wen wanted his younger brother Huan Yun to succeed him as Inspector of Yu Province. Grand Minister over the Masses Sima Yu consulted Pushe Wang Biaozhi, who argued that Huan Wen held the upper reaches of the Yangtze and already had half the realm carved out for himself. If his younger brother Huan Yun also occupied the western bulwark, military power would be concentrated in one family, which might not bode well for the state. Sima Yu heartily agreed and therefore submitted a memorial recommending Xie Wan, Administrator of Wuxing, as Western General of the Household, supervisor of military affairs in Si Province, Yu Province, Ji Province, and Bing Province, and Inspector of Yu Province. From then on, Huan Wen had harbored resentment toward the Chen Commandery Xie Clan. Thus, Xie An had declined the court's summons and instead