The four major families of the Eastern Jin Dynasty basically monopolized the entire political, economic and cultural fields of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. They were so powerful that even the central court could not escape from being suppressed. In fact, the actual power of the Eastern Jin Dynasty was in the hands of the four major families. The Eastern Jin royal family at that time, like the British royal family today, was just a mascot representing the unity of the country. For the royal family, there were not many capable people and wise men they had access to, because in that era when Zhongzheng officials were relied on to recommend talents, most of the talents were recruited to the families to which Zhongzheng officials belonged.

The rule of clans during the Eastern Jin Dynasty can be said to be the pinnacle of Chinese history. There is a saying: "Kings and horses rule the world", which describes the influence of the Langya Wang family. The Wang family's influence on the royal family has already emerged since the founding of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. They fully supported the establishment of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. When Emperor Sima Rui took the hand of Director Wang when he ascended the throne, he was promoted to the imperial bed and accepted the congratulations of the courtiers together. The Langya Wang family started from the filial son Wang Xiang who lay on the ice to seek carps, to brothers Wang Dao and Wang Dun, and then to Wang Xizhi and other romantic celebrities. All the Wang family's sons are famous figures.

At that time, the only person who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Langya Wang family was the Chenliu Xie family. The Xie family's heyday was relatively short-lived, but its development was rapid. When the Wang family was still at its peak, the Xie family It was close to decline, and it was not until the famous celebrity Xie An retired that the Xie family began to make a comeback. Among the Xie clan, the most famous figures are Xie An and his nephew Xie Xuan.

The other two families are the Longkang Huan family and the Yingchuan Yu family. These two families are not as influential as Wang Xie, but their strength should not be underestimated. Huan Wen, an important figure in the Huan family, and his son Huan Xuan and Huan Wen were the consorts of the emperor's family. He was good at fighting and had been in power for many years. He tried to replace the Sima family several times, but Huan Xuan truly established the Huan Chu regime; In the imperial court, he was on the same level as Director Wang, but his family had a serious talent gap, which was why the Yu family lagged behind the other three major families in all aspects.