Early Life and Career During Cao Wei
Jia Chong's father Jia Kui was a military general of Cao Wei and considered an epitome of faithfulness to the state. He did not have a son until late in his life, and when Jia Chong was born he was very pleased. Jia Chong inherited his father's marquis title after the latter's death. He later served under the regent Sima Shi, and then Sima Shi's brother and successor Sima Zhao. In 257, Sima Zhao sent him to probe the general Zhuge Dan's intentions should he decided to usurp the Cao Wei throne. When Jia incessantly praised Sima in Zhuge's presence, Zhuge rebuked him, and when Jia returned to the capital Luoyang, he warned Sima that Zhuge would surely not submit to him. Sima therefore summoned Zhuge back to the capital, forcing Zhuge into a rebellion that was quickly crushed. After the incident, Jia became even more important to Sima.
In 260, the Cao Wei emperor Cao Mao, unable to contain his anger about Sima Zhao's power grab any further, attempted a coup d'état to try to take back power. When forces under Sima Zhao's brother Sima Zhou (司馬伷) quickly collapsed against Cao Mao's forces, it was Jia who was willing to stand against the emperor and who further ordered his subordinate Cheng Ji (成濟) to take any measure to crush the emperor. Cheng therefore killed the emperor with a spear—and in the aftermaths of the incident, public sentiment called for both Cheng and Jia to be executed. Sima Zhao considered the matter for more than 10 days, eventually resolving to kill Cheng (and his clan) but sparing Jia, not wanting to execute someone who had been so loyal to him. From that point on, however, Jia's reputation among the people was one of regicide.
Jia would also play a key role in Sima Zhao's suppression of Zhong Hui's rebellion in 264, as Jia was commissioned with a force ready to intercept Zhong should Zhong attempt to make a quick attack against the central parts of the empire. (Zhong was eventually killed by his own soldiers, however, without having met Jia in battle.)
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