and dirt into his mouth as he was doing so, to analogize it to the kind of humiliation that he suffered from Murong. After Yang and Su Fengji reported this to Liu, Liu believed Gao, went to his tent to thank him, and rebuked Murong. (Gao's strategy would eventually force Du into surrendering.) In spring 948, Liu Zhiyuan fell deathly ill. When he did so, Yang became apprehensive about Liu's younger brother Liu Xin (), who was both an imperial guard cavalry commander and the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang, Henan), and sent Liu Xin away from the capital (in tears) without allowing him to see the ill emperor. When Liu Zhiyuan came close to death, he entrusted his younger son Liu Chengyou to Su Fengji, Yang, Shi, and Guo, stating, "My remaining breaths are getting short, and I cannot speak much. Chengyou is young and weak, so what happens after my death has to be entrusted to you." He also told them to guard against Du. After Liu Zhiyuan died the same day, these officials, without announcing his death, had Du and his sons put to death. Liu Chengyou was created the Prince of Zhou, and shortly after, when Liu Zhiyuan's death was announced, Liu Chengyou succeeded him as emperor. During Liu Chengyou's reign Early in Liu Chengyou's reign, the high-level officials were in a collective leadership, with different responsibilities. Yang Bin oversaw the governmental operations; Guo Wei oversaw military operations; Shi Hongzhao oversaw the imperial guards; and Wang Zhang oversaw the financial agencies. Su Fengji, Su Yugui, and Dou Zhengu served as chancellors. However, when the chancellors, led by Su Fengji, wanted to promote officials and fill unfilled positions, Yang saw the requests as wasteful and often rejected them, causing the chancellors to be displeased. In spring 948, one of the chancellors, Li Tao, submitted a petition to Liu Chengyou suggesting that Yang and Guo (who was then deputy chief of staff) be given military commands outside the capital and that key matters be decided by Su Fengji and Su Yugui. When Yang and Guo heard of this, they went to see Liu Chengyou's mother (Liu Zhiyuan's wife) Empress Dowager Li, stating to her, "Your subjects have followed the deceased emperor ever since difficult times. Now, the Son of Heaven is accepting other people's word and wants to send us out. Given that