Liu saw this, she intervened, but she was also stabbed several times by Chen Shuling, who was however then hit by the lady in waiting Lady Wu and was unable to kill Chen Shubao. Subsequently, Chen Shuling fled out of the palace and staged a military coup, along with his cousin Chen Bogu (陳伯固) the Prince of Xin'an (Emperor Wen's son). Because Chen Shubao had been seriously wounded, Empress Liu, while also herself injured, took control of the situation, and the imperial troops were able to defeat Chen Shuling's and Chen Bogu's. Both were killed. Chen Shuling's sons were also killed, while Chen Bogu's sons were demoted to commoner status. As empress dowager Chen Shubao then assumed the throne, and Empress Liu took the title of empress dowager. As Chen Shubao was continuing to recover from his injuries, the various urgent matters at hand—including Emperor Xuan's funeral arrangements, the border defenses (as Chen had recently lost the region between the Huai River and the Yangtze River to Northern Zhou's successor state Sui Dynasty), and other important matters, were ruled on by Empress Dowager Liu, assisted by Chen Shujian. When Chen Shubao recovered, she returned the imperial authorities to him and no longer ruled on governmental matters. When Chen fell to Sui in 589, Chen Shubao and his clan were taken to Chang'an. Empress Dowager Liu went to Chang'an as well. She subsequently took up residence at Sui's eastern capital Luoyang. She died there in 615 and was buried in Luoyang, not with her husband Emperor Xuan. Ancestry Notes and references Book of Chen, vol. 7. History of the Southern Dynasties, vol. 12. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 168, 170, 175. Liang dynasty people Chen dynasty empresses Chen dynasty regents 534 births 616 deaths Sui dynasty people Women leaders of China 6th-century viceregal rulers 6th-century women rulers 6th-century Chinese women 6th-century Chinese people