Qianfei. Emperor Qianfei, suspecting the high-level officials of conspiring against him, soon carried out a campaign of terror against them, and because he feared assassinations, he greatly endeared himself to a number of fierce army officers, including Shen Youzhi, Zong Yue (宗越), Tan Jin (譚金), and Tong Taiyi (童太一), making them command his personal guards. Shen, along with the others, participated in his slaughters of the high-level officials. After one such attack in winter 475 against Emperor Qianfei's uncle and brother-in-law He Mai (何邁), whose wife Liu Yingmei (劉英媚) the Princess Xincai Emperor Qianfei engaged in an incestuous relationship with, Shen Qingzhi tried to enter the palace to persuade Emperor Qianfei to change his ways, but was stopped by roadblocks that Emperor Qianfei had set up in anticipation of his attempt. Emperor Qianfei then ordered Shen Youzhi to deliver poison to Shen Qingzhi to force him to commit suicide. Shen Qingzhi refused to take the poison, and Shen Youzhi then suffocated him with a blanket. In less than a month, however, while Shen and the other key officers Emperor Qianfei trusted were out of the palace, Emperor Qianfei's attendant Shou Jizhi (壽寂之) assassinated him, and Emperor Qianfei's uncle Liu Yu then took the throne as Emperor Ming. Service under Emperor Ming Emperor Ming did not trust the guard officers that Emperor Qianfei had endeared, and he offered to give them commandery governor posts to get them to leave the palace. However, they were largely fearful that Emperor Ming had other intentions, and they entered into a plot against Emperor Ming. Shen Youzhi, however, informed Emperor Ming of the plot, and Emperor Ming then had those officers executed, except for Shen, whom he began to trust and made him a guard commander again. Meanwhile, Deng Wan (鄧琬), the chief of staff for Emperor Qianfei's brother Liu Zixun the Prince of Jin'an and governor of Jiang Province (江州, modern Jiangxi and Fujian), refused to accept Emperor Ming's offer to promote Liu Zixun, and instead started an uprising in Liu Zixun's name, declaring Liu Zixun emperor in spring 466. Soon, nearly the entire empire pledged loyalty to Liu Zixun, and Emperor Ming was left with control of only the several commanderies around Jiankang. However, Liu Zixun's forces proceeded slowly toward Jiankang, and Emperor Ming used the opportunity to gather his troops in preparation of a war. Shen Youzhi was one of the generals.