spent most of his time on games and pleasure rather than on studies and important matters of state, despite encouragement from his official Fan Tai (). They therefore considered deposing him, but they were also dissatisfied with the next ranked son of Emperor Wu, Liu Yizhen, who was talented but was even more frivolous than Emperor Shao in his behavior, often spending time with other talented but frivolous men, including Xie Lingyun and Yan Yanzhi () and often requesting the imperial government to supply him with more and more money. They therefore stoked the rivalry that Emperor Shao already had with Liu Yizhen and then accused Liu Yizhen of crimes, and Emperor Shao reduced Liu Yizhen to commoner status and exiled him to Xin'an Commandery (新安, roughly modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang). With Liu Yizhen out of the way, Xu, Fu, and Xie prepared to remove Emperor Shao as well. Because they were apprehensive about the powerful armies that Tan and Wang Hong had, they summoned Tan and Wang to the capital and then informed them of the plot. They then sent soldiers into the palace to arrest Emperor Shao, after first persuading the imperial guards not to resist. Before Emperor Shao could get up from bed in the morning, the soldiers were already in his bedchamber, and he made a futile attempt to resist, but was captured. He was sent back to his old palace. The officials then, in the name of Empress Dowager Zhang, declared Emperor Shao's faults and demoted him to Prince of Yingyang, offering the throne to his younger brother Liu Yilong Prince of Yidu instead. After removal Liu Yifu was exiled to Wu Commandery (roughly modern Suzhou, Jiangsu) and kept under secure guard. One month later, Xu Xianzhi sent the assassin Xing Antai () to assassinate the former emperor. Liu Yifu was still a strong man, and he fought his way out of the capital of Wu Commandery, but he was eventually chased down and knocked to the ground with a doorknob, and then killed. Though Liu Yifu died sonless, in 429, Liu Lang, the eldest son of his younger brother Liu Yigong, was designated as his heir. Family Consorts: Princess consort, of the Sima clan of Henei (; 403–439), personal name Maoying () Ancestry References Liu Song emperors 406 births 424 deaths Jin dynasty (266–420) people People from Zhenjiang