However, by later 943, Song had displeased Emperor Yuanzong by having his associates make false accusations against Zhou, whom Emperor Yuanzong respected. Further, by this point, Chen was no longer in the imperial government (having left governmental service to observe a mourning period for his mother). Emperor Yuanzong thus made Song the military governor of Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海, headquartered at Run Prefecture). In anger, Song offered to retire to Mount Jiuhua, believing that Emperor Yuanzong would try to comfort him. Instead, Emperor Yuanzong approved of the retirement petition, gave him the honorary title of Lord of Jiuhua, and created him the Duke of Qingyang (青陽, in modern Chizhou, Anhui, i.e., the county in which Mount Jiuhua lay in). Song thereafter built a large mansion at Qingyang and lived luxuriously, but continued to be bitter.