 For the remainder of his reign , Emperor Xingzong would have to compete for power with his mother , whose supporters still held key postings , and whose influence was so great that she was eventually allowed to return to the capital and undergo a ceremony to symbolically de @-@ exile herself . Zhong Yuan , for his part , would be rewarded for revealing his mother 's plot by being given a succession of higher- and higher @-@ ranking positions , culminating with a governorship outside of the capital . Historian Frederick W. Mote explains the importance of this factional infighting and its relation to the Liao dynasty 's downfall by stating that it " shows to what extent the succession issue within the imperial clan still was the source of weakness in the leadership of the state . It wasted people , diverted energies , and deflected the attention of the rulers from the tasks of governing . " 
