Dynasties of ChinaNorthern and Southern DynastiesLiu Song
Jingping · Reign 422—424
The eldest son of Emperor Wu was rude and excessive in his entertainment. He was deposed and killed by Minister Gu Ming within two years of his reign.
Liu Yifu was the eldest son of Emperor Wu of the Song Dynasty. He ascended the throne in 422 at the age of seventeen. He liked games and played excessively during his mourning period. He was not interested in political affairs. The affairs of the government were presided over by Xu Xianzhi, Fu Liang and other ministers who took orders. The Northern Wei Dynasty took advantage of Liu Yu's death to advance south, and the Song army lost Huatai, Hulao, Luoyang and other important towns in Henan. In 424, Xu Xianzhi, Fu Liang, Xie Hui, Tan Daoji and others first deposed the talented Luling King Liu Yizhen as a commoner, and then entered the palace and deposed Liu Yifu as the Yingyang King. In June, they were killed one after another. Liu Yifu was 19 years old.
PoliticsAscension to the throne
In May, Emperor Wu died of illness, and the seventeen-year-old Crown Prince Liu Yifu came to the throne. Xu Xianzhi, Fu Liang, Xie Hui, and Tan Daoji were assisted by the imperial edict.
MilitaryLost Henan
The Northern Wei Dynasty launched a large-scale invasion to the south and successively captured Huatai and Luoyang. The defender Mao Dezu held Hulao for more than 200 days. Finally, the city fell because reinforcements failed to arrive, and Liu Song lost a large area of land in Henan.
PoliticsDeposed and killed
In May, Xu Xianzhi and others ordered Tan Daoji to lead troops into the palace on the grounds that the Young Emperor was immoral, deposed him as King of Yingyang, and moved to Wuxian. In June, he sent people to kill him, and then appointed Liu Yilong, King of Yidu.
He presided over the government as Sikong and Lu Shangshu, and masterminded the dethroning of the Young Emperor and the King of Luling Liu Yizhen, and established Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty. Two years later, Emperor Wen committed suicide after being questioned.
The second son of Emperor Wu, he was smart and well-written. He was once ordered to guard Chang'an. He only escaped with his life when Guanzhong fell in 418. Due to a disagreement with Minister Gu Ming, he was deposed as a commoner in 424 and was subsequently killed.