Liu Yun

Aborted succession to the Later Han throne and death In late 950, Liu Chengyou, tired of the control of the senior officials Yang Bin, Shi Hongzhao, Wang Zhang, and Guo Wei had on the government, had Yang, Shi, and Wang killed. He sent a messenger to order Guo's death at Yedu (鄴都, in modern Handan, Hebei), but when the news leaked, Guo was able to anticipate the arrival of the messenger and escape being killed. However, Guo's family was slaughtered, and so Guo rebelled and marched on the capital Kaifeng. In the subsequent battle near Kaifeng, Liu Chengyou was killed in the confusion. Guo entered the capital and took control of the situation.

After Feng arrived at Xu, Liu Yun left his officers Gong Yanmei and Yang Wen to defend Xu, and then left with Feng toward Kaifeng. On the way, the procession proceeded as if he were an imperial prince, and his attendants were proclaiming, "May you live 10,000 years!" as what one would proclaim to an emperor. When he sent messengers to Guo's army, then stationed at Chan Prefecture (澶州, in modern Puyang, Henan) to greet the generals, however, the generals refused to bow, and privately stated to each other, "We captured and slaughtered the capital. That is a great crime. If the Lius continue to be on the throne, how can we expect to have descendants?" When Guo heard this, he immediately went to Chan. When he arrived there, the soldiers there rose and proclaimed him emperor, and he then marched south toward Kaifeng, this time securing the support of the officials at Kaifeng, and prepared to seize the throne himself. and resisted the Later Zhou emperor's orders, hoping that aid would come from Hedong. Guo wrote Liu Yun, asking him to encourage them to surrender, promising that they would not only be spared, but would be given prefectships. Liu Yun did so, but Gong and Yang continued to hold their defense.

On February 24, 951, Liu Yun was killed on Guo's orders, at Song Prefecture. On the same day (although not yet with knowledge of that), Liu Chong declared himself emperor of Han, effectively claiming lawful succession of the Later Han throne, but typically was regarded by later historians as of a new state of Northern Han. Subsequently, Xu fell to the Later Zhou siege army, commanded by Wang Yanchao , and Gong and Yang were killed; no reference was made to what happened with Consort Dong.

Liu Yun had a son named Liu Jiwen who would later serve as an official of Liao dynasty.

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