While returning to the capital, his grandmother, Empress Dowager Yingtian, had plotted to have her third son, Yelü Lihu, ascend to the throne, and sent an army to intercept her grandson.
However, the Khitan nobles, knowing that Yelü Lihu was entirely unfit for the throne,[citation needed] refused to support her this time as they did previously with the ascension of Emperor Taizong.
The strong support the Liao imperial court gave to Yelü Ruan's claim prevented a civil war among the Khitans.
However, a mere four years after his ascension as emperor, he was killed by a rebellious nephew who was part of an effort within the imperial clan to usurp the throne.
[citation needed] During his reign, Emperor Shizong adopted several reforms that propelled the Liao dynasty into a feudal society and consolidated power into a central government.