In 618, when the Sui state was already engulfed in various rebellions, Consort Liu was at the eastern capital Luoyang, where her son Yang Tong, then the Prince of Yue, had been left in charge of Luoyang while Emperor Yang was away at Jiangdu (modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu).
In order to flatter her, he asked to become her adoptive son, and also honored her with the title of Empress Dowager Shenggan.
In summer 619, he sent the officials Duan Da (段達) and Yun Dingxing (雲定興) to force Yang Tong to yield the throne to him.
Later that year, after the official Pei Renji (裴仁基; father of Pei Xingyan and Pei Xingjian) led a failed plot to overthrow Wang and restore Yang Tong, Wang sent his nephew Wang Renze (王仁則) and his servant Liang Bainian (梁百年) to force Yang Tong to commit suicide.
Yang Tong asked for an opportunity to bid the former empress dowager farewell, but was not allowed to, and after he took poison but did not die from it, was strangled to death.