Since the fate of the official heir apparent was still unknown at the time, many thought it was too early to proclaim a new emperor, but most agreed that an imperial figure was necessary to rally loyalist support for the Ming in the south.

In early June 1644, the court decided that the caretaker government would be centered around Zhu Yousong, Prince of Fu, who was next in line for succession after the dead emperor's sons.

When he arrived in the vicinity of Nanjing (he had come from his princedom in Henan), the Prince could count on the military and political support of Ma Shiying (馬士英).

Fearing confrontation with Ma Shiying and other supporters of the Prince, Shi Kefa convinced reluctant members of the court to accept the enthronement.

The Prince of Fu was officially crowned as emperor on June 19, 1644, under the protection of Ma Shiying, who had arrived in Nanjing two days earlier with a large war fleet.

The Hongguang court proclaimed that its goal was "to ally with the Tartars to pacify the bandits" (聯虜平寇), that is, to seek co-operation with Qing military forces in order to annihilate rebel peasant militia led by Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong.

When the news reached Nanjing, the Hongguang Emperor, Ma Shiying and a few eunuchs fled in panic to Wuhu city.

The Hongguang Emperor fled to Anhui on the Yangzi's southern bank at Tongling, joining Huang Degong at his military camp.

Then a group of Qing Han Chinese and Banner soldiers showed up in Wuhu to Huang Degong's camp on June 15 under Zhang Tianlu, the Guazhou garrison commander, bannermen from Dodo and general Liu Liangzuo.

Tian Xiong and Ma Deong, the brigade commanders under Huang Degong then defected to the Qing and gave General Liu the Hongguang Emperor.