In 947, Liu Sheng, concerned that his brothers would contend for the throne with his sons, executed many, possibly all, of his remaining brothers—Liu Hongbi, Liu Hongdao (劉弘道) the Prince of Gui, Liu Hongyi (劉弘益) the Prince of Ding, Liu Hongji (劉弘濟) the Prince of Bian, Liu Hongjiǎn (劉弘簡) the Prince of Tong, Liu Hongjiàn (劉弘建) the Prince of Yi, Liu Hongwei (劉弘偉) the Prince of En, and Liu Hongzhao (劉弘照) the Prince of Yi (different character than Liu Hongjìan). He took their daughters into his palace to be part of concubinage. He also built palaces with a total of a thousand rooms and adorned it with jewels. He further created a number of inhumane punishments, calling it, "the Living Hell." (It was said that Liu Sheng's killing of his brothers was encouraged by and planned in conjunction with his trusted eunuch Lin Yanyu.) In 948, Liu Sheng commissioned the official Zhong Yunzhang (鍾允章) on a diplomatic mission to Southern Han's northern neighbor Chu, seeking a marital alliance with Chu's prince Ma Xiguang. (Liu Yan's wife—likely not Liu Sheng's mother—was a sister of Ma Xiguang's.) Ma Xiguang refused, angering Liu Sheng, and Liu Sheng, after Zhong advised him that the Chu state was embroiled in fraternal struggles for power among Ma Xiguang's brothers, decided to attack Chu. Later in the year, he sent the general Wu Huai'en (吳懷恩) to attack Chu. Wu defeated the Chu general Xu Zhixin (徐知新), and seized He (賀州, in modern Hezhou, Guangxi) and Zhao (昭州, in modern Guilin, Guangxi) Prefectures for Southern Han. In 950, Liu Sheng commissioned his ladies in waiting Lu Qiongxian (盧瓊仙) and Huang Qiongzhi (黃瓊之) as "female "Shizhong"" and had them officially participate in the governance of the state.