Reign
Luo and Jie suggested Li Shou claim only the title Prince of Chengdu and submit to Jin as a vassal, but Ren, Cai Xing (蔡興), and Li Yan (李艷) persuaded Li Shou to take the throne instead. He then changed the name of the state from Cheng to Han and started a new imperial temple enshrining his father Li Xiang and his mother Lady Zan, making a break with Li Xiong's regime. Indeed, he was so embarrassed about the events of Li Xiong's era that he ordered that his subordinates' petitions and reports not be allowed to refer to Li Xiong's virtues, believing that he could exceed Li Xiong in all things. He requested that Gong come out of his seclusion and serve as a senior advisor, but Gong, disappointed that Li Shou was not willing to be a Jin vassal, declined. He created his wife Princess Yan empress, and he created Li Shi crown prince.
Later in 338, the official Ren Yan (任顏), Empress Dowager Ren's brother, plotted a coup but was discovered and executed. Li Shou used this as an excuse to also execute all of Li Xiong's surviving sons.
In spring 339, Cheng Han lost Ning Province—which Li Shou himself had captured several years earlier—to Jin. For the next several years, Jin and Cheng Han would, however, continue to fight over parts of Ning Province.
In 340, Later Zhao's emperor Shi Hu wrote to Li Shou, seeking an alliance against Jin. Li Shou agreed and began to build a fleet and store food supplies, ready to attack, despite opposition by Jie. Gong visited Chengdu and analyzed the situation for Li Shou—that if Jin were destroyed, Li Shou would be forced to submit to Later Zhao as well due to Later Zhao's sheer size. Li Shou thereafter cancelled the plan to attack Jin. Indeed, later that year, the chances of an alliance with Later Zhao was further damaged when Li Shou wrote Shi Hu with arrogant terms, causing Shi Hu much offense.
Early in his reign, Li Shou followed Li Xiong's ruling methods of being lenient, but later, after his messengers to Later Zhao told him about how Shi Hu kept order by harsh laws, Li Shou modified his style to be far harsher and also, in emulation of Shi Hu, started many construction projects. This, just like how Shi Hu burdened his people, burdened the people of Cheng Han, greatly weakening their loyalty toward the state.
In 343, Li Shou died and was succeeded by Crown Prince Shi.
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