Meanwhile, when Emperor Taizong's train arrived at Lincheng (臨城, in modern Xingtai, he began to become ill. By the time that he reached Luancheng (欒城, in modern Shijiazhuang), his illness became worse, and he was running such a high fever such that he had ice stacked on his chest, abdomen, and limbs, and was chewing the ice, to try to relieve the fever. Shortly after, he died. The Khitan generals cut open his abdomen and stuffed it with salt, to allow continued transport north. The Han sarcastically referred to him as "dried emperor." The Khitan chieftains supported his nephew (Yelü Bei's son) Yelü Ruan to succeed him as emperor (as Emperor Shizong), and Emperor Shizong was able to take over the throne after fighting off challenges, first leveled by Zhao Yanshou, and then leveled by Empress Dowager Shulü and Yelü Lihu. However, Liao was unable to retain the lands that Emperor Taizong seized from Later Jin, which eventually all became part of Liu Zhiyuan's Later Han state.