Shen Youzhi (沈攸之) (died 478), courtesy name Zhongda (仲達), was a general during the Chinese Liu Song dynasty, who, in the final moments of the dynasty, made a final failed attempt to prevent Xiao Daocheng from seizing the throne.
Service under Emperors Wen and Xiaowu
It is not known when Shen Youzhi was born. However, it is known that his father Shen Shuren (沈叔仁) was an army officer under Emperor Wen's brother Liu Yiji (劉義季) the Prince of Hengyang and was a cousin of the famed general Shen Qingzhi (沈慶之). Shen Shuren's household was not rich, and he grew up in poverty after apparently losing his father early in life. In 450, when Northern Wei forces made a major invasion into Liu Song territory, Shen Youzhi was conscripted, and he went to see the general Liu Zunkao (劉遵考) to request a sergeant position. Liu was not impressed by his appearance and refused his request, so he went to follow his distance uncle Shen Qingzhi. However, Shen Qingzhi did not initially make him an officer either, and he did not become an officer until 452, when he followed Shen Qingzhi in a campaign against the Xiyang Aborigines (西陽蠻, located in modern Huanggang, Hubei).
In 453, Emperor Wen was assassinated by his crown prince Liu Shao, who then seized the throne. Instead of acquiescing to Liu Shao's reign, Shen Qingzhi persuaded Liu Shao's brother Liu Jun the Prince of Wuling into an uprising against Liu Shao. Shen Youzhi was part of Shen Youzhi's army against Liu Shao, and at the Battle of Xinting (新亭, in modern Nanjing, Jiangsu), near the capital Jiankang, he suffered severe injuries but recovered. After Liu Shao was defeated and killed and Liu Jun became emperor (as Emperor Xiaowu), Shen Youzhi was created the Marquess of Pingluo and promoted.
In 459, when Emperor Xiaowu's brother Liu Dan (劉誕) the Prince of Jingling rose against him, Shen Youzhi again joined Shen Qingzhi in the campaign against Liu Dan by besieging Liu Dan's post of Guangling (廣陵, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), and he contributed to the victory over Liu Dan. Emperor Xiaowu wanted to reward him greatly, but Shen Qingzhi, perhaps because Shen Youzhi was a relative, reduced the award, and Shen Youzhi became resentful of Shen Qingzhi after this point.
Service under Emperor Qianfei
In 464, Emperor Xiaowu died and was succeeded by his impulsive and violent son Emperor Qianfei. Emperor Qianfei, suspecting the high-level officials of conspiring against him, soon carried out a campaign of terror against them, and because he feared assassinations, he greatly endeared himself to a number of fierce army officers, including Shen Youzhi, Zong Yue (宗越), Tan Jin (譚金), and Tong Taiyi (童太一), making them command his personal guards. Shen, along with the others, participated in his slaughters of the high-level officials. After one such attack in winter 475 against Emperor Qianfei's uncle and brother-in-law He Mai (何邁), whose wife Liu Yingmei (劉英媚) the Princess Xincai Emperor Qianfei engaged in an incestuous relationship with, Shen Qingzhi tried to enter the palace to persuade Emperor Qianfei to change his ways, but was stopped by roadblocks that Emperor Qianfei had set up in anticipation of his attempt. Emperor Qianfei then ordered Shen Youzhi to deliver poison to Shen Qingzhi to force him to commit suicide. Shen Qingzhi refused to take the poison, and Shen Youzhi then suffocated him with a blanket. In less than a month, however, while Shen and the other key officers Emperor Qianfei trusted were out of the palace, Emperor Qianfei's attendant Shou Jizhi (壽寂之) assassinated him, and Emperor Qianfei's uncle Liu Yu then took the throne as Emperor Ming.
Service under Emperor Ming
Emperor Ming did not trust the guard officers that Emperor Qianfei had endeared, and he offered to give them commandery governor posts to get them to leave the palace. However, they were largely fearful that Emperor Ming had other intentions, and they entered into a plot against Emperor Ming. Shen Youzhi, however, informed Emperor Ming of the plot, and Emperor Ming then had those officers executed, except for Shen, whom he began to trust and made him a guard commander again.