Background
Liu Yikang was born in 409, while his father Liu Yu was the regent for Jin, as Liu Yu's fourth son. His mother was Liu Yu's concubine Consort Wang, who later carried the rank Xiurong (修容). His involvement in government service started in 420, when Liu Yu, on the verge of usurping the Jin throne, left his post at Shouyang (壽陽, in modern Lu'an, Anhui) and made Liu Yikang titularly in charge of Shouyang as the governor of Yu Province (豫州, modern central Anhui and southeastern Henan). However, Liu Dan (劉湛) served as his secretary and was actually in charge of the province. Later that year, when Liu Yu took the throne from Emperor Gong of Jin, ending Jin and establishing Liu Song as Emperor Wu, he created Liu Yikang as the Prince of Pengcheng.
In 426, after Emperor Wen had defeated and killed Xie Hui the governor of the important Jing Province (荊州, modern Hubei), for having deposed and killed his older brother Emperor Shao in 424, he made Liu Yikang the governor of Jing Province to replace Xie. Liu Yikang was described as capable and intelligent, and he governed Jing Province well. The prime minister Wang Hong, who had tried to avoid having too much power, therefore offered to resign and have the post be given to Liu Yikang. While Emperor Wen refused, in 427, Emperor Wen did recall Liu Yikang to the capital Jiankang and transferred some of Wang's authorities to him. Because Wang was often ill and further wished to avoid exercising power, Liu Yikang became effectively in charge of the government, although he was not formally given all of Wang's authorities until Wang's death in 432.
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