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Liu Ziye 劉子業 (449-465), childhood name Fashi 法師, was an emperor of the Liu-Song dynasty 劉宋 (420-479), one of the Southern Dynasties 南朝 (420-589). He was the oldest son of Emperor Xiaowu 宋孝武帝 (r. 453-464) and ruled only for about one year before he was dethroned. Historians, therefore, called him the First Deposed Emperor 宋前廢帝 (r. 464-465).
He received a traditional education, but without good results. Liu Ziye was, nonetheless, traditionally named Heir Apparent in 454. In 464, when his father died, he succeeded regularly, but because of his young age, he was assisted in government by his uncle, Liu Gongyi 劉義恭 (413-465), the Prince of Jiangxia 江夏, and Receptionist of the Palace Secretariat (zhongshu tongshi sheren 中書通事舍人) Dai Faxing 戴法興 (414-465).
Liu Ziye did not care for politics and abused his power to kill arbitrarily members of the imperial house and state officials. He also decreed the halt in issuing coins, so the people began to cast their own coins on a private basis, which led to serious inflation. Liu Ziye had also killed Dai Faxing; Liu Yigong; the Director of the Imperial Secretariat (zhongshu ling 尚書令), Liu Yuanjing 柳元景 (406-465); Left Vice Director (zuo puye 左僕射) Yan Shibo 顏師伯 (419-465); the Grand Defender (taiwei 太尉) Shen Qingzhi 沈慶之 (386-465); Liu Jingxian 劉敬獻, the Prince of Nanping 南平; Liu Jingyao 劉敬堯, the Prince of Luling 廬陵; and Liu Jingshen 劉敬深, the Marquis of Annan 安南侯.
In 465, Liu Yu 劉彧 (439-472), the Prince of Xiangdong 湘東, conspired with Shou Jizhi 壽寂之 (d. 471), master of the wardrobe service (zhuyi 主衣) to kill Liu Ziye in the Huaguang Hall 華光殿. Liu Ziye was buried in the tomb area of the imperial Liu family in Moling 秣陵 (today part of Nanjing 南京, Jiangsu). He was succeeded by Emperor Ming 宋明帝 (r. 465-472).
Some stories attempted to defame Liu Ziye posthumously. When he was chasing naked palace women in the imperial park, one woman refused to participate, and he killed her. Historians also say that he tried to desecrate the tomb of his father by digging the coffin out. When his ministers stopped him, he had manure put on the tomb hill. He also secretly took into his harem the Princess Xincai 新蔡公主, a daughter of Emperor Wen, changing her family name to Xie 謝 to disguise their family relationship.