When Li Xilie grew ill, Chen had him poisoned and then submitted to Tang, but was himself in turn assassinated by Wu Shaocheng later in the year.
Virtually nothing is known about Chen Xianqi's background, including his birth date or his family origin.
His wife carried the surname Dou, the same surname as Li Xilie's favorite concubine, a daughter of the official Dou Liang (竇良), whom Li Xilie had forced to become his concubine during the time he claimed imperial title at the emperor of his own state of Chu (a title he claimed in 784[2]).
Li Xilie's concubine Lady Dou, who had just received some peaches as tribute, wrote down the son's plans and hid the plan in a wax ball, and then hid the wax ball in a peach which she then gave to Chen's wife.
[4] As military governor, Chen tried to show loyalty to the imperial government immediately, and he sent troops to Tang's western borders that fall to help defend against attacks by Tufan.