Eventually, the major warlord Zhu Wen seized control of the imperial government and in 904 had Emperor Zhaozong killed as the prelude of taking over the Tang throne.

Li Jie was born in 867, during the reign of his father Emperor Yizong, in the eastern palace at the imperial capital Chang'an.

[4] His mother was Emperor Yizong's concubine Consort Wang, who was said to have come from a humble background and whose rank within the palace was not recorded.

[2] In 888, by which time Huang's rebellion had been crushed and the imperial court had returned to Chang'an, Emperor Xizong grew gravely ill.

[2] As soon as Emperor Zhaozong took the throne, he received petitions from Wang Jian and Gu Yanlang, advocating that Tian Lingzi's brother Chen Jingxuan the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan), be removed from his post.

When Chen refused to be replaced, Emperor Zhaozong ordered a general campaign against him, with Wei in command, assisted by Wang, Gu, and Yang Fugong's adoptive nephew Yang Shouliang the military governor of Shannan West Circuit (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi).

[9] By 888, his power had waned under attacks by Tang's military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), Zhu Quanzhong, and in late 888 he was overthrown in a coup by his officer Shen Cong (申叢);[2] he was subsequently delivered to Zhu, who then delivered him to Chang'an to be executed.

[10] At that point, Kong and Zhang believed that it was time to test this army, to show its strengths in the struggle against Yang at court.

Emperor Zhaozong, despite his reservations, approved the campaign, which got under way in summer 890, with Zhu's army attacking Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), then also under Li Keyong's control, from the southeast; Li Kuangwei and Helian Duo the military governor of Datong Circuit (大同, headquartered in modern Datong, Shanxi) attacking from the northeast; and the main imperial army, under Zhang's command and supplemented by the armies of various circuits around Chang'an, attacking from the southwest.

Li Cunxiao subsequently put Zhaoyi's capital Lu Prefecture (潞州) under siege, forcing Zhu's army to withdraw.

[10] With the defeat against Li Keyong, and the campaign against Chen in a stalemate—the imperial army had put Xichuan's capital Chengdu under siege and caused a terrible famine within the city, but had not been able to capture it—the imperial treasury was being drained, and Emperor Zhaozong decided to end the Xichuan campaign as well.

[10] In response to the Yangs' rebellion, Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), along with his allies Wang Xingyu the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi) and Han Jian, as well as his brother Li Maozhuang (李茂莊) the military governor of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Tianshui, Gansu) and Wang Xingyu's brother Wang Xingyue (王行約) the military governor of Kuangguo Circuit (匡國, headquartered in modern Weinan), submitted a joint petition for Li Maozhen to be made the commander of the forces against the Yangs.

Emperor Zhaozong, while inimical to the Yangs, was hesitant to give Li Maozhen more authority and territory, and therefore initially denied the request.

By winter 892, Xingyuan had fallen to Li Maozhen, and the Yangs fled (and were eventually captured by Han and delivered to Chang'an to be executed).

Despite the misgivings of the chancellor Du Rangneng, Emperor Zhaozong launched a campaign against Li Maozhen, with Du in charge of the logistics and Li Sizhou (李嗣周) the Prince of Qin in command of the imperial guards, which Emperor Zhaozong had rebuilt with new recruits.

Emperor Zhaozong capitulated, ordering Du to commit suicide and allowing Li Maozhen to retain Fengxiang, Shannan West, Wuding, and Tianxiong.

It was said that after this point, Li Maozhen and Wang Xingyu, in alliance with the chancellor Cui Zhaowei, were heavily influencing imperial governance, such that the emperor would not dare to carry out any measures that they opposed.

Emperor Zhaozong approved Li Keyong's petition and made Wang Ke the military governor of Huguo.

Rumors developed that Li Maozhen and Wang Xingyu both wanted to seize the emperor and take him to their domains.

Li Keyong withdrew to Hedong Circuit, and, owing to his eventual defeats at the hands of Zhu Quanzhong, would not be able to return again.

However, after he left Chang'an, Han Jian sent emissaries, and then personally arrived to meet with him, to persuade him to go to Zhenguo's capital Hua Prefecture (華州) instead, promising to do all he could to uphold imperial power.

With Zhu Quanzhong urging the emperor to move the capital to the eastern capital Luoyang, Han and Li Maozhen became apprehensive that he would launch an army to seize the emperor, and therefore repaired the palaces and governmental offices at Chang'an (which Li Maozhen's army had destroyed).

[13] Meanwhile, also rising in power at court was the chancellor Cui Yin, who hated the eunuchs ardently[14] and who was allied with Zhu Quanzhong.

When Cui's fellow chancellor Wang Tuan urged against such action, believing the plans to be too drastic, Cui accused Wang of being in league with the powerful eunuchs Zhu Daobi (朱道弼) and Jing Wuxiu (景務脩), who served as the directors of palace communications (Shumishi).

[3] The eunuchs also had become fearful of Emperor Zhaozong himself, who, after returning from Hua Prefecture, was described to be depressed, alcoholic, and unpredictable in his temperament.

After an incident in winter 900 in which Emperor Zhaozong, in a drunken rage, killed several attending eunuchs and ladies in waiting, Liu Jishu led Shence Army troops into the palace and forced Emperor Zhaozong to yield the throne to his son Li Yu, Prince of De the Crown Prince.

[3][16] Still, Fengxiang's defenses were holding, and by fall 902, Zhu, with his attacks hampered by rains and illnesses to the soldiers, was considering a withdrawal.

From this point on, Li Maozhen could not fight back against Zhu any more, and by winter 902, Fengxiang was in such a desperate shape such that the residents were resorting to cannibalism.

While on the journey to Luoyang, Emperor Zhaozong sent secret orders to Wang Jian, Yang Xingmi the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Huainan), and Li Keyong, asking them to start a campaign against Zhu Quanzhong, but his orders drew no immediate reactions.

In fall 904, he had his associate Jiang Xuanhui (蔣玄暉), along with his adoptive son Zhu Yougong (朱友恭) and officer Shi Shucong (氏叔琮), take soldiers to the palace and assassinate Emperor Zhaozong.