Li Jihui submitted to Zhu, and was allowed to remain as military governor of Jingnan, with his name changed back to the birth name Yang Chongben.
By 903, the city was in desperate straights, and Li Maozhen was forced to sue for peace by slaughtering the eunuchs and surrendering Emperor Zhaozong to Zhu.
Unable to bear this violation, she wrote Yang, stating:[1] My husband displays the banner and axe of a military governor, but cannot protect his wife.
I am too ashamed to face you during this life, and I am prepared for either a knife or a rope [(i.e., she was threatening to commit suicide by one of those means)].When Yang received her letter, he wept bitterly.
[6] Li Jihui, Li Maozhen, and Wang Jian subsequently issued a joint declaration calling for the people of the realm to unite against Zhu, and their declaration, which were echoed by Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), Liu Rengong the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing), Yang Xingmi the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), and Zhao Kuangning the military governor of Zhongyi Circuit (忠義, headquartered in modern Xiangyang, Hubei), influenced Zhu in resolving to, later in 904, assassinate Emperor Zhaozong and replace him with his son Emperor Ai.
He also sent his son Zhu Youyu (朱友裕) to resist them while ordering his officer Liu Xun the military governor of Baoda Circuit (保大, headquartered in modern Yan'an, Shanxi) to abandon Baoda's capital Fu Prefecture (鄜州) and withdraw to Tong Prefecture (同州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi).
Liu first attacked Baoda, capturing Liu Yanhui (劉彥暉) the prefect of Baoda's Fang Prefecture (坊州, in modern Yan'an), and then defeated Li Jihui at Meiyuan (美原, in modern Weinan), forcing Li Jihui to withdraw back to Jingnan's capital Bin Prefecture (邠州).
Li Maozhen (along with Li Keyong, Wang, and Yang Xingmi's son and successor Yang Wo) refused to recognize the new emperor, and effectively made himself the sovereign of a new state of Qi by taking on some imperial trappings, although he continued to carry only the Tang-bestowed title Prince of Qi, not imperial title.