[2] In 902, Emperor Zhaozong, perhaps at the eunuchs' behest, gave Zhang Bo the imperial clan surname of Li and the new name of Yan, sending Li Yan as his personal representative to Huainan Circuit to commission its military governor Yang Xingmi as the supreme commander of the southeastern circuits, honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling (中書令), and the Prince of Wu and ordering him to organize a major attack on Zhu's territory.
He feared that Li Yan's father Zhang Jun, who had by that point retired to his estate in Changshui (長水, in modern Luoyang, Henan), would incite the regional governors to rise against him, and therefore had the entire family killed.
Only Li Yan's older brother Zhang Ge escaped to Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan).
Under the requests of the Hongnong officials, Li Yan, still serving as Emperor Zhaozong's representative, bestowed on Yang Longyan the titles of military governor of Huainan, the supreme commander of the eastern circuits, honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), and Prince of Hongnong.
[7] Still, apparently believing that this was insufficiently formal, in 912, Xu, along with the senior Wu generals Liu Wei (劉威) and Tao Ya (陶雅), went to see Li Yan and requested that he, as Emperor Zhaozong's representative, bestow the Prince of Wu title on Yang Longyan and also give him the title of Taishi (太師, one of the Three Excellencies).
Xu Zhixun tried to send Zhu out of the capital by making him the military governor of a new Jinghuai Circuit (靜淮, headquartered at modern Huai'an, Jiangsu).
Zhu, angered, assassinated him but then committed suicide after being cornered by Xu Wen's subordinate Zhai Qian (翟虔).