[7] Meng served the Later Tang as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan), after the conquest of Former Shu.
Meng, fearing accusations by Emperor Mingzong's chief advisor An Chonghui, rebelled, in alliance with Dong Zhang, military governor of neighboring Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang, Sichuan).
[13] In or around 919, Li Cunxu wanted to make Meng Zhixiang chief of staff (中門使, Zhongmenshi) of the recently captured Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei).
[17] Later in the year, after Li Jiji and Guo were successful in capturing Former Shu's capital Chengdu and its emperor Wang Zongyan (Wang Jian's son and successor), thus destroying it, Emperor Zhuangzong summoned Meng to Luoyang and made him the military governor of Xichuan, also bestowing on him the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), preparing him to send him to Xichuan.
Emperor Zhuangzong and his wife Empress Liu were suspicious that Guo had seized the wealth of the Former Shu state and not submitted most of it to the imperial treasury.
She was unable to persuade Emperor Zhuangzong of this, however, and she decided to issue an edict on her own, to be delivered by her servant eunuch Ma Yangui (馬彥珪) to Li Jiji, ordering Guo's death.
Li Jiji initially hesitated after receiving Empress Liu's edict, but then carried it out by summoning Guo to him and then killing him and his sons in surprise.
However, he was quickly defeated in a joint operation commanded by Meng, Dong Zhang the military governor of Dongchuan Circuit, and Ren Huan.
[19] Meanwhile, Ren Huan became a chancellor and was also in charge of the three finance bureaus (taxation, treasury, and salt and iron monopolies), and, believing that Xichuan was wealthy and capable of supporting the central government financially, sent Meng's old friend Zhao Jiliang to Xichuan to prepare to transported the wealth previously stored by the Former Shu regime, as well as taxes collected since then, to Luoyang.
[19] However, wanting to retain Meng's faithfulness by grace, Emperor Mingzong ordered that they be allowed to continue on to Chengdu, escorted by the official Li Renju (李仁矩).
[20] Around that time, Emperor Mingzong had ordered that Xichuan contribute troops in a campaign against the rebel warlord Gao Jixing the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou, Hubei), to take back three prefectures that Emperor Zhuangzong had previously bestowed Gao (Kui (夔州), Wan (萬州), and Zhong (忠州), all in modern Chongqing).
After Later Tang imperial forces were able to recapture those prefectures from Gao, however, Meng requested that the troops be returned; Emperor Mingzong refused.
)[19] Further, there were rumors that An was ready to have Mian and nearby Long Prefecture (龍州, also in modern Mianyang) carved out of Dongchuan as a separate circuit.
(Dong subsequently neutralized Wu by tricking him to Dongchuan's capital Zi Prefecture (梓州) and putting him under arrest, while the imperial government bestowed the greater honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling (中書令) on Meng.
)[24] When An thereafter, in fall 930, sent the officer Xun Xian'ai (荀咸乂) to reinforce Baoning's capital Lang Prefecture (閬州), Dong publicly declared his rebellion, and he and Meng joined their forces to prepare to attack Baoning, Wuxin, and Zhaowu (昭武, headquartered in modern Guangyuan, Sichuan) Circuits, which were loyal to the imperial government.
Their plan (as proposed by Zhao Jiliang) was to quickly capture Baoning and Wuxin, and then defend the treacherous Jianmen Pass to stop the imperial army from advancing.
However, Dong, believing that Jianmen Pass was securely defended by his own Dongchuan army, turned down Meng's offer of reinforcements; rather, he headed for Zhaowu's capital Li Prefecture (利州) and tried to capture it; when inclement weather subsequently stopped his advance, he withdrew back to Lang Prefecture without reinforcing the Jianmen defense.
Meanwhile, Meng also sent the former Former Shu general Zhang Wu (張武) to capture the imperially-held Wutai Circuit (武泰, headquartered in modern Chongqing).
[23] By this time, Emperor Mingzong's resolve to defeat Dongchuan and Xichuan was beginning to dissolve, as he no longer fully trusted An's judgment or loyalty.
In spring 931, Meng submitted a petition thanking Emperor Mingzong for their release, but did not stop his own military operations, as soon thereafter, Li Renhan captured Sui Prefecture, and Xia committed suicide.
When Zhao Tingyin subsequently advocated further attacking Shannan West Circuit, however, Meng, pointing out that the army was tired, refused.
After An's death, Emperor Mingzong blamed the imperial conflicts with Dong, Meng, and Qian Liu the King of Wuyue on An, and in essence capitulated by sending the Xichuan official Su Yuan (蘇愿) and the Dongchuan officer Liu Cheng (劉澄), who had been trapped at Luoyang, back to their circuits to announce An's death and the imperial government's desire for peace.
On the last of those occasions in spring 932, Meng's emissary Li Hao, after returning to Chengdu, pointed out that it appeared that Dong was planning an attack and that Xichuan should be prepared.
[23] Meng thereafter faced the situation that both Zhao Tingyin and Li Renhan wanted command of Dongchuan — a conflict that threatened to tear the victorious Xichuan forces apart.
In winter 932, Emperor Mingzong again sent Li Cungui to Chengdu to deliver his edict, largely approving Meng's requests, and further giving him the authority to commission even military governors in the region.
Shortly after, Meng, under authorities granted by Emperor Mingzong, formally bestowed the five acting military governors full commands.
[2] In spring 933, Emperor Mingzong further formally created Meng the Prince of Shu and made him the military governor of both Dongchuan and Xichuan, sending the high-level officials Lu Wenji and Lü Qi for the creation ceremony.
[2] Shortly after Meng Zhixiang claimed the Later Shu throne, the Later Tang imperial succession was thrown into turmoil when Emperor Min's chiefs of staff, Zhu Hongzhao and Feng Yun, who suspected both Shi Jingtang and Emperor Min's adoptive brother Li Congke the Prince of Lu, tried to move their commands — Shi from Hedong to Chengde (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Shanxi) and Li Congke from Fengxiang to Hedong.
Li Congke, fearing that this move was intended to trick him to his death, rebelled; he subsequently defeated the imperial forces sent against him and advanced toward Luoyang, eventually killing Emperor Min and taking the throne himself.
As he was doing so, Zhang Qianzhao (張虔釗) the military governor of Shannan West and Sun Hanshao (孫漢韶) the military governor of Wuding Circuit (武定, headquartered in modern Hanzhong), who had been part of the imperial forces against him and who feared reprisals, surrendered their circuits to Later Shu, allowing Later Shu to take the region south of the Qinling Mountains.