Unlike his father, the Zhengde Emperor favored the eunuchs he had grown up with, particularly the group known as the "Eight Tigers", which included Zhang Yong, over civil officials.
Zhang Yong was appointed as the director of the palace carpentry workshops and in 1506, he was also given command of the Artillery Camp (Shenjiying) in the Beijing garrison.
[2] During this time, Zhang Yong was sent with an army of 30,000[1] to quell the rebellion, and the emperor also dispatched Yang Yiqing, an official familiar with the local area, to assist in the situation.
While working together to resolve the conflict, Yang Yiqing convinced Zhang Yong that he was in danger of being overthrown by Liu Jin in another coup.
[2] Upon his return to Beijing, Zhang Yong was hailed as a national hero and personally welcomed by the emperor at Dong'an Gate.