In the late Tang years, Zhu Jin, as the military governor (jiedushi) of Taining Circuit (泰寧, headquartered in modern Jining, Shandong) would form a power bloc with his cousin Zhu Xuan the military governor of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong), but they were both eventually defeated by Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan).
He was said to have great ambitions and to be talented in his youth and was the most ferocious warrior in Zhu Xuan's army,[1][4] but was also said to be violent and cruel.
On the set wedding date, Zhu Jin personally went to Taining's capital Yan Prefecture (兗州), ostensibly to carry out the marriage, but he hid armors and weapons in his train.
[9] Soon thereafter, Xu Prefecture fell under the attack of the Xuanwu officer Pang Shigu (龐師古), and Shi committed suicide, allowing Zhu Quanzhong to take over Ganhua.
Late in the year, Ge attacked Zhu Wei (朱威) the prefect of Tianping's Qi Prefecture (齊州, in modern Jinan, Shandong).
Li Keyong repeatedly sent officers to reinforce Tianping and Taining, but even with Hedong's aid the losses mounted.
Meanwhile, Zhu Jin, running low on food supplies himself, left his officer Kang Huaizhen (康懷貞) in charge of Yan and headed south with Li Chengsi and Shi to raid the former Ganhua Circuit (now renamed Wuning Circuit) for food.
When he tried to head for Yi Prefecture (沂州, in modern Linyi, Shandong), the prefect Yin Chubin (尹處賓) refused to receive him.
Zhu Quanzhong, having conquered Tianping and Taining, decided to make Huainan his next target, so he gathered his available forces and sent Pang Shigu with 70,000 soldiers from Xuanwu and Ganhua Circuits to Qingkou (清口, in modern Huai'an, Jiangsu), posturing to head to Huainan's capital Yang Prefecture; Ge Congzhou with the forces from Tianping and Taining Circuits to Anfeng (安豐, in modern Lu'an, Anhui), posturing to head to Shou Prefecture (壽州, in modern Lu'an); and Zhu Quanzhong himself with his main forces to Su Prefecture (宿州, in modern Suzhou).
Zhu Quanzhong initially sent Zhang Guihou (張歸厚) to relieve the attack on Xu, and then also led an army himself.
[11] In 902, after Emperor Zhaozong had been forcibly taken to Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), then ruled by Li Maozhen, by the eunuch Han Quanhui.
Li Yan bestowed the title of supreme commander of the southeastern circuits on Yang and created him the Prince of Wu, ordering him to attack Zhu Quanzhong.
As part of the order, Zhu Jin was given the title of military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Weifang, Shandong) (which was then under the rule of Wang Shifan).
Yang also bestowed on Zhu Jin the title of deputy supreme commander of the southeastern circuits.
Zhu Jin thereafter led a relief force to try to save Wang Yin, but he was intercepted and defeated by the Later Liang generals Niu Cunjie (牛存節) and Liu Xun; he thereafter withdrew.
Niu and Liu thereafter captured Xu Prefecture, and Wang and his family members committed suicide.
That year, the officers Ma Qian (馬謙) and Li Qiu (李球) seized Yang Longyan and launched their troops to attack Xu Zhixun.
Xu Zhixun was fearful and decided to flee, but was dissuaded by the official Yan Keqiu, and their opposing camps settled in that night.
The next day, Zhu Jin, who had been stationed at Run Prefecture (潤州, in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu).
[16] In winter 916, with Li Keyong's son and successor Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin requesting Wu to enter an alliance to jointly attack Later Liang, Xu Zhixun and Zhu Jin led troops north toward Song (宋州, in modern Shangqiu, Henan) and Bo (亳州, in modern Bozhou, Anhui) Prefectures.
They crossed the Huai River and put Ying Prefecture (潁州, in modern Fuyang, Anhui) under siege.
In spring 917, however, after Zhu Youzhen dispatched the general Yuan Xiangxian to aid Ying Prefecture, the Wu troops withdrew.
As soldiers approached him, he stated, "I have destroyed a harm for tens of thousands of people, and I will suffer the consequences alone."