In any case, as of summer 881, Zhu Mei was serving as the defender of Tongsai (通塞, in modern Xianyang), when Huang, who had by that point captured Chang'an (forcing the Tang Emperor Xizong to flee to Chengdu) and declared himself emperor of a new state of Qi, sent his general Wang Mei (王玫) to Binning to serve as its military governor.
[6] After joint Tang forces recaptured Chang'an in spring 883, Emperor Xizong bestowed on him the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).
In 884, Emperor Xizong, apparently to commemorate the contributions of the Binning soldiers, renamed the circuit Jingnan (靜難, meaning "disaster-quieting").
[7] In 885, by which time Emperor Xizong had returned to Chang'an, the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi became embroiled in a dispute with Wang Chongrong, then the military governor of Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) over Tian's attempt to seize control of salt ponds at Hezhong from Wang.
Tian, in turn, allied himself with Zhu and Li Changfu the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji).
Li Keyong then approached Chang'an, causing Tian to take Emperor Xizong to first flee to Fengxiang, and then to Xingyuan (興元, in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi).
Wang Chongrong and Li Keyong also submitted petitions pledging allegiance to Emperor Xizong, despite Zhu's attempts to win them over.
[2] Zhu Mei subsequently sent his officer Wang Xingyu, with 50,000 soldiers, to try to attack Xingyuan to capture Emperor Xizong.
However, although Wang was initially able to defeat Tian's subordinate Yang Sheng (楊晟), he was subsequently repelled by Man Cun (滿存), and was unable to advance.
Further, the eunuch Yang Fugong, who had succeeded Tian by this point (as Tian had fled to Chengdu to be under the protection of his brother Chen Jingxuan the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu)), issued a declaration that anyone who killed Zhu would be given Jingnan Circuit.