Guo Chongtao
While Emperor Zhuangzong granted Guo the authority to commission officers in the former Former Shu lands, his suspicion against Guo was increasing in Guo's absence. In particular, because little funds were delivered to Luoyang after Former Shu's destruction, he came to suspect that Guo had himself taken the funds, and was planning to seize Li Jiji and control the Shu lands. Further, when he sent the eunuch Xiang Yansi () to Chengdu to order Guo to try to speed up the takeover of Shu and then return with the troops to Luoyang, Guo refused to greet Xiang politely, and therefore, upon Xiang's returns, Xiang embellished on the amount of Shu treasures that Guo and Guo Tinghui had taken. While Emperor Zhuangzong did not fully believe Xiang, Empress Liu did, and was continuously begging Emperor Zhuangzong to take decisive action to save her son Li Jiji. Emperor Zhuangzong, thereafter, as he was sending Meng off to Chengdu to serve as the military governor of Xichuan, stated to Meng, "We heard that Guo Chongtao has other thoughts. When you get there, kill him for us." Meng responded, however, "Guo Chongtao is an old, distinguished subject of yours. He would surely not do that. I, your subject, will examine him when I get to Shu lands. If I see nothing wrong, I will send him back." Emperor Zhuangzong agreed.