Zhu Hongzhao
By this point, Emperor Mingzong's chief of staff An Chonghui had begun to suspect both Meng (as his wife was Emperor Zhuangzong's eldest sister) and Dong Zhang (who was one of Emperor Zhuangzong's favorite generals) of planning to separate their territory from Later Tang proper. Li Yan (whose life Meng had previously saved by interceding with Emperor Zhuangzong), who had previously served as Later Tang's emissary to Former Shu and had been a major proponent of the campaign against Former Shu, volunteered to serve as the monitor to the Xichuan army, believing that he could curb Meng's ambitions, so An had Li commissioned as the monitor to the Xichuan army, while commissioning the officer Zhu Hongzhao as the deputy military governor of Dongchuan, hoping that they could curb the powers of Meng and Dong, respectively.