Li Fengji
During Emperor Jingzong's reign (824-827), Li Fengji served as chancellor. Li Zhongyan became a close associate of Li Fengji's, and it was said that shortly after Emperor Jingzong took the throne, Li Zhongyan, along with Li Fengji's other associates Li Yu (李虞) and Zhang Youxin (張又新), participated in manufacturing false evidence against a political enemy of Li Fengji's, the imperial scholar Li Shen. As a result of Li Fengji's accusations against Li Shen — that when Emperor Jingzong's father Emperor Muzong died, Li Shen was intending to support Emperor Muzong's brother Li Cong (李悰) the Prince of Shen — Li Shen was exiled. Subsequently, Li Zhongyan, Zhang, Li Xuzhi (李續之), Li Yu, Liu Qichu (劉栖楚), Jiang Qia (姜洽), Zhang Quanyu (張權輿), and Cheng Xifan (程昔范), became known as Li Fengji's "Eight Gates" — i.e., people who wanted to see Li Fengji had to go through them.