王宗弼
As of 918, Song was serving in Wang's palace as the director of palace affairs (宣徽使, "Xuanhuishi"). That year, when Wang fell ill, another eunuch, Tang Wenyi (), tried to seize control of the palace and take over the governance of the state. When this was discovered, a group of officials, led by Wang's adoptive son Wang Zongbi, whom Wang Jian had intended to entrust his son and heir Wang Zongyan to, forced their way into the palace and had Tang deposed. In the aftermath, Wang Jian, who had up to that point not put any eunuch in the powerful position of director of palace communications ("Shumishi"), decided to put Song in that position and entrust military matters to him, as, while he was entrusting Wang Zongbi and several other adoptive sons Wang Zongyao (), Wang Zongwan (), and Wang Zongkui (), with the responsibilities of assisting the young emperor, also feared that they or other generals, as senior generals, might not follow all of the new emperor's commands. Shortly after, Wang Jian died, and Wang Yan took the throne.