Fuzhou, Jiangxi
As of summer 882, the imperial government under then-reigning Emperor Xizong must have confirmed Min Xu's takeover, for he was referred to by that point as full governor. After being made governor, he made numerous requests for the post to be upgraded to the more prestigious position of military governor, but the imperial government rejected the overture, believing that granting Min's request would lead to other circuits not yet at military governor status making the requests. However, around the same time, the agrarian rebel leader Zhong Chuan, whom the imperial government had previously tried to enlist into the imperial camp by making him the prefect of Fu Prefecture (撫州, in modern Fuzhou, Jiangxi), had taken over Jiangxi's capital Hong Prefecture () and expelled Jiangxi's governor Gao Maoqing (). The imperial government wanted to put Min and Zhong into conflict with each other, and therefore upgraded Jiangxi to Zhennan Circuit () as a military governor post and commissioned Min as the military governor of Zhennan, ordering him to return to Zhennan to expel Zhong. Min, knowing the imperial government's intent, refused to launch his forces.