李德裕
Emperor Wuzong rewarded Li Deyu with great honors in light of the victory over Liu Zhen, including the title of the Duke of Zhao. However, at the same time, Li Deyu was drawing resentment over his domination of the court scene—and was particularly despised in his having Emperor Wuzong issue a posthumous edict condemning the relatives of Wang Yai, Jia Su, and Li Xun, who had fled to Zhaoyi and been protected by Liu Congjian but whom Guo slaughtered after killing Liu Zhen. Further, still resenting Niu and Li Zongmin, Li Deyu accused them of having corroborated with Liu Congjian and Liu Zhen, despite the lack of any evidence. Li Deyu went as far as inducing Liu Zhen's secretary Zheng Qing (鄭慶) into making the statement that whenever Liu Congjian received letters from Niu and Li Zongmin, he would read them and then burn them. Further, he had Lü Shu (呂述) the vice mayor of Luoyang, where Niu was at the time, make the accusation that when Niu heard of Liu Zhen's defeat, he sighed. Li Deyu relayed these accusations to Emperor Wuzong, and, in anger, he exiled both Niu and Li Zongmin. Further, in 845, Li Deyu had Li Shen, who was then the military governor of Huainan, falsely accused the county magistrate Wu Xiang (吳湘)—the nephew of an official that Li Deyu had deeply resented, Wu Wuling (吳武陵)—of forcibly marrying a commoner's daughter. Despite objections by many officials, under Li Deyu's advocacy, Emperor Wuzong ordered Wu Xiang's execution without further review.