Suzhou, Anhui
Yuan Xiangxian's army career started in or shortly after 883, when his uncle Zhu Quanzhong was made the military governor of Xuanwu, as he thereafter became an officer at Xuanwu. He was gradually promoted through the ranks within the Xuanwu army itself. In 899, Zhu Quanzhong put him in charge of Su Prefecture (宿州, in modern Suzhou, Anhui), and in 901 made him full military prefect of the prefecture (團練使, "Tuanlianshi"). Shortly after, the army of Zhu's rival Yang Xingmi the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) put Su under siege, but Yuan capably defended it, and the city did not fall. In 903, he was put in charge of Ming Prefecture (洺州, in modern Handan, Hebei) In 906, he was made the prefect of Chen Prefecture (陳州, in modern Zhumadian, Henan).