Tian Lingzi
After Emperor Xizong returned to Chang'an in 885, however, a dispute between Wang Chongrong and the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi, who controlled Emperor Xizong's court, broke out. The imperial treasury had become very drained after Emperor Xizong's return to Chang'an, as most military governors throughout the empire were by that point withholding revenues that their circuits had previously submitted to the imperial government. Wang Chongrong himself had previously seized control of two salt ponds in Hezhong Circuit, which had previously under the imperial director of salt and iron monopolies, submitting only a small amount of the salt to the imperial government. Tian Lingzi requested that Emperor Xizong restore the control of the ponds to the control by the director of the salt and iron monopolies, and further put himself in charge of the two ponds. Wang objected and submitted repeated petitions requesting that he be allowed to continue to control the two ponds, to no avail. Further, when Tian's adopted son Tian Kuangyou (田匡祐) served as an emissary to Hezhong, Wang initially welcomed him warmly, but Tian Kuangyou offended the Hezhong soldiers with his arrogance. Wang then turned against him, arrested him, and declared Tian Lingzi's crimes in his presence. The eunuch monitor of Hezhong pleaded for Tian Kuangyou, and Wang released him. When Tian Kuangyou returned to Chang'an, he suggested that Tian Lingzi take action against Wang. In summer 885, Tian Lingzi thus had Emperor Xizong issue an edict transferring Wang Chongrong to Taining Circuit (泰寧, in modern Jining, Shandong), Qi Kerang the military governor of Taining to Yiwu Circuit, and Wang Chucun from Yiwu to Hezhong.