Zhu Hongzhao
Li Siyuan died in 933 and was succeeded as emperor by his son Li Conghou the Prince of Song. The imperial government, however, was dominated by his chief of staff Zhu Hongzhao and the chancellor Feng Yun, who were suspicious of Li Conghou's adoptive older brother Li Congke the Prince of Lu, who was then the military governor of Fengxiang, and brother-in-law Shi Jingtang, who was then the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shandong). Not wanting Shi to stay at Hedong for too long, in spring 934, they issued a series of transfer orders — transferring Fan Yanguang the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) to Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), Shi from Hedong to Chengde, and Li Congke from Fengxiang to Hedong. Li Congke viewed these moves as aimed at "him", however, and rebelled. To finance his rebellion, he seized the assets that Li Congyan still had at Fengxiang, to supply his army. He soon defeated the imperial army sent against him, and aimed toward Luoyang. As he was set to depart from Fengxiang, the people of the circuit gathered around him and requested that he return Li Congyan to Fengxiang, and he promised that he would. When soon thereafter he entered Luoyang and Li Conghou was then killed in flight, he became emperor. He then transferred Li Congyan from Tianping back to Fengxiang. He also created Li Congyan the Duke of Qin.