Zhu Youzhen
In summer 912, Emperor Taizu was assassinated by his son Zhu Yougui the Prince of Ying, who then took the throne after putting his adoptive brother Zhu Youwen the Prince of Bo to death and blaming Zhu Youwen for the assassination. However, many generals believed Zhu Yougui to be responsible, and Yuan was soon in contact with the major general Yang Shihou, Emperor Taizu's son-in-law Zhao Yan, and Emperor Taizu's son Zhu Youzhen the Prince of Jun, plotting to overthrow Zhu Yougui. In spring 913, Yuan sent his soldiers into the palace and had Zhu Yougui surrounded. Zhu Yougui, seeing the situation as hopeless, committed suicide with his wife Empress Zhang and his servant Feng Ting'e (). Yuan and Zhao took over control of the capital Luoyang, and sent the imperial seal to Daliang, where Zhu Youzhen was then at the time, offering the throne to him. Zhu Youzhen accepted and took the throne at Daliang. For his contributions, Yuan was given the honorary titles of military governor of Zhennan Circuit (鎮南, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi, then under control of Later Liang's enemy Wu), acting "Taibao" (), honorary chancellor (同中書門下平章事, "Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi"), acting mayor of Kaifeng (i.e., Daliang), and the commander of the capital guards; he was also created a duke. In 914, he was made the military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Weifang, Shandong), and shortly after the military governor of Xuanwu, where he would remain for some 10 years. When Wu's junior regent Xu Zhixun put Ying Prefecture (潁州, in modern Fuyang, Anhui) under siege late in 916, Zhu Youzhen (who had changed his name to Zhu Zhen by this point) ordered Yuan to command a relief force; when Yuan approached Ying, Xu withdrew. It was said that during Emperor Taizu's reign, a culture of corruption developed among the generals. In particular, Yuan, as a nephew of the emperor, while governing the circuits, took much wealth from the people and enriched himself.