Cui, in turn, is in communications with Zhu, plotting to restore the emperor.

He also persuades the Shence Army officer Sun Dezhao to join his cause, and Sun in turn persuades his fellow officers Dong Yanbi and Zhou Chenghui to join.

In spring 901, they act.

They first ambush and kill Wang Zhongxian, and captured Liu and Wang Yanfan, who are then killed by caning.

Xue tries to commit suicide by drowning, but is taken out of the water and decapitated.

Emperor Zhaozong is restored to the throne.

In gratitude to the three officers, he bestows the imperial clan name of Li on them, renaming them Li Jizhao, Li Yanbi, and Li JIhui respectively.

Shortly after Emperor Zhaozong's restoration, Li Maozhen shows an intent of reestablishing his relationship with the emperor by visiting Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Zhaozong.

While Li Maozhen is still at Chang'an, Cui Yin makes a proposal intending to eliminate the control that the eunuchs have over the Shence Armies — that he and fellow chancellor Lu Yi be put in command of the Shence Armies.

This proposal is opposed by Li Jizhao, Li Jihui, and Li Yanbi, however, and as Cui cites, as a rationale, the possibility that the Shence Armies could thus counteract the warlords, Li Maozhen is also suspicious of it.

Emperor Zhaozong therefore rejects the proposal, and puts instaead appoints the eunuchs Han Quanhui and Zhang Yanhong, both of whom had previously served as eunuch monitors of the Fengxiang army, and further wants the retired eunuch Yan Zunmei to serve as the overseer of both Shence Armies, but Yan declines and remains in retirement.

Cui, apprehensive of allowing the eunuchs to command the Shence Armies again, asks Li Maozhen to leave a corps of Fengxiang troops at Chang'an to counteract the eunuchs; Li Maozhen agrees, and leaves his adoptive son Li Jiyun in command of the Fengxiang soldiers at Chang'an.

Despite this setback, Cui continues to try to plan to slaughter the eunuchs.

The eunuchs headed by Han eventually become aware of this, and, in order to reduce Cui's power, they have the Shence Army soldiers claim that Cui is not giving them the proper winter uniforms.

Emperor Zhaozong is forced to again remove Cui from his post as the director of salt and iron monopolies.

Moreover, by this point they have persuaded Li Jiyun and his Fengxiang soldiers to their cause.

Cui, realizing that the eunuchs intend to destroy him, becomes fearful, and writes Zhu Quanzhong, urging him to bring troops to Chang'an to act against the eunuchs.

Zhu agrees, and began mobilizing his army.

Han and the other eunuchs, hearing of Zhu's impending arrival, believe that Zhu's forces intend to slaughter them.

They, with the cooperation of Li Jiyun, Li Jihui, and Li Yanbi (but not Li Jizhao, who refuses to align with them), seize Emperor Zhaozong and his household, and take them to Fengxiang's capital Fengxiang Municipality.

Cui and the imperial officials largely remain at Chang'an, although some follow the emperor and the eunuchs to Fengxiang.

After Zhu arrives at Chang'an to confer with Cui, he advances to Fengxiang and puts it under siege.

Li Maozhen seeks an alliance with Wang Jian.

Wang Jian, however, tries to play both sides—outwardly aligning with Zhu, but secretly encouraging Li Maozhen to resist Zhu, while sending an army to head north to attack Li Maozhen's Shannan West Circuit.