circuits remained obedient to Emperor Xizong. With Tian Lingzi realizing that the people of the empire were largely against him and having left Emperor Xizong's presence (to join his brother Chen Jingxuan the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu)) and another eunuch, Yang Fugong having succeeded Tian as the commander of the Shence Armies (神策軍), Du pointed out that Yang Fugong's brother Yang Fuguang had worked closely with Wang Chongrong and Li Keyong in defeating Huang and recapturing Chang'an. He suggested having Yang write letters to Wang and Li Keyong to persuade them to rejoin Emperor Xizong's cause, and after Yang did so, Wang and Li Keyong redeclared their allegiance to Emperor Xizong and sent material supplies to Xingyuan. Late in the year, with Zhu's officer Wang Xingyu, whom Zhu had ordered to try to capture Xingyuan to seize Emperor Xizong, unsuccessful in that task, Wang Xingyu was enticed by Yang's declaration that if anyone killed Zhu, that person would be allowed to succeed Zhu as the military governor of Jingnan. He thus ambushed Zhu at Chang'an and killed him. Li Yun fled to Hezhong and was executed by Wang Chongrong. Thereafter, Emperor Xizong made Du Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎, the deputy head of the legislative bureau) and minister of defense, with the honorary title of Tejin (特進), and created him the Duke of Xiangyang. It was said that at that time, Emperor Xizong initially ordered that all officials who accepted offices from Li Yun be put to death, but Du, intervening for them, were able to get some 70-80% spared. Subsequently, when Emperor Xizong went to Fengxiang on the path back to Chang'an, the imperial guards and Li Changfu's forces got into a conflict and openly battled each other. During the battle, Du walked on foot to Emperor Xizong's provisional palace and attended to the emperor, and it was said that this action helped inspired the imperial guards in defeating Li Changfu, who was subsequently killed by his own subordinate Xue Zhicou (薛知籌). The imperial guard general Li Maozhen was given Fengxiang instead. After Emperor Xizong died in 888 was succeeded by his brother Emperor Zhaozong, Du continued to serve as chancellor, and was created the Duke of Jin. In 890, when Kong and another chancellor, Zhang Jun advocated a campaign against Li Keyong, Du and another chancellor, Liu Chongwang opposed, but Emperor Zhaozong declared the