the military governor of Kuangguo Circuit (匡國, headquartered in modern Weinan as well), requesting that a campaign be launched against the Yangs and that Li Maozhen be made the commander of the operations. Emperor Zhaozong, concerned that if Li Maozhen defeated the Yangs, he would be even more difficult to control, initially ordered that the sides negotiate. However, Li Maozhen and Wang Xingyu, ignoring the edict, launched the campaign, and Li Maozhen wrote disrespectful letters to the chancellor Du Rangneng and the leading eunuch Ximen Junsui (). Emperor Zhaozong, concerned that Li Maozhen may slaughter the people of Shannan West without imperial sanction, made Li Maozhen the commander of the operations against the Yangs. Subsequently, when Emperor Zhaozong killed the imperial guard officer Li Shunjie () — who had previously been an adoptive son of Yang Fugong's but who had revealed much of Yang Fugong's secrets to Emperor Zhaozong — and Li Shunjie's ally Jia Desheng (), Jia's troops fled to Fengxiang and joined Li Maozhen, greatly strengthening Li Maozhen's army. In fall 892, Li Maozhen captured Feng Prefecture (鳳州, in modern Baoji), forcing Yang Fugong's follower Man Cun () the military governor of Ganyi Circuit (感義, headquartered at Feng Prefecture) to flee to Xingyuan. Li Maozhen then also captured Xing () and Yang () Prefectures (both in modern Hanzhong), and had his relatives take over as prefects of those prefectures. Soon thereafter, he captured Xingyuan, forcing Yang Fugong, Yang Shouliang, Yang Shouxin, Yang Shouzhen, Yang Shouzhong, and Man to flee to Lang Prefecture (閬州, in modern Nanchong, Sichuan). He had his adoptive son Li Jimi () take over as the acting mayor of Xingyuan. Meanwhile, seeing an opening to further expand his influence when Wang Jian the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan) and Gu Yanhui the acting military governor of Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang), who were previously allies, had a break (over Wang's apparent attempt to take over Dongchuan), Li Maozhen also recommended to Emperor Zhaozong that Gu be made full military governor; Emperor Zhaozong followed that recommendation. Thereafter, he sent Li Jimi to try to aid Gu, but after Xichuan troops defeated the joint Dongchuan/Fengxiang troops at Li Prefecture (利州, in modern Guangyuan, Sichuan), Gu sought peace with Wang under the term that he agreed to cut off relations with Li Maozhen; Wang agreed. Confrontations with the imperial government