Maozhen, and Wang gave a daughter in marriage to Li Maozhen's nephew Li Jichong () the military governor of Tianxiong Circuit to cement the alliance. By this point, Zhu had concluded that Emperor Zhaozong was a liability to him — as the warlords opposing him all made the public announcement that the emperor should be rescued and returned to Chang'an, and he was fearful that the emperor might secretly coordinate his actions with theirs to oppose Zhu. Believing that a new and younger emperor would be easier to control, in summer 904, Zhu had Shi and his adoptive son Zhu Yougong () assassinate Emperor Zhaozong, and then, blaming the assassination on them, forced them to commit suicide. He had Emperor Zhaozong's son Li Zuo the Prince of Hui declared emperor (as Emperor Ai). During reign of Emperor Ai of Tang In 906, Li Maozhen sent Li Jikan to Xichuan as a hostage. Wang Jian made Li Jikan the prefect of Peng Prefecture (彭州, in modern Chengdu). In 907, Zhu Quanzhong had Emperor Ai yield the throne to him, ending Tang and founding a new Later Liang (as its Emperor Taizu). Li Maozhen, Li Keyong, Yang Wo the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) the Prince of Hongnong, and Wang Jian refused to acknowledge the Later Liang emperor, but after Wang judged it impossible for Tang to be rebuilt, he declared himself the emperor of a new state of Former Shu. As independent Prince of Qi Initial confrontations with Later Liang and subsequent loss of northern territories Li Maozhen, knowing that his state of Qi was weak, did not dare to declare himself emperor. Nevertheless, he took on many trappings of an emperor, including establishing an Office of the Prince of Qi that had a large number of officials bearing titles akin to imperial officials, referring to his residence as "palace," and having his wife referred to as "empress." It was said that he continued to have the support of his soldiers by being lenient and open with them, but as a result his army lacked military discipline. Indeed, it was said that his army was so weakened by this point that, in 908, when Li Keyong's son and successor Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin tried to lift the siege that Later Liang forces were laying on Li Sizhao at Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in