arrive, Gao sued for peace. Later that year, Emperor Taizu bestowed the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi on Gao. Also in 908, one Liang Zhen, who had passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi () class in the late Tang years, was returning from Luoyang to his home region, then ruled by Former Shu. When he went through Jiangling, Gao met him and was impressed by him, and so wanted to keep him at Jingnan to be secretary. Because of Gao's low birth, Liang considered it a humiliation to serve on Gao's staff, but did not dare to leave without Gao's permission, as he feared that Gao would kill him if he did. He therefore stated to Gao: Gao agreed. For the rest of Liang's life, he referred himself as "former Jinshi" and did not accept title positions offered to him by Gao (and later, by Gao's son Gao Conghui). Gao valued Liang's advice greatly and effectively made Liang his chief strategist. In 909, the soldiers at Zhongyi mutinied and killed the acting military governor Wang Ban (), supporting one of their own, Li Hong (), to be acting military governor. Li Hong submitted to and sought aid from Former Shu. He also subsequently attacked Jingnan, but Gao sent Ni to repel him. Emperor Taizu subsequently sent the officer Chen Hui () to rendezvous with Jingnan troops to attack Li Hong. They soon captured Zhongyi's capital Xiang Prefecture (), taking Li Hong captive and sending him to Luoyang to be executed. In 910, Ma sent an army to attack Jingnan, but Gao defeated it and repelled it. By 912, it was said that Gao was beginning to contemplate making Jingnan his own personal possession, and therefore, after receiving approval to do so, added a second layer to Jiangling's city walls to add to its defensive capabilities. After Emperor Taizu's reign In summer 912, Emperor Taizu was assassinated by his son Zhu Yougui the Prince of Ying, who, after blaming the assassination on his adoptive brother Zhu Youwen the Prince of Kang and killing Zhu Youwen, took the throne. In late 912, Chen Zhang (), a general of Wu — i.e., formerly Hongnong but now known as Wu — attacked Chu's Yue Prefecture (岳州, in modern Yueyang, Hunan) and captured it. Chen then attacked Jingnan, but could not capture it and so withdrew. Jingnan and Chu troops then