"In the past, there was no supervisor among censors. The censors are supposed to serve as the ears and the eyes of the Son of Heaven, and what they submit should directly reach the emperor. If we have to receive approval from the chief imperial censor, then what would happen when the chief imperial censor is the one who is to be indicted?" Li turned away, embarrassed. During Emperor Zhongzong's second reign and Emperor Shang's reign In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and her son and crown prince Li Xian, a former emperor whom she had removed in 694, was restored (as Emperor Zhongzong). Emperor Zhongzong's cousin (Wu Zetian's nephew) Wu Sansi, who was also the lover of Emperor Zhongzong's wife Empress Wei, soon became exceedingly powerful, and Xiao Zhizhong became a member of Wu Sansi's party. On account of that, he was promoted to be Yushi Zhongcheng (御史中丞), the deputy chief imperial censor, and with Wu Sansi's support, he continued to be willing to indict powerful people, including Li Chengjia, Zhu Qinming, and Dou Xijie (竇希玠). He was soon given the additional responsibility as deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎), and continued to serve as deputy chief imperial censor as well. Again with Wu Sansi's support, it was said that he selected officials without outside influence and refused all lobbying and bribes. In 707, Emperor Zhongzong's son Li Chongjun the Crown Prince, born of a concubine, was angry at insults repeatedly thrown at him by his sister Li Guo'er the Princess Anle and her husband Wu Chongxun (武崇訓, Wu Sansi's son) and Li Guo'er's repeated attempts to become crown princess to displace him. He rose in rebellion and killed Wu Sansi and Wu Chongxun and then marched on to the palace, seeking to arrest Empress Wei, Li Guo'er, and another concubine of Emperor Zhongzong's, Consort Shangguan Wan'er, who also had an affair with Wu Sansi, but was soon defeated and killed in flight. In the aftermath of Li Chongjun's rebellion, there were investigations into anyone who might have conspired with Li Chongjun. The chancellors Zong Chuke and Ji Chuna, aligned with Empress Wei, had the censor Ran Zuyong (冉祖雍) accuse Emperor Zhongzong's brother Li Dan the Prince of Xiang and sister Princess Taiping of having conspired with Li Chongjun. Emperor Zhongzong requested Xiao to investigate, but Xiao, weeping, responded: Emperor Zhongzong accepted Xiao's words and