In 725, under the suggestion of Zhang Shuo, who had become chancellor by that point, Emperor Xuanzong prepared to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth at Mount Tai—a suggestion that Yuan disagreed with, and it was said that Yuan and Zhang began to have discord from that point on. After Emperor Xuanzong offered sacrifices at Mount Tai in 726, Yuan was given the additional office of Zuo Chengxiang () -- one of the heads of the executive bureau—but also remained Shizhong. Later in 726, after Zhang Shuo was accused of corruption, Yuan was one of the officials that Emperor Xuanzong put in charge of interrogating Zhang, although subsequently Zhang was largely spared, stripped only of his chancellor status.