hu ▁to ▁sla ugh ter ▁the ▁e un uchs . ▁ ▁The ▁plot ▁failed , ▁however , ▁when ▁the ▁e un uchs ▁realized ▁what ▁was ▁happening ▁and ▁counter att ack ed ▁with ▁soldiers ▁under ▁their ▁command . ▁ ▁Li ▁X un , ▁Zh eng , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁many ▁of ▁their ▁associ ates ▁and ▁other ▁officials ▁were ▁sla ugh tered , ▁and ▁there after , ▁the ▁e un uchs ▁had ▁an ▁even ▁fir mer ▁control ▁over ▁Emperor ▁W enz ong ▁and ▁his ▁government ▁than ▁before . ▁ ▁P rel ude ▁ ▁Both ▁Li ▁X un ▁( then ▁named ▁Li ▁Zh ong yan ) ▁and ▁Zh eng ▁Z hu ▁were ▁associ ates ▁of ▁the ▁powerful ▁e un uch ▁Wang ▁Sh ouch eng ▁initially , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁Wang ▁who ▁introduced ▁both ▁to ▁Emperor ▁W enz ong . ▁ ▁Nevertheless , ▁as , ▁over ▁the ▁years , ▁W enz ong ▁showed ▁signs ▁of ▁res ent ment ▁toward ▁the ▁e un uchs , ▁Li ▁X un ▁and ▁Zh eng , ▁particularly ▁because ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁sus pected ▁by ▁the ▁e un uchs ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁association ▁with ▁Wang , ▁began ▁plot ting ▁with ▁W enz ong ▁to ▁destroy ▁the ▁powerful ▁e un uchs . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁summer ▁ 8 3 5 , ▁Li ▁X un ▁and ▁Zh eng ▁had ▁persu aded ▁W enz ong ▁with ▁a ▁detailed ▁plan ▁that ▁included ▁a ▁three - phase ▁plan ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁pac ify ▁the ▁emp ire ▁— ▁first ▁destroy ing ▁the ▁e un uchs , ▁then ▁recover ing