▁a ▁cousin ▁of ▁Li ▁J ion g xi u ' s ▁grand father ▁Li ▁X uan ming ▁( 李 <0xE7> <0x8E> <0x84> 明 ). ▁ ▁Both ▁Li ▁X uan ming ▁and ▁Li ▁J ion g xi u ' s ▁father ▁Li ▁Y iben ▁( 李 義 本 ) ▁served ▁as ▁pre fect ural ▁pre fect s ▁during ▁Tang ▁D ynast y , ▁and ▁Li ▁X uan ming ▁carried ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁Duke ▁of ▁Ch eng ji . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁youth , ▁Li ▁J ion g xi u ▁passed ▁the ▁imperial ▁exam in ations ▁and ▁was ▁made ▁an ▁officer ▁at ▁X i ang ▁Pref ect ure ▁( 相 州 , ▁in ▁modern ▁Hand an , ▁Heb ei ). ▁ ▁During ▁Wu ▁Z et ian ' s ▁reign ▁ ▁At ▁some ▁point , ▁probably ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Wu ▁Z et ian ▁( the ▁wife ▁of ▁Emperor ▁Ta iz ong ' s ▁son ▁Emperor ▁Ga oz ong ), ▁who ▁had ▁taken ▁the ▁throne ▁in ▁ 6 9 0 ▁as ▁" em peror " ▁and ▁established ▁her ▁own ▁Z hou ▁D ynast y , ▁interrupt ing ▁Tang , ▁Li ▁J ion g xi u ▁was ▁made ▁a ▁low ▁level ▁official ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁grad ing ▁officials ' ▁performances . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁said , ▁however , ▁that ▁Wu ▁Z et ian ▁fav ored ▁his ▁talent , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁given ▁important ▁respons ib ilities ▁at ▁the ▁min istry ▁of ▁civil ▁service ▁affairs ▁before ▁he ▁was ▁made ▁F eng ge ▁Sh eren ▁( <0xE9> <0xB3> <0xB3>