▁Hed ong ▁and ▁X uan w u ▁were ▁respectively ▁ruled ▁by ▁powerful ▁rival ▁war l ords ▁Li ▁Key ong ▁and ▁Z hu ▁Qu anz h ong .) ▁ ▁After ▁Z hu ▁Qu anz h ong ▁seized ▁the ▁throne ▁and ▁established ▁Later ▁Li ang ▁as ▁its ▁found ing ▁em peror , ▁K ang ▁was ▁gradually ▁promoted ▁in ▁the ▁soldier ▁ranks . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁further ▁military ▁accomplish ments ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Z hu ▁Qu anz h ong ' s ▁son ▁and ▁successor ▁Z hu ▁Z hen . ▁ ▁Red ef ection ▁to ▁Later ▁Tang ▁ ▁In ▁ 9 2 3 , ▁Z hu ▁Z hen ▁commission ed ▁his ▁general ▁Du an ▁N ing ▁to ▁prepare ▁to ▁launch ▁a ▁major ▁attack ▁on ▁Later ▁Li ang ' s ▁arch rival ▁Later ▁Tang ▁— ▁i . e ., ▁the ▁successor ▁state ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁the ▁power ▁b loc ▁centered ▁around ▁Hed ong , ▁by ▁this ▁point ▁ruled ▁by ▁Li ▁Key ong ' s ▁son ▁Li ▁C un x u , ▁who ▁had ▁just ▁recently ▁declared ▁himself ▁em peror . ▁ ▁K ang ▁Yan x iao ▁was ▁assigned ▁as ▁an ▁army ▁commander ▁under ▁Du an . ▁ ▁K ang ▁believed ▁that ▁Z hu ▁was ▁then ▁over ly ▁trust ing ▁of ▁his ▁cor rupt ▁inner ▁circle ▁of ▁officials , ▁which ▁would ▁soon ▁lead ▁to ▁destruction , ▁and ▁therefore ▁secret ly ▁send ▁letters ▁to ▁Li ▁C un x u ' s ▁major ▁general ▁and ▁adopt ive ▁brother ▁Li ▁Si y uan , ▁offering ▁to ▁defect . ▁ ▁In ▁fall