During Li Cunxu's reign In 923, Later Liang was conquered by
Li Cunxu the emperor of
Later Tang (whose predecessor state,
Jin, was a nominal ally of Qi's, as it too had also refused to recognize Later Liang). Li Maozhen initially sent an emissary to Li Cunxu's court, then temporarily at the former Later Liang capital
Daliang, to congratulate him, but his letter to Li Cunxu did not show any signs of submission to Later Tang, and spoke in terms that considered himself an uncle. (That was because when both Li Maozhen and Li Cunxu's father
Li Keyong the Prince of Jin were adopted into the Tang imperial clan of
Li, they were adopted in at the same generation.) However, when Li Cunxu shortly after moved the capital to
Luoyang, closer to Qi territory, Li Maozhen became fearful that he would become Li Cunxu's next target, and therefore, in 924, sent Li Jiyan to Luoyang to pay homage to Li Cunxu, and this time formally submitted as a subject. Li Cunxu welcomed Li Jiyan and treated him well, and while he accepted Li Maozhen's submission as a subject, he was respectful in his edicts to Li Maozhen, referring Li Maozhen only as the Prince of Qi and not by name. Li Jiyan, while at Luoyang, offered many gifts to Li Cunxu's favorite concubine (soon to be empress, but not yet at that time),
Lady Liu, and the popular opinion at that time blamed him for wickedness.
During Li Siyuan's reign Meanwhile, though, Guo Chongtao had been killed on Empress Liu's orders, and soon later so was Guo's ally,
Li Jilin, because Empress Liu and Li Cunxu suspected them of acting in concert against the emperor. This caused the collapse of the army morale and the rise of many mutinies. As Chai, in his brief time in control of the circuit, did not cause any harm to the people or the army of the circuit, however, Li Jiyan submitted a petition asking that Chai's life be spared. While this petition was not granted, popular opinion at the time much praised him. In 933, he again went to pay homage to Li Siyuan, and was thereafter made the military governor of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern
Tai'an,
Shandong). Not wanting Shi to stay at Hedong for too long, in spring 934, they issued a series of transfer orders — transferring
Fan Yanguang the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern
Shijiazhuang,
Hebei) to Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern
Handan,
Hebei), Shi from Hedong to Chengde, and Li Congke from Fengxiang to Hedong. Li Congke viewed these moves as aimed at
him, however, and rebelled. To finance his rebellion, he seized the assets that Li Congyan still had at Fengxiang, to supply his army. He soon defeated the imperial army sent against him, and aimed toward Luoyang. As he was set to depart from Fengxiang, the people of the circuit gathered around him and requested that he return Li Congyan to Fengxiang, and he promised that he would. When soon thereafter he entered Luoyang and Li Conghou was then killed in flight, he became emperor. He then transferred Li Congyan from Tianping back to Fengxiang. He also created Li Congyan the Duke of Qin. == During Later Jin ==