 In 885, during the reign of Emperor Xizong, the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi came under dispute with the military governor ("Jiedushi") of Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), Wang Chongrong, over Tian's attempts to take back control of the salt ponds in Hezhong Circuit for the imperial government, as well as the rudeness that Tian's adoptive son Tian Kuangyou (田匡祐) displayed when being sent as an emissary to Hezhong.Tian Lingzi had Emperor Xizong issue an edict transferring Wang to Taining Circuit (泰寧, headquartered in modern Jining, Shandong).In anger, Wang refused, and allied himself with the ethnic Shatuo military governor Li Keyong of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi).