 Zhu Ci initially acted as if he was going to calm the situation and then welcome Emperor Dezong back to Chang'an, but was secretly considering taking over as emperor himself.He gathered a group of officials whom he believed to be disaffected from Emperor Dezong — Li Zhongchen, Yuan Xiu (), Zhang Guangsheng (), and Duan Xiushi — and began planning for declaring himself emperor of a new state of Qin.At a meeting of this close circle, however, Duan, who had not been willing to submit to him, tried to assassinate him.