 In summer 897, Wang Jian took 50,000 men and joined the attack against Dongchuan himself.Li Maozhen reacted by submitting a petition against Wang Jian for failing to follow imperial orders to stop his attacks against Gu.Emperor Zhaozong, wanting to exploit the situation himself, issued an edict demoting Wang to be the prefect of Nan Prefecture (南州, in modern Chongqing), while naming Li Maozhen the new military governor of Xichuan and Li Sizhou () the Prince of Qin as the new military governor of Fengxiang — hoping to take control of Fengxiang back into imperial hands.