Emperor Taizu also made Zhu Youwen the mayor of Kaifeng (i.e., the old Xuanwu headquarters), as well as the director of Jianchang Hall () — a conversion of the office overseeing financial matters for the four circuits into an imperial institution. After Emperor Taizu formally made Luoyang his capital in 903, he also made Kaifeng the eastern capital and Zhu Youwen its defender. It was said that, after this point, Zhu Youwen often spent time in drinking and was not as attentive to his responsibilities as before. In 911, after Emperor Taizu summoned Zhang Shensi () the prefect of Cai Prefecture (蔡州, in modern Zhumadian, Henan) to Luoyang, the Cai Prefecture officer Liu Xingcong () mutinied and prepared to lead the soldiers to flee to Later Liang's rival Hongnong. Another officer, Wang Cunyan (), killed Zhang and claimed the title of prefect. Zhu Youwen, displeased that Wang was claiming such authority without first receiving imperial commission, sent an army to attack Wang, but when Emperor Taizu heard this, he pointed out that doing so would force Wang into fleeing to Hongnong, and therefore sent messengers to stop Zhu Youwen from attacking Wang. (Emperor Taizu later made Wang the prefect of Cai.) After a failed campaign against rival Jin in spring 912, Emperor Taizu fell ill and spent summer 912 at Wei Prefecture (魏州, in modern Handan, Hebei) to recuperate. While he was recuperating, Zhu Youwen went to Wei Prefecture to see him and suggested that he visit Daliang (i.e., Kaifeng). Emperor Taizu accepted the suggestion, and visited Daliang before returning to Luoyang. Meanwhile, it was said that over the years, after the death of Emperor Taizu's wife Lady Zhang (Zhu Youzhen's mother), Emperor Taizu became increasingly licentious, such that when his sons were away to attend to military matters, he would summon their wives to the palace to attend to him and often had sexual relations with them. Zhu Youwen's wife Lady Wang was said to be particularly beautiful and favored by Emperor Taizu, such that this became a factor in his increasingly believing Zhu Youwen to be his appropriate heir. Zhu Yougui, who by this point was serving as the commander of the special Konghe () corps that guarded the palace, was particularly jealous of the favors that Emperor Taizu showed Zhu Youwen.