Emperor Ai of Tang
Li Zuo was born in 892, at the main palace at the Tang imperial capital Chang'an. His father Emperor Zhaozong was already emperor at that point, and he was Emperor Zhaozong's ninth son. His mother was Consort He, who had previously given birth to an older brother of his, Li Yu, Prince of De, who was Emperor Zhaozong's oldest son.
Tang Daoxi
In 907, Tang Dynasty's last emperor Emperor Ai was forced to yield the throne to the major warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), ending Tang and starting a new Later Liang with Zhu as its Emperor Taizu. Wang Jian, along with several other regional warlords (Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), and Yang Wo the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu)) refused to recognize the new Later Liang emperor, and Wang Jian and Yang issued a declaration urging the people to rise against Later Liang. However, when they did not receive a positive response from other regional governors, Wang Jian decided to declare himself emperor of a new state of Former Shu. As part of a series of personnel commissions after he declared himself emperor, Wang recalled Tang Daoxi from Lang Prefecture to serve as the director of palace communications ("Shumishi").