Tang dynasty
Zhu Wen, originally a salt smuggler who had served under the rebel Huang Chao, surrendered to Tang forces. By helping to defeat Huang, he was granted a series of rapid military promotions. In 907 the Tang dynasty was ended when Zhu Wen, now a military governor, deposed the last emperor of Tang, Emperor Ai of Tang, and took the throne for himself (known posthumously as Emperor Taizu of Later Liang). He established the Later Liang, which inaugurated the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. A year later Zhu Wen had the deposed Emperor Ai poisoned to death.
Empress Dowager Cao (Li Cunxu's mother)
In 908, by which time Tang's last emperor [[Emperor Ai of Tang|Emperor Ai]] had been forced to yield the throne to Li Keyong's archrival [[Zhu Wen|Zhu Quanzhong]], who established a new [[Later Liang (Five Dynasties)|Later Liang]] as its Emperor Taizu but whose legitimacy Li Keyong refused to recognize, Li Keyong died. Li Cunxu succeeded him as the Prince of Jin. Under Li Keyong's will, Li Keyong's brother [[Li Kening]], the [[eunuch (court official)|eunuch]] monitor [[Zhang Chengye]], Li Keyong's adoptive son [[Li Cunzhang]], the officer Wu Gong (吳珙), and the secretary general Lu Zhi (盧質) were to assist Li Cunxu in his rule. Li Cunxu initially offered the Prince of Jin position to Li Kening instead, but Li Kening pointed out that it was Li Keyong's will that he inherit the title, so Li Cunxu accepted it. Lady Cao thereafter was known as the Lady Dowager of Jin.