Meng Zhixiang - During Jin

During Jin

In 907, Zhu Quanzhong had Tang's final emperor Emperor Ai yield the throne to him, ending Tang and starting a new Later Liang Dynasty with him as its Emperor Taizu. Li Keyong and several other regional governors (Yang Wo the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), and Wang Jian the military governor of Xichuan Circuit) refused to recognize the new Later Liang emperor, with Li Keyong, Li Maozhen, and Yang continuing to maintain the Tang era name of Tianyou, while Wang shortly after declared himself the emperor of a new state of Former Shu, although Li Keyong was effectively the ruler of his own state of Jin as he carried the title of Prince of Jin. In 908, Li Keyong died and was succeeded as the Prince of Jin by his son Li Cunxu.

Meng Zhixiang continued to serve as training officer. Meanwhile, there was an incident in or around 912, when Li Cunxu, angry that the recently-surrendered official Li Yan (李嚴) refused his request for Li Yan to serve as teacher to his son Li Jiji, was considering executing Li Yan. It was at Meng's intercession (pointing out that executing Li Yan would speak poorly for Li Cunxu's reputation) that Li Yan was spared.

In or around 919, Li Cunxu wanted to make Meng Zhixiang his the chief of staff (中門使, Zhongmenshi) of recently-captured Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei). However, as that position was a thankless position, and several prior chiefs of staff had been executed due to accusations of wrongdoing, Meng was fearful and declined the position. When Li Cunxu asked him for an alternative recommendation, he recommended the officer Guo Chongtao, whom Li Cunxu subsequently made chief of staff. Because of this recommendation, Guo, whose career would be greatly bolstered by this commission, became thankful to Meng later. Meng himself was thereafter made the discipline officer at Hedong. At one point, Li Cunxu awarded one of his own concubines, a Lady Li, to Meng Zhixiang, and she gave birth to Meng Zhixiang's third son Meng Renzan, in 919.