Wu Zetian became the de facto queen and promoted the rank of the Wu family, which made the Li royal family suspect that Wu Zetian would replace and slaughter the Li royal family. These Li royal families mainly include Li Zhen, Li Yuangui, Li Lingkui (son and uncle Li Zhen), son of Huang Guogong Li Chuan, son of Li Yuangui, Jiangdu Wang Lixu, son of Li Lingkui, Wang Li Ai, son of Feng, Dongguan Duke Li Rong, and son of Li Zhen, Langya Wang.
They conspired together against Wu Zetian. After completing the construction of Mingtang, Wu Zetian called the imperial clan to gather in Luoyang, the eastern capital, and held a ceremony of offering sacrifices to the gods in Luoshui. Li Zhen and other kings were afraid that Wu Zetian would kill them and began to take active actions. Li Chuan forged the imperial edict from Emperor Li Dan to Li Chong, saying that the emperor was under house arrest and wanted the imperial clan to come to him. Li Chong also forged the imperial edict of Li Dan, saying that the Empress Dowager would replace Li Jiangshan to establish the State of Wu.
However, before the kings agreed on the time to jointly arise, 16, in September, 688, Li Chong rebelled in Bozhou (now Liaocheng, Shandong Province) in advance and served as the secretariat. He informed Li Yuanjia, Li Yuangui, Li Lingkui, Li Zhen and Ji Wang Shen Li to let them arise at the same time, but only Li Zhen arose, and the other kings were not fully prepared and hesitated. Li Zhen informed her aunt Princess Changle and her uncle Shouzhou (now Lu 'an, Anhui Province) of Zhao Gui's assassination, and Princess Changle expressed her support for Li Zhen. But Li Zhen only has his subordinate Pei Shoude and his heart. He married his daughter, the magistrate of Liangxiang County, to Pei Shoude. Li Zhen quickly seized Shangcai (now Zhumadian, Henan).
Wu Zetian appointed Zuo Wei General Bi as commander-in-chief, Xia Guan Shangshu Cenchangqian as commander-in-chief, Feng Ge Assistant Minister Zhang Guangfu as commander-in-chief, and led hundreds of troops to crusade against Li Zhen. At the same time, Li Chong was defeated and killed on September 22nd. After hearing the news of Li Chong's death, Li Zhen felt uneasy and wanted to surrender, which was forgiven by Wu Zetian. But then Li Zhen's subordinate Fu Yanqing brought two thousand conscripts. Li Zhen changed his mind and told his officers and soldiers that Li Chong had succeeded and would come to meet him soon. Let Taoist priests and monks recite scriptures and pray, and children and soldiers wear amulets to prevent soldiers from being injured.
Bi led the troops to meet, and Li Zhen sent his youngest sons Li Gui and Pei Shoude to meet. Li Zhenjun fled on the battlefield, while Li Gui and Pei Shoude fled back to Ruyang City (now Runan, Henan), the capital of Yuzhou. Li Zhen was afraid, closed the door and guarded himself, while Bi had already begun to attack the city. Pei Shoude also looked for Li Zhen everywhere, trying to kill him to protect himself. Li Zhen's bodyguard said to Li Zhen, "The king is a golden jade leaf. How can he be hurt by the sword?"? Li Zhen returned to his official residence and committed suicide by taking poison. Gui Li killed his mother and then hanged himself; Liangxiang county magistrate and Pei Shoude also hanged themselves. Never put off till tomorrow what you can behead Li Zhen, Li Gui and his son, Pei Shoude, and spread them to Dongdu where they became owls.