Phan Bội Châu assistance from China, but the country was forced to abandon its suzerain relationship with Vietnam after the 1884–85 Sino-French War. Phan and Cường Để decided to seek aid from Japan, which had recently won a war against Russia, had successfully imposed reforms and seemed more inclined to help out revolutionaries in a nearby Asian country. Phan was selected to visit Japan to secure the funds needed to sustain Duy Tân Hội. Phan did not speak Japanese and had no contacts in Japan, so he sought help from Liang Qichao, who was living in Japan since being exiled years earlier. Liang
Pang Xi the Governor of Yi Province. During this time, Liu Zhang appointed Pang Xi as the Administrator (太守) of Baxi Commandery (巴西郡; around present-day Langzhong, Sichuan) and ordered him to lead troops to attack his rival, Zhang Lu, in Hanzhong Commandery. Although Pang Xi never managed to make any territorial gains in Hanzhong Commandery, Liu Zhang still left him in charge of Baxi Commandery to guard against possible advances by Zhang Lu. Liu Zhang also arranged for his eldest son, Liu Xun (劉循), to marry Pang Xi's daughter. As time passed, Pang Xi became increasingly arrogant because he believed that Liu