Ge's health problems later forced him into retirement, but he remained in honored status after Emperor Taizu established Later Liang.
[2] In 884, by which time Huang was near total defeat under attack by Tang forces, Huang was attacking a former subordinate who had turned Tang general — Zhu Quanzhong, then the military governor (jiedushi) of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered, in modern Kaifeng, Henan), but was crushed by the joint forces of Zhu and Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi).
However, later that year, when Zhu was engaging Qin Zongquan — a former Tang military governor of Fengguo Circuit (奉國, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan) who had turned against Tang and was pillaging nearby circuits — Zhu became trapped after his horse fell with Qin's soldiers pursuing him.
He suffered wounds to his face, his hips were hit by arrows, and he was speared several times, but he fought Qin's soldiers off and saved Zhu's life.
[4] In spring 888, when Qin Zongquan sent his general Shi Fan (石璠) to pillage Chen (陳州, in modern Zhumadian) and Bo (亳州, in modern Bozhou, Anhui), Zhu Quanzhong sent Zhu Zhen and Ge to engage him; they defeated and captured him.
[4] In 890, when then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong declared a general campaign against Li Keyong, under the command of the chancellor Zhang Jun, Zhu was one of the warlords that the imperial government relied to fight Hedong forces from the east side.
After the campaign was launched, Li Keyong's brother Li Kegong (李克恭) the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi) was assassinated in a mutiny, and his officer Feng Ba (馮霸) seized control of the circuit, claiming the title of acting military governor.
They took several Weibo cities quickly, and Zhu himself followed up with a larger force and defeated Luo in several battles.
[7] After Li Keyong's withdrawal, Zhu again sent Pang Shigu (龐師古) and Ge to attack Yun.
[7] In spring 897, Yun's defenses failed, and Zhu Xuan fled, but were captured by the people in the countryside and offered to Ge.
Meanwhile, Zhu Jin was running low on food supplies himself, so left his officer Kang Huaizhen (康懷貞) in defense of Yan and went to pillage Xu Prefecture (徐州, in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu) with the Hedong officers Shi Yan and Li Chengsi (李承嗣), whom Li Keyong had sent to aid him before the Weibo path was cut off.
[8] In 898, Zhu Quanzhong sent Ge to attack Xingming Circuit (邢洺, headquartered in modern Xingtai, Hebei), then under Li Keyong's control.
Ge quickly captured Ming Prefecture (洺州, in modern Handan) and killed its prefect Xing Shanyi (邢善益).
He then attacked Xing Prefecture (邢州, in modern Xingtai), and its prefect Ma Shisu (馬師素) fled.
The prefect of Ci Prefecture (磁州, in modern Handan), Yuan Fengtao (袁奉韜) then committed suicide, allowing Zhu to take over the circuit.
Ge and He Delun (賀德倫), an officer from Xuanyi Circuit (宣義, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan), which was also under Zhu's control, joined with Weibo forces to engage the Lulong forces, defeating them decisively — such that it was said that Liu no longer had the strength thereafter to reattempt the attack on Weibo, and Zhu's hegemony over the region was affirmed.
Ge quickly captured Yichang's De Prefecture (德州, in modern Dezhou, Shandong) and killed its prefect Fu Gonghe (傅公和).
[9] It was soon after this withdrew that Ge became chronically ill.[2] In 903, when Zhu Quanzhong was attacking Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) — under the declared rationale of rescuing Emperor Zhaozong, whom the eunuch Han Quanhui had forcibly taken to Fengxiang — Han and the other eunuchs issued an edict in Emperor Zhaozong's name ordering the other circuits to rise against Zhu.
However, most of these Pinglu officers were discovered, with the only successful one being Liu Xun, who was able to seize Yan, with Ge away at that time at Ming.
After Wang suffered repeated defeats and decided to resubmit to Zhu, however, Liu surrendered to Ge.
[12] After Emperor Taizu was assassinated in 912 and subsequently succeeded by his son Zhu Youzhen,[13] Ge was given the title of military governor of Zhaoyi (an honorary title, as Zhaoyi was then under the control of Jin (which was then ruled by Li Keyong's son and successor Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin)) and created the Prince of Chenliu, but he remained in retirement at home.