[1] In 903, when Wang Shifan the military governor (jiedushi) of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Weifang, Shandong) was under attack by Yang's archenemy Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), Wang Shifan sought aid from Yang.
In response, Wang Shifan had sent the soldiers from Deng (登州) and Lai (萊州) Prefectures (both in modern Yantai, Shandong) to set up two defensive encampments.
However, believing that he would be unable to defeat the Xuanwu troops with their numerical advantage, Wang Maozhang withdrew back to Huainan territory with relatively few casualties.
Yang thus recalled him and sent him to aid Tai Meng (臺濛) in attacking Ningguo's capital Xuan Prefecture (宣州).
As Yang Wo was set to depart Xuan Prefecture, he wanted to take the tents and the headquarters guards with him, but Wang refused to let him do so, drawing his ire.
When Li's forces reached Xuan in spring 906, Wang, judging himself to be unable to withstand an attack, fled with the soldiers directly under him to the territory of Qian Liu the military governor of Zhenhai (鎮海, headquartered in modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang) and Zhendong (鎮東, headquartered in modern Shaoxing, Zhejiang) Circuits.
Later in the year, after the Later Liang officers Du Tingyin (杜廷隱) and Ding Yanhui (丁延徽) took over Zhao's Shen (深州) and Ji (冀州) Prefectures (both in modern Hengshui, Hebei) by trick, Wang was set to attack Zhao and conquer it—but Emperor Taizu, believing the warnings by his astrologers that launching an army at that time would bring disaster, recalled Wang to Luoyang, allowing Zhao time to ally itself with Jin and Yiwu and receive aid troops from Jin's prince Li Cunxu.
Only after receiving news of a formal Zhao/Jin alliance did Emperor Taizu order Wang to advance north to attack Zhao.
In spring 911, after more than a month of stalemate, Li Cunxu sent Zhou to provoke Wang and Han into engaging his troops and crossing the river.
Wang, Han, and Li Si'an were able to flee with small groups of soldiers protecting them, but most of the Later Liang army was slaughtered by the Jin/Zhao troops.
[6] In the aftermaths of the defeat, Emperor Taizu removed from Wang the titles of commander of the armies to the north and Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi,[6] and put him under house arrest.
Wang withdrew, and with him personally guarding the rear during the withdrawal, the Wu troops were not daring to chase after him, so initially the losses were minimal.