[1] In 901, Zhong Chuan, who by that point was military governor (jiedushi) of Zhennan Circuit (鎮南, i.e., Jiangxi), attacked Wei Quanfeng at Fu Prefecture.
However, Zhong Chuan's adoptive son Zhong Yangui (鍾延規) resented the soldiers' failure to support him and instead submitted to Yang Wo, the military governor of the neighboring Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu).
Liu submitted secret requests for emergency assistance to Yang Longyan, but meanwhile pretended to be not concerned and continued to feast daily.
Wei, hearing what Liu was doing, hesitated and stopped his army at Xiangya Lake (象牙潭, in modern Nanchang).
Wei sought assistance from Ma Yin, the prince of the Chu state to the west.
Ma sent his officer Wan Mei (苑玫) to rendezvous with Wei's subordinate Peng Yanzhang (彭彥章) the prefect of Yuan Prefecture, and Wan and Peng put the Hongnong city of Gao'an (高安, in modern Yichun) under siege, to assist Wei.