王宗弼
In 895, when Emperor Zhaozong temporarily fled the imperial capital Chang'an due to attempts by Li Maozhen and Wang Xingyu the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), he issued an edict requesting that Wang Jian and Gu come to his aid. Wang used this opportunity to accuse Gu of refusing to do so and seizing his food supplies, and thereafter sent Hua to attack Dongchuan. From this point on, there would be constant warfare between Xichuan and Dongchuan. During one of the battles late in 895, Dongchuan forces captured Wang Zongbi. Gu, remembering how Wang Zongbi had revealed Wang Jian's plot to him earlier, took Wang Zongbi as an adoptive son and changed his name to Gu Chen. Gu sought aid from Li Maozhen, but at that time, Li Maozhen was fearful of an attack from Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) and therefore unable to aid him. Wang Jian, who had by 897 put Zi Prefecture under siege, also paid off a number of former agrarian rebel leaders that Gu had taken under his command and made prefects of various Dongchuan prefectures, such that they abandoned Gu and turned to Wang, making Gu's position further desperate.