劉知遠
During the time of Du's resistance against Liu Zhiyuan (which was not successful, and Du eventually surrendered to Liu), two Liao-commissioned military governors to the west, Hou Yi () the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) and Zhao Kuangzan () the military governor of Jinchang Circuit (晉昌, headquartered in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi), were unsure of how they would be received by the Later Han emperor, and therefore submitted their realms to Later Shu's emperor Meng Chang. However, after Du's defeat, they both became fearful, offering to submit to Later Han and to head to Kaifeng to pay homage to the Later Han emperor, even as Later Shu forces were on the way to put those circuits firmly into Later Shu hands. Liu Zhiyuan decided to dispatch Wang and another general, Qi Cangzhen () to the region, ostensibly against Dangxiang tribesmen who were intercepting Huigu emissaries, but in reality to take control of Jinchang and Fengxiang. Before Wang departed Kaifeng, Liu summoned him into the emperor's bedroom and stated to him privately: