Yang Shihou
In late 909, Li Maozhen wanted to capture Shuofang Circuit (朔方, headquartered in modern Yinchuan, Ningxia) to accommodate Liu Zhijun. He arranged with Jin forces to attack Jin Prefecture to distract Later Liang, and then sent Liu to attack Shuofang. (The Jin attack on Jin Prefecture, commanded by Zhou Dewei, however, was repelled by the defenders of Jin Prefecture, and when Yang Shihou arrived at Jin Prefecture to aid the defenders, Zhou withdrew.) When Shuofang's military governor Han Xun () sought aid from Later Liang, Emperor Taizu sent Kang Huaizhen and Kou Yanqing () to attack Jingnan Circuit to force Liu to withdraw. Kang and Kou quickly captured Nin (), Yan (), and Qing (慶州, all in modern Qingyang, Gansu) Prefectures. Upon hearing the news, Liu quickly withdrew from Shuofang to engage them. In response, Emperor Taizu also ordered Kang and Kou to withdraw, and, anticipating an attack by Liu against them, sent aid forces to Qing Valley (青谷, in modern Xianyang). When Kang and Kou reached Sanshui (三水, in modern Xianyang), Liu had already laid a trap for them, which they fought through only because of the efforts of Kang's subordinate Wang Yanzhang. Kang subsequently divided his troops into several groups, but each of the groups missed the rendezvous with the aid troops. When they reached Shengping (昇平, in modern Yan'an), they fell into another trap set by Liu. Kang barely escaped with his life but suffered massive casualties. In light of the victory, Li Maozhen commissioned Liu as military governor of Zhangyi Circuit.