New History of the Five Dynasties
Wang was impatient and harsh, and his subordinates had no love for him. Even the officer Li Fan (), whom Wang favored and often depended on, could not escape severe caning for minor faults. As a result, Li secretly resented Wang. Further, Wang had engaged a lengthy struggle with his cousin Wang Ke the military governor of Huguo Circuit to try to take over Huguo, but was repeatedly defeated, and the army morale was low. In 899, Li started a mutiny and killed Wang Gong, and the soldiers supported him to be acting military governor. Several months later, Zhu further overthrew Li and claimed the title of acting military governor, and became a vassal of the powerful warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan). (The main traditional historical sources differ as to Li's fate, with Zhu's biographies in both the "History of the Five Dynasties" and the "New History of the Five Dynasties" indicating that Li fled to Zhu Quanzhong's capital Bian Prefecture () (with the "New History of the Five Dynasties" further stating that Zhu Jian was involved in Li's mutiny against Wang Gong) while the "Zizhi Tongjian" stated that Zhu killed Li.)