He Ning
As of late 918, He Gui was the supreme commander of the Later Liang troops against Later Liang's archrival to the north, Jin. Around new year 919, Jin's prince Li Cunxu, wanting to carry out a decisive attack to destroy Later Liang, crossed the Yellow River and tried to head for Daliang. He Gui tried to intercept him, and the armies engaged at Huliu Slope (胡柳陂, in modern Heze, Shandong). Both armies suffered tremendous losses during the battle. At one point during the battle, He Gui's army had suffered a crushing defeat, and no one was left to follow him other than He Ning. He Gui, believing doom to be coming, stated to He Ning, "Son, do not follow me. You should strive for yourself." He Ning wept and responded, "It is not my aspiration to be a man who was trusted by another but who then abandons him in disaster. I only would regret not dying in the right place." When a Jin cavalry soldier subsequently did try to chase He Gui down, He Ning first tried to scare him off but when the soldier persisted, He Ning fired an arrow and killed him. When they returned to headquarters the next day, He Gui told his sons, "Yesterday, but for Lord He, I would not be here. Lord He is capable in both civilian and military matters, and also has great ambition. He will surely be in an important position in the future. You should serve him carefully." He Gui thereafter gave He Ning a daughter in marriage, leading to He Ning's reputation becoming known. He later served three terms as secretary to military governors.