Wang Chuzhi
In 900, the major warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), an archrival to Wang Gao's ally Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), sent his general Zhang Cunjing () north to try to subdue Li Keyong's allies east of the Taihang Mountains. After first forcing Wang Rong the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) to submit, Zhang attacked Yiwu Circuit. Wang Gao sent his uncle Wang Chuzhi to resist Zhang. Wang Chuzhi advocated building fences to try to impede the Xuanwu army's advancement, to tire it out, before engaging the Xuanwu army. However, the officer Liang Wen (), arguing that the Yiwu army had a numerical advantage, advocated an immediate confrontation. Wang Gao thus ordered one. Zhang, however, crushed the Yiwu army and killed over half of its soldiers; the remaining soldiers escorted Wang Chuzhi and fled back to Yiwu's capital Ding Prefecture ().