launched a surprise attack on Taiyuan, which was caught without preparation and nearly fell, escaping that fate only due to the effort of the retired officer An Jinquan (), who commanded a group of retired officers' family members in defending the city. When Li Sizhao heard that Taiyuan was under attack, he immediately sent his officer Shi Junli () with a detachment of cavalry soldiers to head for Taiyuan to aid in its defense. Shi arrived within a day and announced that Li Sizhao's main army was on its way, and then conducted raids on the Later Liang army with An. The next day, Wang withdrew, allowing Taiyuan to remain uncaptured. In 918, Li Sizhao accompanied Li Cunxu during a major battle at Huliu Slope (胡柳陂, in modern Heze, Shandong), in which Jin forces were initially crushed by Later Liang forces (with Zhou killed in the battle), but subsequently, under advocacy by Li Sizhao, Li Jianji (), and Yan Bao (who had surrendered to Jin by that point), he counterattacked, with Li Sizhao and Li JIanji leading the charge, crushing Later Liang forces, allowing the battle to be an overall draw in which both armies lost two thirds of their soldiers. In the aftermaths, Li Cunxu initially sent Li Sizhao to Lulong (where Zhou had been serving as military governor) to oversee it, before later taking the military governorship of Lulong himself and having the eunuch Li Shaohong overseeing the Lulong headquarters. In 920, Later Liang forces under Liu Xun attacked Zhu Youqian the military governor of Huguo, a Later Liang general who had recently submitted to Jin. Li Cunxu sent Li Sizhao, Li Cunshen, Li Jianji, and Li Cunxian () to aid Zhu Youqian. Jin forces defeated Liu's army, causing him to withdraw with substantial losses. In 921, Wang Rong, who had by that point become independent of Later Liang as the Prince of Zhao and was allied with Li Cunxu, was assassinated by his adoptive son Wang Deming, who then took over his domain and changed his name back to the birth name of Zhang Wenli. Li Cunxu, wanting to avenge Wang Rong, launched a campaign against Zhang. Zhang sought aid from the Khitan's Emperor Taizu (Yelü Abaoji), who quickly advanced into Jin's Lulong Circuit. Li Cunxu himself headed north to engage the Khitan emperor, but his army, terrified at the Khitan cavalry strength, had low morale, and