In the third year of Qing Dynasty (AD 936), Shi Jingtang broke with the later Tang Dynasty, and Liu Zhiyuan strongly recommended Shi Jingtang to arise and become king in Jinyang (now Taiyuan). Shi Jingtang worried that he was no match for the army in the later Tang Dynasty and decided to ask the Khitan for help. Liu Zhiyuan fully supports his decision. But on the condition of promise, he disagreed with Shi Jingtang's practice of both subjugation and cession. He said to Shi Jingtang, "It is enough to submit to the Khitan, but it is too much to be a father's gift. As long as the rich property is used to bribe, it is enough for the Qidan to send troops, and there is no need to promise to cede land to them. I am afraid that ceding land will make Qidan a catastrophe in the Central Plains in the future. At that time, I will regret it. " However, Shi Jingtang was too eager to proclaim himself emperor and didn't listen to Liu Zhiyuan's advice at all, which led to the disaster of Liao soldiers going south to destroy gold in the future.

After Shi Jingtang proclaimed himself emperor, he was rewarded according to his work, and appointed Liu Zhiyuan as our time for Zhongwu Army and our time for returning to Germany. In July of the sixth year of Tianfu (AD 94 1 year) at the end of Jin Dynasty, he was ordered to stay in Beijing (Taiyuan) and introduce Shi Jingtang, our envoy from Hedong, who was in charge of the military and political power in Jinyang area. The following year, Shi Jingtang died, Liu Zhiyuan and posthumous title assisted, and Shi Zhonggui acceded to the throne. Shi Zhonggui is deeply disturbed by the growing Liu Zhiyuan. However, because of the need to rely on Liu Zhiyuan to defend the north, Liu Zhiyuan was wooed by means of Huairou, and he was made King of Taiyuan and worshipped as an official secretary. Liu Zhiyuan is more powerful, so based on Jinyang, recruiting in Hedong to expand its strength. During this period, the relationship between Houjin and Qidan broke down, and wars between the two countries occurred from time to time. However, Liu Zhiyuan stationed in Hedong turned a blind eye to the repeated harassment of Qidan soldiers. Shi Zhonggui asked him to send troops several times, but he also turned a deaf ear. He just took advantage of troubled times to have fifty thousand troops in Jinyang in a few years, and the strength of Hedong soon surpassed that of other buffer regions.

After four years of shipping (AD 947), the Khitan attacked and destroyed the girders, and the later Jin Dynasty perished, and the whole Central Plains was in chaos. Later Jin was forced to submit, and Liu Zhiyuan also sent messengers to Kaifeng to congratulate Qidan, but he did not submit. YeLvDeGuang discontent, but again afraid of hedong military forces strong, also what to say. After the messenger returned to Jinyang, he reported to Liu Zhiyuan that the Khitan soldiers were outrageous and cruel, and they burned and looted in the Central Plains, which was very unpopular. Many local people spontaneously organized resistance, and most towns were unwilling to accept it verbally. After listening to the messenger's report, Liu Zhiyuan thought there was an opportunity and decided to find a way to stand on his own feet. In February of that year, Liu Zhiyuan proclaimed himself emperor in Jinyang, and still won people's hearts with the title of "Tianfu" in the late Jin Dynasty.

After Liu Zhiyuan proclaimed himself emperor, many local buffer regions refused to accept its jurisdiction, while Hebei and Henan were completely occupied by the Khitan, and the situation was very unfavorable. In view of this situation, Liu Zhiyuan is not in a hurry to send troops, but is actively consolidating troops, repairing equipment and waiting for favorable opportunities. In March, Ye Luduang saw that the people in the Central Plains were constantly resisting and led the troops back to the north. In April, Ye Luduang died of illness, and his men were too busy fighting for the throne to take care of the south. The soldiers and horses in Henan and Hebei are also worried, and it is difficult to be safe day and night. Liu Zhiyuan sized up the situation, took the advice of his general Guo Wei, and went south to attack the Hebei and Henan regions occupied by the Khitan. Soon, Luoyang and Kaifeng's Shi Jingtang were captured, the Khitans fled northward, and the officials of the late Jin Dynasty surrendered one after another. In June, Liu Zhiyuan entered Kaifeng, changed its title to Han, and still used Tianfu's title, with Kaifeng as its capital, which was called the later Han Dynasty in history. At the same time, he ordered all our commissioners and officials at all levels appointed by the Khitan to stay in their original posts and not to change. So the local buffer regions dispelled doubts and served in succession.

In July, Du Zhongwei and Li Shouzhen, our Tian Xiong and Tian Ping, also obeyed. But before long, Du Zhongwei fought again. When Liu Zhiyuan heard the news, he issued a letter to the rank and led an army to attack Weizhou. In November, Weizhou ran out of food and Du Zhongwei was forced to surrender.

This year1February, Liu Zhiyuan was ill in bed because of his beloved son's illness, and never recovered. The following year 1 month, Liu Zhiyuan announced his name change from his hospital bed. On the 17th, Liu Zhiyuan was critically ill, so he called his confidants Su, Shi and Guo Wei into the palace and asked them to assist Prince Li Chengyou. On the same day, Liu Zhiyuan died in Zide Hall (Long Live Hall) at the age of 54. After his death, he was buried in Ling Rui.