Cika wannan jumla: A 1859 (Xianfeng 9th Shekara), a lokacin da
Taiping Rebellion, ya gina rundunar sojojin garinsa, ya karfafa mutane su shiga, kuma ya danne wasu 'yan tawaye na Rundunar Taiping. A shekara ta 1861 (shekara ta 11 na Xianfeng), ya jagoranci kimanin mutane 500 don shiga rundunar Huai ta Li Hongzhang. An sanya shi shugaban Ming Camp (), kuma ya tafi tare da Li zuwa Shanghai don taimakawa sojojin Charles George Gordon wajen kayar da sojojin Taiping. A nan ne ya koyi yin amfani da bindigogi na Yammacin Turai. A cikin 1864 kwamandan sojojin Huai Li Hongzhang da mataimakin kwamandan Liu sun kai hari kan Changzhou don dawo da garin. An daukaka Manjo Janar Liu zuwa Kanar Janar kuma an nada shi don kare babban birnin a Beijing.