In 185, when the Liang Province rebellion broke out, Zou Jing joined the general Huangfu Song in attacking the rebels. During this time, Zou Jing held the appointment "Beijun Zhonghou" (北軍中候), a high-ranking commander among the imperial guards. During this time, Zou Jing proposed that they recruit soldiers from the Xianbei tribes, rather than the Wuhuan tribes, to assist them in fighting the rebels. Han Zhuo (韓卓), a military officer, agreed with Zou Jing and said that if Zou Jing had 5,000 Xianbei horsemen with him, he could defeat the rebels. However, Ying Shao (應劭) disagreed because he believed that the Xianbei were greedy and less trustworthy than the Wuhuan. The generals then convened a meeting to discuss both ideas and eventually adopted Ying Shao's.