Sun Ru
With Huainan recently thrown into a state of confusion and war due to internecine battles between the military governor Gao Pian and Gao's officers Lü Yongzhi, Qin Yan, Yang Xingmin (whose name had been changed to Yang Xingmi by this point), and Bi Shiduo, among others, which resulted in a Yang Xingmi victory but the capital Yang Prefecture () and surrounding regions being laid waste, Qin Zongquan sent his brother Qin Zongheng () and Sun Ru southeast to try to wrest the control of Huainan from Yang Xingmi. Soon, hearing of Qin Zongquan's defeat at Zhu Quanzhong's hands, Qin Zongheng tried to return to Cai Prefecture to aid Qin Zongquan, but Sun killed him and took over the army, subsequently taking over Huainan for some time but no longer following Qin Zongquan's orders. Meanwhile, in winter 887, Qin Zongquan recaptured Zheng Prefecture, while Zhao Deyin, whom Qin had made the military governor of Shannan East Circuit, captured Jingnan and killed the Tang military governor Zhang Gui, leaving his officer Wang Jianzhao in control of Jingnan's capital Jiangling Municipality.