Zhou Ji
In spring 883, Huang, under the pressure of the Tang general Li Keyong, abandoned Chang'an and fled east. He initially attacked Tang's Fengguo Circuit (奉國, headquartered at Cai Prefecture (), also in modern Zhumadian); the military governor of Fengguo Circuit, Qin Zongquan, submitted to Huang and joined his forces to Huang's. Huang then sent his general Meng Kai () to attack Chen Prefecture. Zhao Chou initially feigned weakness to draw Meng in, and then ambushed Meng, killing him. Huang, angry over Meng's death, put Chen under siege for months, but could not capture it, and during the siege, Zhao made repeated surprise attacks against Huang's army. He also sought aid from the nearby military governors; among those, Zhou Ji the military governor of Zhongwu, Shi Pu the military goernor of Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu), and Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu all sent aid. However, they were all unable to lift the siege that Huang's army was putting on Chen. Fearing the strength of Huang's army, they sought aid from Li Keyong, who had by then been made the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). Li Keyong crossed the Yellow River south and engaged Huang's army. Fearing Li Keyong's strength, Huang lifted the siege on Chen after some 300 days, in summer 884.