Yang Xingmi
In 887, with Gao's favorite sorcerer Lü Yongzhi controlling the governance of Huainan, an officer who feared Lü would kill him, Bi Shiduo, rose in rebellion against Gao/Lü. Bi and his ally Qin Yan the governor (觀察使, "Guanchashi") of Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙, i.e., the circuit that would eventually become Ningguo) were able to capture Huainan's capital Yang Prefecture (); Lü fled, while Qin, who claimed the title of military governor of Huainan, and Bi put Gao under house arrest (and later executed him). At Lü's summons, Yang Xingmi arrived at Yang Prefecture, joining forces with Lü; they, in turn, defeated Qin and Bi, who fled. Yang Xingmi claimed the title of acting military governor of Huainan. After the victory, Yang Xingmi arrested Lü (under the reason that Lü had promised silver to Yang Xingmi's soldiers but failed to deliver) and had Tian interrogate him; under Tian's interrogation, Lü admitted to a plot that he had wanted to murder Gao and replace Gao as the military governor of Huainan; as a result, Lü was executed.