Zhu Hongzhao
Shortly after, Wang Yanqiu put Yiwu's capital Ding Prefecture () under siege, and then defeated the Khitan relief force commanded by the Khitan general Tunei (), as Wang Du had requested aid from Khitan. Tunei was forced to enter the city to defend it with Wang Du. As Ding Prefecture had secure defenses, Wang Yanqiu decided not to attack it directly, and instead built a temporary headquarters nearby, collecting the tax revenues from Yiwu's three prefectures and preparing for a long siege. He also defeated a second and a third Khitan relief force and continued the siege thereafter. However, his subordinates Zhu Hongzhao and Zhang Qianzhao both considered him overly meek in this regard and submitted reports to Emperor Mingzong to that effect, and Emperor Mingzong ordered a direct attack. Wang Yanqiu therefore did so, and the direct attack caused him to suffer 3,000 casualties. When another imperial messenger arrived, ordering continued attacks, Wang Yanqiu showed the imperial messenger around the walls of Ding Prefecture, pointing that the defense was so secure that a direct attack would merely cause casualties. Emperor Mingzong thus agreed with his strategy of a long-term siege. It was said that throughout this long-term siege, Wang Yanqiu expended his own funds to supply the soldiers and did not kill any of his soldiers himself.