Zhou Ji
In fall 880, Huang arrived in the region and, due to sheer numerical advantages (150,000 to 6,000), defeated Qi Kerang's colleague Cao Quanzhen () the military governor of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong). Further, around the same time, Xue Neng () the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang, Henan) was killed in a mutiny led by Zhou Ji. Qi, worried that Zhou would ambush him, abandoned his defensive position and returned to Taining's capital Yan Prefecture (); following his lead, the other circuits' forces also abandoned their defensive position at Yin River, allowing Huang an open path toward the eastern capital Luoyang and the imperial capital Chang'an.