Geng Bi in 187 attacks the western fringe prefecture Longxi with a combined army from six prefectures.

Longxi had previously been captured by the forces of Han Sui when its Grand Administrator Li Xiangru defected.

The gentry and common folk are frustrated, however, by Geng Bi's appointment of the corrupt official Cheng Qiu.

When the army reaches Longxi's capital Didao in the fourth month of 187, mutiny breaks out within Geng Bi's ranks, killing Cheng Qiu and Geng successively.

The mutineers join the rebels under the command of the Didao native Wang Guo, and together they besiege Hanyang, east of Longxi.

Fu Xie, as Grand Administrator of Hanyang, treats the people well and is widely respected, and the rebels are hesitant to fight him.

The rebels on several occasions try to persuade Fu Xie to either flee the city or surrender, but Fu is determined to defend the prefecture to the death despite his dwindling number of men and supplies.

So Fu leads  a desperate final charge and dies in battle.