Emperor Jing, in accordance with instructions left by Emperor Wen, commissions Zhou Yafu as the commander of his armed forces to face the main rebel force—the joint forces of Wu and Chu.

He commissions Li Ji, the Marquess of Quzhou, to attack Zhao, and General Luan Bu to try to relieve the siege of Qi.

Dou Ying is put in command of Li and Luan's forces, to coordinate them at his headquarters set at Yingyang (in modern Zhengzhou, Henan).

However, Emperor Jing soon panics at the prospect of losing, and at the suggestion of Chao Cuo's enemy Yuan Ang, he executes Chao to try to appease the seven princes.

Chao's immediate family is also executed. (Chao's father, who had seen the likelihood of this happening, had committed suicide a few months earlier.)

Emperor Jing sends Yuan and Liu Pi's nephew Liu Tong, the minister for imperial clan affairs, to try to persuade Liu Pi to end the rebellion.

Liu Pi, whose claim that he was only seeking Chao's execution had been mere propaganda, does not call off the rebellion but instead imprisons Liu Tong and Yuan. (He tells Liu Tong and Yuan that his actual aim is to be the "Eastern Emperor.")

Yuan is, however, able to escape soon after.