Wang Duo had by this point volunteered to oversee the operations against Huang, and Wang is thus made the overall commander of the operations as well as the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (headquartered in modern Jingzhou, Hubei).

In reaction to Huang's movement, he commissions Li Xi to be his deputy commander, as well as the governor of Hunan Circuit (headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan), in order to block a potential northerly return route for Huang.

Meanwhile, Huang writes Cui Qiu, the governor of Zhedong Circuit and Li Tiao, the military governor of Lingnan East Circuit (headquartered in modern Guangzhou, Guangdong), to ask them to intercede for him, offering to submit to Tang imperial authority if he were made the military governor of Tianping.

Cui and Li Tiao relay his request, but Emperor Xizong refuses.

Huang then makes a direct offer to Emperor Xizong, requesting to be the military governor of Lingnan East.

Under the opposition of the senior official Yu Cong, however, Emperor Xizong also refuses, instead, at the chancellors' advice, offering to make Huang an imperial guard general.

Huang, receiving the offer, is incensed by what he perceives to be an insult.

He attacks Lingnan East's capital Guang Prefecture in fall 879, capturing it after a one-day siege and taking Li Tiao captive.

He orders Li Tiao to submit a petition to Emperor Xizong on his behalf again, but this time, Li Tiao refuses, so he executes Li Tiao.

The Arab historian Abu Zayd Hasan of Siraf reports that when Huang Chao captured Guang Prefecture, his army killed a large number of foreign merchants resident there: Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Parsees.

The ethnicity of the killed were reported to be Persians, Arabs, and Jews.

However Chinese sources do not mention the alleged massacre, stating only that mulberry groves were ruined by his army.

However, Huang Chao's army in the Lingnan region is stricken by illnesses, and some 30-40% die.

His chief subordinates suggest that he march back north, and he agrees.