Yang Xingmi, the founder of Wu, had started his career as a volunteer soldier before seizing power in his home prefecture Luzhou in a military coup.

The weak Tang court could only confirm his position.

The governor of Huainan, Gao Pian, had been captured in 887 by Bi Shiduo.

Xingmi had defeated Shiduo and captured the provincial capital Yangzhou later that year, but by then Pian had been put to death by Shiduo.

Another rebel leader, Sun Ru, had had Shiduo killed and absorbed his forces.

Yang Xingmi was forced to abandon Yangzhou and retreat to Luzhou.

With Luzhou as his base, Xingmi had increased his power by seizing neighboring prefectures until he could recapture Yangzhou in 892.

For this, the Tang court had granted him the military governorship of Huainan.

While still nominally loyal to the Tang dynasty, rival warlords are now carving out their own statelets.

Yang Xingmi had clashed with Zhu Wen of Liang in the north and Qian Liu of Wuyue in the south, successfully defending his territory.

Emperor Zhaozong of Tang names Yang Xingmi Prince of Wu in 902.