Sun Quan had repeatedly campaigned in Jianghuai, only to return each time with his feathers clipped. Especially after the battle of Xiaoyao Ford, he had become a laughingstock for the Wei. Cao Ren, stationed at Shouchun, did not regard Jiangdong's tens of thousands of troops as any threat.
If Jiangdong wanted to seize the Huaisi region, it first had to take Hefei, which commanded the waterways. At this time, Hefei's defending commander was Jiang Ji, formerly an Aide to the Governor of Yang Province and now General of the Eastern Household.
While Sun Quan was assembling his forces at Ruxu Dock, Cao Pi sent the seasoned Jiang Ji to take up residence in Hefei.
When Jiang Ji discovered that the Jiangdong army had changed course toward Xunqiu County, he dispatched scouts to report the situation to Cao Ren. Seeing Sun Quan trying a new trick, Cao Ren swiftly gathered the troops at Shouchun and marched south.
Because the Jiangdong forces had struck without warning, they surrounded Xunqiu before Cao Ren's reinforcements could arrive. Then they formed a triangular formation northwest of Xunqiu County, waiting at ease for Cao Ren's weary troops. They also ordered their warships to move toward Hefei, putting on the appearance of feigning an attack on Xunqiu while truly intending to seize Hefei, all to confuse Cao Ren into leaving men behind to defend Hefei.
Zhou Tai, commander at Ruxu, blamed himself over Han Zong's affair and thus asked Sun Quan to let him serve as the vanguard. Leading more than ten thousand Ruxu defenders who knew shame and had become brave, he personally charged at the head of the troops and clashed head-on with Cao Ren's advance force. After several battles in which neither side gained the upper hand, the confidence of Jiangdong's soldiers was restored.