An Dushan was in a thoroughly bad state. Ever since he had raised his army, nothing had gone well. First, he had consistently come off worse in his head-on clashes with the Empress. He had sent Xun Ba to attack Wang Chong, only for Xun Ba to become bogged down and unable to return. The allied army of the Eight Grasslands Tribes had arrived, only to drive him out of Chang'an. His temper had been exceptionally volatile lately. He had already beaten two concubines to death, and even his most cherished general, Gao Chongxing of the Five Tigers, had received twenty strokes of the military cudgel over some minor fault An Dushan had seized upon.
Now everyone in An Dushan's residence trod carefully, watching their words and actions. His chief adviser, Xun Hai, had offered him a few words of counsel. An Dushan accepted them at the time, only to lapse afterward, repeatedly refusing to change. Xun Hai could do nothing about it.
Xun Hai kept feeling that something was about to happen, and his mind was deeply unsettled. He had come to see An Dushan that day but had been refused an audience, so he could only leave the residence on foot rather than by carriage. Outside the gate, he spotted four idle soldiers acting rather furtively and could not help shouting, "Which general do you serve? Why are you acting so suspiciously?"
Wang Chong saw a scholar emerge and shout questions at them. A glance showed that no one else was nearby, and he struck without hesitation.
Xun Hai had never expected a soldier under An Dushan's command to attack him. Though caught off guard, he still drew a deep breath and countered with a palm strike, intending to seize the soldier and seek out his commanding general