Born as a salt merchant, he was a prodigy but failed three times since he was a child. Coinciding with a severe drought in Henan, the people had no harvest, so he opened warehouses and released grain to gain popularity. During the Changyuan Uprising of Queen Xianzhi, Huang Chao, his nephew and other eight people gathered thousands of people with the slogan "Heaven makes up for the average", and wrote this the following year:
"When autumn comes on September 8th,
After I bloom, the flowers will be killed.
The incense towering into the sky penetrates Chang'an,
The whole city is covered with golden armor. "
Then he began his magnificent life...