 The situation escalated in October or November 184 when the troops of the Auxiliary of Loyal Barbarians From Huangzhong (), which consisted of Qiang and Lesser Yuezhi recruits sent to suppress the disturbances, mutinied against their Han Chinese superiors in the military camp of Lianju (令居; northwest of present-day Lanzhou) and joined the insurgents, killing the Colonel Protector of the Qiang (), Ling Zheng (), in the process.At this point, the two groups had joined together, with former Auxiliary soldiers Beigong Boyu () and Li Wenhou () as their leaders.This union meant that the rebels now had control of the band of territory along the Yellow River in present-day Lanzhou.