"Both the defenders and Li then tried using the Yellow River against each other," John W. Dardess of the University of Kansas wrote, "the defenders attempted to breach the dikes and wash away Li's army, while Li did the same to flood the city and destroy it.
Both the defenders and Li utilized the Yellow River as a means of attack, with the defenders trying to breach the dikes and wash away Li's army, similar to Li's plan to inundate the city and destroy it.