In winter 563, rival Northern Zhou launched a major two-prong attack on Northern Qi, with the southern prong, commanded by Daxi Wu (達奚武), attacking Pingyang (平陽, in modern Linfen, Shanxi) and the northern prong, commanded by Yang Zhong (楊忠), attacking Northern Qi from the north, in alliance with Tujue. Emperor Wucheng sent the general Hulü Guang (Hulü Jin's son) to resist the southern prong of the Northern Zhou attack, and personally went to Jinyang to resist the northern prong, but when he got to Jinyang, he was surprised by how strong the Northern Zhou and Tujue forces were, and he considered fleeing, stopping his flight only after opposition by Gao Rui and Gao Xiaowan (高孝琬) the Prince of Hejian. In spring 564, however, Duan Shao was able to defeat Yang, forcing him to flee, and the Tujue forces and Daxi soon withdrew. Still, the Northern Qi territory north of Jinyang had been pillaged by Tujue.