Finally, at the beginning of September, the commanders of the two companies of Kwangsi troops defending the unwalled district city of Fang-ch’eng, west of Ch’in-chou, abruptly defected to the revolutionary side. Why they defected is not clear. A native of Kwangsi himself, Wang may have played upon their common provincial ties; or he may have bribed them. In any case, with their help, Wang Ho-shun and several hundred followers captured Fang-ch’eng without a fight on September 3.]