Zhong Chuan died in 906. The soldiers supported Zhong Kuangshi to succeed him, and Zhong Kuangshi took the title of acting military governor. Meanwhile, Zhong Chuan's adoptive son Zhong Yangui (鍾延規), who served as the prefect of Jiang Prefecture (江州, in modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi), was angry that he could not succeed Zhong Chuan, and therefore send emissaries to submit to Yang Wo the military governor of Huainan Circuit. Yang Wo took this chance to commission his general Qin Pei (秦裴) to attack Zhennan. Qin defeated and captured Zhong's officer Liu Chu (劉楚), and then put Zhennan's capital Hong Prefecture (洪州) under siege. He soon captured it and took Zhong Kuangshi and Zhong Kuangshi's military advisor Chen Xiang, as well as 5,000 soldiers, captive, and delivered them to Huainan's capital Yang Prefecture (揚州).[3][4] Yang assumed the title of military governor of Zhennan himself, while commissioning Qin as the overseer of Hong Prefecture.[3]
Once Zhong and Chen were delivered to Yang Prefecture, Yang rebuked Zhong for not submitting earlier. Zhong bowed and begged death. Yang took mercy on him and spared him, while executing Chen. It is not known what occurred to Zhong later, or when he died.[4]