When the prince of Huainan (legendary inventor of tofu) was exiled for inciting rebellion (in 173 BCE) against his brother, the Han Emperor Wendi, he and his retinue were, nevertheless, provided with such necessities of life as "firewood, rice, salt, shi (fermented black soybeans) and cooking utensils.
Its built up area is home to 1,899,740 inhabitants in 2010 spread out on 5 districts (Tianjia'an, Datong, Xiejiaji, Bagongshan, Panji and 1 county Fengtai) nowadays in agglomeration.
He was a grandson of the founding Han Dynasty (漢朝) emperor Liu Bang (劉邦), and he became the King of Huainan (literally "south of the Huai River"), at the age of 16 after his father, Liu Chang (劉長), died.
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Eight of these scholars in particular became known as the Eight Immortals of Huainan (淮南八仙).
The title of Prince of Huainan was later conferred upon several people, the earliest being Liu Zhang (劉長), the youngest son of Liu Bang.
As part of the preparation for war, Emperor Dezong divided Yongping, making three of its seven prefectures — Song (宋州, in modern Shangqiu, Henan), Bo (亳州, in modern Bozhou, Anhui), and Ying Prefectures — into a new Xuanwu Circuit, giving Si Prefecture (泗州, in modern Huai'an, Jiangsu) to Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), and adding Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, in modern Zhengzhou, Henan) to Yongping.
As Zhou had heard that Xu Yue (徐約), an officer under Zhou's rival Gao Pian the military governor of Huainan, had a strong army, he induced Xu to attack Su Prefecture, promising to give the prefecture to him if Xu were successful.
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.