Sichuan Governor Cen Chunxuan (岑春煊) printed 50,000 books in support of the movement; Zhili Governor Cen Chunxuan (袁世凯), Huguang Governor Duanfang (端方) also wrote anti-footbinding articles.
Zhang Zhidong became the viceroy of Huguang in 1896, following the First Sino-Japanese War.
Realizing that their original plan would not be successful, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping promptly changed their strategy from decimating the nationalist force to retaking lost territory, taking Xiangyuan (襄垣), Changzi (长子), Tunliu (屯留), Lucheng, Huguang (壶关) and other counties by September 19, 1945, annihilating over 7,000 Nationalist troops in the process.
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Three Nationalist divisions were stationed in the largest city of the region, Changzhi, while the rest were stationed in the following cities/towns: Xiangyuan (襄垣), Changzi (长子), Tunliu (屯留), Lucheng, Huguang (壶关), and other counties; and, from these newly established bases, the Nationalists planned to take the entire southeastern Shanxi region from the Communists.
Two years later, Shi Kefa was promoted to yushi (御史) on the recommendation of the minister Zhang Guowei (張國維), and was also appointed as xunfu (巡撫; a type of regional governor) of Anqing, Luzhou (present-day Hefei), Taiping (near present-day Wuhu City), Chizhou (池州), and various counties in Henan, Jiangxi and Huguang provinces.