▁prevent ▁further ▁de ple tion ▁of ▁the ▁imperial ▁tre as ury , ▁Ch ong z hen ▁cut ▁fund ing ▁for ▁the ▁M ing ▁postal ▁service , ▁which ▁saw ▁the ▁mass ▁un emp loyment ▁of ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁men ▁from ▁the ▁central ▁and ▁northern ▁provinces ▁around ▁the ▁Y ellow ▁River ▁region . ▁This ▁in ▁turn ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁overall ▁d eter ior ation ▁of ▁government ▁control ▁and ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁band it ▁groups , ▁which ▁became ▁en demic ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁dec ades ▁of ▁the ▁M ing . ▁In ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 6 2 8 , ▁Wang ▁Ji ay in ▁started ▁a ▁revol t ▁in ▁Sh a an xi ▁with ▁some ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁follow ers , ▁one ▁of ▁whom ▁was ▁Z hang ▁X ian zh ong , ▁who ▁would ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁dep op ulate ▁S ich uan ▁in ▁the ▁future . ▁The ▁re bell ion ▁pos ed ▁no ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁M ing ▁army , ▁but ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁rug ged ▁mountain ▁terrain ▁of ▁Sh a an xi , ▁the ▁M ing ▁pac ification ▁army ▁of ▁ 1 7 , 0 0 0 ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁effectively ▁root ▁out ▁the ▁reb els . ▁ ▁Another ▁band it ▁leader ▁G ao ▁Y ing xi ang ▁rose ▁up ▁in ▁revol t ▁and ▁joined ▁Wang ▁Ji ay in ▁soon ▁after . ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 6 2 9 ▁the ▁veter an ▁anti - re bel ▁leader ▁Yang ▁He ▁was ▁called ▁into ▁service ▁and ▁made ▁Supreme ▁Commander ▁of ▁the ▁Three ▁Border