▁under ▁the ▁C ensor ate . ▁In ▁the ▁six ▁years ▁as ▁an ▁investig ating ▁c ensor , ▁Hu ▁Z ong x ian ▁distinguished ▁himself ▁by ▁not ▁only ▁writing ▁mem orial s ▁to ▁the ▁throne ▁evalu ating ▁the ▁performance ▁of ▁provincial ▁officials , ▁but ▁also ▁particip ating ▁in ▁the ▁actual ▁administration ▁of ▁the ▁provinces . ▁During ▁his ▁tour ▁of ▁the ▁Northern ▁Metropolitan ▁Region ▁( Be iz h ili ) ▁from ▁ 1 5 4 9 ▁to ▁ 1 5 5 1 , ▁Alt an ▁Khan ▁broke ▁through ▁the ▁def ences ▁at ▁G ube ik ou ▁and ▁pill aged ▁the ▁sub ur bs ▁of ▁Be ij ing . ▁The ▁def ences ▁of ▁X uan fu , ▁where ▁Hu ▁Z ong x ian ▁was ▁station ed ▁during ▁the ▁crisis , ▁held ▁fast , ▁and ▁Hu ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁send ▁troops ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁Be ij ing . ▁He ▁was ▁reward ed ▁for ▁this ▁and ▁the ▁em peror ▁began ▁to ▁take ▁note ▁of ▁his ▁ab ilities . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 5 5 1 , ▁Hu ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁W uch ang ▁in ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁H ug u ang ▁where ▁he ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁supp ression ▁of ▁a ▁M iao ▁re bell ion ▁on ▁the ▁provincial ▁border ▁with ▁Gu iz hou . ▁There ▁he ▁gained ▁first hand ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁M iao ' s ▁fighting ▁qual ities ▁such ▁that ▁he ▁called ▁for ▁their ▁service ▁during ▁the ▁pir ate ▁supp ression ▁campaign s ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁later . ▁He ▁was ▁re called ▁to ▁serve