▁in ▁the ▁C ensor ate ▁headquarters ▁in ▁Be ij ing ▁in ▁ 1 5 5 2 . ▁There ▁he ▁made ▁last ing ▁connections ▁with ▁the ▁political ▁el ite : ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁that ▁of ▁Z ha o ▁W en h ua , ▁and ▁by ▁extension ▁that ▁of ▁Z ha o ' s ▁patron , ▁the ▁Senior ▁Grand ▁Secretary ▁Yan ▁Song , ▁the ▁official ▁closest ▁to ▁the ▁em peror . ▁ ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁the ▁sout he astern ▁coast ▁was ▁under ▁attack ▁by ▁the ▁pir ates ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" w ok ou ", ▁who ▁were ▁a ▁mix ▁of ▁Chinese ▁mer ch ants ▁and ▁foreign ▁elements ▁from ▁Japan ▁and ▁Portugal ▁viol ating ▁the ▁mar itime ▁prohib ition ▁laws . ▁Hu ▁Z ong x ian ▁and ▁Z ha o ▁W en h ua ▁recommended ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁measures ▁to ▁counter ▁this ▁threat , ▁including ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁powers ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁grand ▁coordin ator , ▁a ▁position ▁roughly ▁equivalent ▁to ▁a ▁provincial ▁governor , ▁so ▁he ▁could ▁complete ▁his ▁task ▁more ▁freely . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁these ▁suggestions , ▁a ▁new ▁supre me ▁commander ▁position ▁was ▁created ▁above ▁the ▁grand ▁coordin ators , ▁over see ing ▁the ▁coast al ▁provinces ▁from ▁Sh and ong ▁to ▁Gu ang d ong . ▁The ▁Nan j ing ▁Minister ▁of ▁War ▁Z hang ▁J ing ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁this ▁position ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 5 5 4 , ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁later ▁Z ha o ▁W en h ua ▁and ▁Hu ▁Z ong