s ▁ten ure ▁security ▁returned ▁to ▁L ia od ong ▁and ▁many ▁refuge es ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁return ▁home . ▁Com merce ▁picked ▁up ▁and ▁Jin ▁attacks ▁decre ased ▁significantly . ▁However ▁the ▁military ▁strength ening ▁effort ▁ground ▁to ▁a ▁halt ▁when ▁Sh and ong ▁was ▁struck ▁by ▁fam ine ▁and ▁the ▁court ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁reduce ▁tax es . ▁M ing ▁troops ▁were ▁constantly ▁ham per ed ▁by ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁supplies ▁and ▁r ations ▁as ▁the ▁Jin ▁carried ▁out ▁ra ids ▁on ▁gra in ▁stores . ▁ ▁The ▁W an li ▁Emperor ▁died ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁August ▁ 1 6 2 0 ▁and ▁the ▁Ta ich ang ▁Emperor ▁succeeded ▁him . ▁Ta ich ang ▁immediately ▁released ▁one ▁million ▁ta els ▁to ▁fund ▁the ▁L ia od ong ▁defense , ▁but ▁at ▁that ▁point ▁the ▁official ▁Li ▁Ru h ua ▁estimated ▁that ▁a ▁sum ▁of ▁ 1 . 6 ▁million ▁ta els ▁would ▁be ▁needed ▁to ▁properly ▁supply ▁the ▁eastern ▁army . ▁The ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Re venue ▁gave ▁an ▁even ▁gr immer ▁estimation ▁of ▁ 3 . 2 ▁million ▁ta els , ▁and ▁perhaps ▁even ▁ 4 ▁million ▁ta els ▁after ▁account ing ▁for ▁was t age . ▁The ▁military ▁strength ening ▁of ▁L ia od ong ▁had ▁also ▁taken ▁a ▁to ll ▁on ▁the ▁capital ▁def enses , ▁which ▁fell ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁soldiers . ▁Unfortunately ▁for ▁X ion g ▁T ing bi , ▁the