▁the ▁M ing . ▁ ▁The ▁M ing ▁court ▁appointed ▁X ue ▁Gu oy ong ▁as ▁Vice ▁Minister ▁of ▁War ▁and ▁Military ▁Affairs ▁Commission er ▁of ▁L ia od ong . ▁Wang ▁Hu az hen ▁was ▁appointed ▁Vice ▁C ensor - in - Ch ief ▁of ▁the ▁Right ▁and ▁Tour ing ▁Pac ification ▁Commission er ▁of ▁Gu ang ning . ▁The ▁Ministry ▁of ▁War ▁began ▁rec ruit ing ▁mer cen aries ▁from ▁all ▁over ▁China ▁to ▁supp lement ▁their ▁forces . ▁The ▁war ▁in ▁L ia od ong ▁had ▁imp over ished ▁thousands ▁who ▁fled ▁south ▁seeking ▁refuge e . ▁Sh and ong ▁in ▁particular ▁was ▁hit ▁hard ▁and ▁local ▁officials ▁compla ined ▁of ▁the ▁un rest ▁that ▁followed . ▁The ▁people ▁of ▁L ia od ong ▁had ▁a ▁bad ▁reputation ▁for ▁being ▁sh if ty ▁and ▁un tr ust worth y , ▁and ▁their ▁infl ux ▁in ▁neighbor ing ▁regions ▁ex ac erb ated ▁already ▁limited ▁resources . ▁Some ▁also ▁fled ▁to ▁Korea ▁and ▁islands ▁in ▁the ▁Boh ai ▁Sea , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁often ▁subject ▁to ▁dep red ations ▁from ▁M ing ▁soldiers . ▁ ▁M ing ▁def enses ▁moved ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁L iao ▁River ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Gu ang ning ▁became ▁the ▁new ▁headquarters . ▁X ion g ▁T ing bi ▁was ▁also ▁called ▁back ▁into ▁service . ▁X ion g ▁re iter ated ▁that ▁the ▁best ▁strategy ▁was ▁to ▁remain ▁on ▁defense . ▁Not ▁only ▁that , ▁M ing ▁had ▁to ▁focus ▁on