History Is Never Far Away: Wu Han's Reading of Historical Notes

This book contains a total of eleven notebook-style essays written by the author, arranged in order of writing time. Except for "Wang Maoyin and the Currency Reform in the Xianfeng Era", "Tou Xia Kao" and "The Banknote Law of the Yuan Dynasty", the following articles are all about the history of the Ming Dynasty: (1) "Jin Ping Mei's Writing Era and Its Social Background" examines the age of the book "Jin Ping Mei" and believes that it was written between the tenth and thirtieth years of Wanli (1582-1602). To say the least, it cannot be earlier than the second year of Longqing (1568) at the earliest, and not later than the thirty-fourth year of Wanli (1606) at the latest. It also briefly discusses its historical background. (2) "Li Manju in the Record of the Yi Dynasty of Joseon" focuses on the records in the "Record of the Yi Dynasty" to explore the family background and residence of the famous leader Li Manju in the prehistoric period of Jianzhou and the westward migration of the left guard of Jianzhou, as well as the story of Li Manju and his demise under the Ming and Joseon Dynasties. (3) "The Army of the Ming Dynasty" records military issues in the Ming Dynasty such as the army and soldiers, the garrison system, the abolition of the Beijing army and the garrison, recruitment, military pay and national finance. Etc. The chapters are wonderful, with precise research and rigorous argumentation; the truth is discerned and new insights emerge. Use history as a mirror to learn from the past and learn from the present.