300 Years of Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty was a glorious but decadent dynasty, a bloody and mean dynasty, a dynasty full of wizards and treacherous people. During the nearly 300 years of the Ming Dynasty, the 16 emperors each had their own characteristics. They were either overt or covert, strong or soft, tyrannical or benevolent, diligent or lazy, strange or suspicious... Some had excellent reputations, while others had poor reputations. Among the sixteen emperors, not even two "similar" people could be found. But no matter what, they adhered to two principles at the national level: first, "no marriage, no indemnity, no cession of land, no tribute"; second, "the emperor guards the gate of the country, and the king dies in the country." Looking at the atmosphere of the Ming Dynasty, although it is not as unrestrained as the Tang Dynasty and not as unrestrained as the Song Dynasty, there is a fierce spirit throughout. No matter whether they were literati, warriors, citizens, or talented people, they all exuded the spiritual temperament of this dynasty just like the emperors in the Forbidden City. This is the reason why the Ming Dynasty could be born with Yu Qian, Wang Yangming, Hai Rui, and Zhang Juzheng. It is also the reason why the Ming Dynasty can still have Zhang Huangyan, Shi Kefa, Li Dingguo, and Gu Yanwu after its collapse. This may be what Mencius called "qi".