The History of Ming is the last of the Twenty-Four Histories. The original text used here is the official Qing dynasty edition, which comprises 332 volumes. This book has been lightly adapted from historical sources and revised into 244 volumes, including 24 volumes of annals and 220 volumes of biographies. Following the original’s chronological, biographical style, it records more than two hundred years of history, from the first year of the Hongwu reign under Zhu Yuanzhang (1368) to the seventeenth year of the Chongzhen reign under Zhu Youjian (1644). This Vernacular History of Ming largely retains the chapter numbering of the official Qing edition, but has been rewritten in accessible modern language, with some embellishments and modern commentary. Feel free to read it as a novel.
