The Ming Dynasty: Wanli

I read the author's explanatory chapter in one go, and this is just what I felt compelled to say. First, the author and reader should be on equal footing, rather than glossing over many details that the reader already knows, leading to doubts about the protagonist's actions.

How should I put it? I feel that the protagonist of this book is a complete coward, even less capable than the historical Wanli Emperor. The Wanli Emperor's reforms at least had clear objectives. Whether it was the performance evaluation system or the Single Whip Tax System, the goal was to inflate fiscal revenue. As for other actions, he simply ignored them.

Writing a novel about the Ming Dynasty inevitably involves going to sea and dealing with foreigners. Could you refer to my own drawing of a Chinese double-decker warship? The Chinese-style 48mm gun three-masted gunboat is 54 meters long, 12 meters wide, with a length-to-beam ratio of approximately 4.5 To 1. It has a draft of 5 meters and a height of 10 meters.

Emperor Taizu Gao of Ming Dynasty

Those who have read up to chapter 88 are advised to skip directly to chapter 95. Chapter 95 finally brings the author back to life. It wasn't easy! These few chapters before and after the release made it seem like the protagonist was sick and had been possessed by some fool from a later era.

This book is really something else. It deletes posts as soon as I express a normal opinion. I didn't say anything bad about the book, nor did I post any negative information. It was just a normal opinion. You don't even dare to leave the correct things. Do you want to sing praises every day? Isn't that a bit self-deceptive?

Nobles, gentry, commoners, and officials—they were all offended, regardless of who came first.

As we all know, Zhang Juzheng's Single Whip Law reduced the possibility of officials collecting exorbitant taxes, but you probably don't realize how harmful it was. The Single Whip Law, simply put, abolished all miscellaneous taxes such as levies, donations, and taxes, and incorporated them into the land tax, so that only silver was required to pay. At first glance, isn't this a good thing?

Overall, the protagonist's political skills are mediocre. The author is knowledgeable about history, but the protagonist seems to be quite ignorant of it. The reforms appeared suddenly, and there was no prior talent development; Zhang Juzheng seems to be fighting alone, without the support of capable officials.

The Zhang Juzheng portrayed by the author is a bit too weak! The Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty had few men capable of leading from the front. He showed absolutely no political acumen. Did the author really know anything about Zhang Juzheng?