Great Ming: From the Imperial Exams to Ruling the Realm

To be honest, even during the Hongwu reign, when the imperial examination system was already in place, the conditions weren't conducive to overthrowing feudal society. It was only after the Republic of China experienced the devastation of external warfare that democratic consciousness was ignited, but feudal remnants still held sway over half of society.

The author's analysis of Zhu Yuanzhang is very thorough, but if someone actually dared to speak like that in the article during the Hongwu reign, in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, they would definitely be courting death.

The initial criticism was purely for the sake of criticism, lacking substance. Later, after the protagonist became an official, it became purely sycophantic, with various attempts to justify his actions. According to the author's theory, considering the protagonist's various inexplicable acts of making enemies, attempting industrial reform within this framework is no easier than directly launching a rebellion.

This book, along with *New Shun 1730*, *From Chief to Ball Leader*, *The Ambitious Schemer of the Warring States*, and *The First Minister of the Ming Dynasty*, all tell the same story, but with slightly different approaches. *New Shun 1730* takes a central, gradual approach to modernization; *The Chief* takes a pioneering, arduous approach, starting from scratch; *The Ambitious Schemer* uses the…

The protagonist's reforms are destined to fail. Why? Because he's truly fighting an entire nation alone; no one in the country will help him. Revolution lies in inspiration and necessity. I remember Jing Ke's reforms in the Mayan civilization chapter of "Human Paradise" were very simple; he didn't implement modernization reforms because the Mayan people didn't need them. Similarly, the people of the Ming Dynasty didn't need them, and hadn't even reached the point where reform was necessary.

A celebration for idealists 👍🏻

With the protagonist's actions, let alone the Ming Dynasty, he wouldn't survive in the Central Plains either. Even Chen Xingjia would exclaim that it was impossible.

Too much of a radical, not very realistic.

By chapter five, has the protagonist gone mad, saying these things in public? Or does he really think Zhu Yuanzhang, who conquered the country, was some kind of good-natured person?

How can reforms be implemented? How long can peace be maintained after the protagonist's death? Can one person achieve an industrial revolution? Also, during the Little Ice Age, the country is too large. Without the pressure of colonizing, it would definitely be a chaotic era. Even with colonies and improved transportation, things wouldn't be as good as they are now. The best-case scenario is that Asia will unify after several hundred years. Anything larger depends on luck.