How Grand Is the Adviser!

Honestly, I felt this book was strange from the comments section, with people saying it lacked a central theme. So I read the first three chapters, but I just couldn't get through it. The protagonist is neither completely bad nor completely good. He does bad things but does good things. Even when doing good things, he's always thinking about bad things. It's contradictory. And I can't see any of that. The comments section is all about political intrigue.

When the Ming Dynasty was established in 1368, years of war had led to land devastation, a sharp decline in population, and a severe shortage of social productivity. A policy of recuperation and restoration was imperative. In 1371, the Ming Taizu (Emperor Hongwu) issued the "Maritime Prohibition," prohibiting all Chinese ships from going to sea and imposing severe penalties on private traders and…

I was shocked after reading two chapters. I thought the book was doing well, so I quickly exited and checked the honor badges. Thankfully, there weren't any masterpieces. If these values were considered masterpieces, I would have uninstalled Qidian (a Chinese online learning platform).

The constant debate about whether the emperor or the civil officials are to blame is truly baffling. The root cause is the feudal system, which history has repeatedly proven to be even more backward than tribal councils/alliances plus feudalism.

I glanced at the comments section, and there are so many haters. First, I think some readers are going too far by saying this book has changed online novels. But the book is genuinely good; I think if you calm down, you can understand the lessons it teaches.

In the Ming Dynasty, the role of a secretary was called a "muliao" (幕僚). The relationships between Hu Zongxian and Xu Wenchang, and Yan Jia and Luo Longwen, were examples of this. The main functions of a muliao were drafting official documents, handling receptions and farewells, and providing strategic advice. Muliaos were private individuals, not part of the official staff.

The adulterer slipped you fifty taels of silver, then turned around and beat the plaintiff to death. Is this the kind of moral compass you have? You cry and shout every day about how the world is unjust and that's why you had no choice but to do this. Is it possible that you yourself are the cause of all this? You're acting like a hypocrite while pretending to be virtuous.

Qidian is in such a terrible state! Look at those dogs on those so-called ranking lists—aren't they ashamed? What right do they have to be on those lists? Why is such a good book performing so poorly? While those stinking dogs are sulking us on the charts! What kind of world is this? It's infuriating! This book shouldn't be doing this at all! Why is it that those stinking dogs can get on the charts? This book is so good, yet it's doing so badly!

The advisor had spent three years in the county town taking bribes, getting a clear understanding of the shady dealings at the grassroots level. Then, after a few years working under the tutelage of the chief advisor, he learned how those at higher levels spoke and acted, how they vied for power and formed factions. This shows his character development.

It is an honor to see you lay bare your own flesh and blood for the readers. From the manipulation of techniques in Volumes 1 and 2 to the manipulation of principles in Volume 3 (though some parts are a bit too stream-of-consciousness, so let's tone it down a bit).