Chapter 9 Ability and quality are the stepping stones of power

Let's first talk about what Zhang Tingyu's father does. Zhang Tingyu's father was Zhang Ying, a scholar of the Wenhua Palace and Minister of Rites during the reign of Emperor Kangxi. Zhang Ying, whose ancestral home is Poyang, Jiangxi.In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhang Ying's ancestors moved to live in Tongcheng, Anhui, so we can also say that Zhang Ying is from Tongcheng, Anhui. Zhang Ying was born in 1637. In 1667, Zhang Yingzhong was awarded four Jinshi.Since then, he has successively served as the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and the Bachelor of Wenhuadian University. In 1701, Liu Ying became an official and returned home. He died in Tongcheng in 1708 at the age of 72. He was given the posthumous title of Wenduan;

Zhang Yingwei's study takes Zhu Zi's original meaning as the main line, and his arguments are frank and easy to understand, not difficult. Mo Fanglue is the president of Mofanglue; there are "Dusutang Collected Works", "Dusutang Poetry Collection", "Dusutang Miscellaneous Works", "Cunchengtang Poetry Collection", "Xuepuzhai Poetry Talk", "Southern Tour Retinue Chronicle", "Yi Sutang" "Jing Zhong Lun", "Book Jing Zhong Lun", "Cong Xun Zhai Yu", "Hang Chan Suo Yan" and so on are popular in the world.

Zhang Ying was an upright and rigorous official, and was deeply favored by Kangxi throughout his life. Kangxi said that he was "always respectful and cautious, with the style of an ancient minister"; Servants "always have their peace ... and have nothing to complain about." The famous "Six Foot Alley" story originated from Zhang Ying.This alley is located in Xihou Street not far southwest of the Confucian Temple in Tongcheng. The south of the alley was originally Zhangying's Mansion (formerly known as the Prime Minister's Mansion), and the north of the alley was Wu's house.The lane is 100 meters long and 2 meters wide.It is said that when Zhang Ying was a bachelor of the Wenhua Palace and Minister of Rites in Beijing, the neighbor Wu family wanted to invade his hometown's frontier land, and his family wrote to Beijing, asking Zhang Ying to use official power to suppress Wu's arrogance.Unexpectedly, Zhang Ying replied with a poem saying: "A piece of paper is only a wall, so it doesn't matter if it is three feet. The Great Wall is still there today, and Qin Shihuang is not seen." The meaning is very clear: give in.When the family gets a poem, they take the initiative to give up three feet.When Mrs. Wu heard this, she retreated three feet after being shaken.As a result, today's famous "Six Foot Alley" was formed.The ancients said that "the prime minister can pull a boat in his belly", and this poem can be used as evidence.Don't care about gains and losses with others, and deal with them generously. The story of Liuchixiang is still a good story.

Today, there are two archways engraved with "comity" and "Yi De Liu Fang" in Liu Chi Xiang.Walking in the six-foot alley, there is a different kind of coolness and tranquility, as if the soul has been baptized once.If you think about using the respect of the chief assistant to give up three feet, I am afraid that not only the Wu family will be deeply moved, but even the people of the world will be moved by it.Tongcheng people are really happy enough to live in such a kind of comity. University scholar, from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, had this official position. He was the chief of the cabinet, and his task was to draft edicts and review memorials.It was not until Emperor Yongzheng set up the Military Aircraft Department that it replaced the duties of the Grand Scholars.The University Scholars are divided into the Baohedian University Bachelor, Wenhuadian University Bachelor, and Wuyingdian University Bachelor.Zhang Ying is a bachelor of Wenhuadian University.As a cabinet chief, people also call him "Prime Minister", and he is a first-class product.In the face of such a high-ranking official, the Wu family dared to invade and pull out his teeth, which shows that he is not an idler, but a "local snake".

Zhang Ying built the "Shuangxi Thatched Cottage" at the intersection of two small rivers on the outskirts of Tongcheng.He emphasized "frugality and diligence" and "gentlemanship", which are also Chinese virtues since ancient times.Emperor Kangxi also inscribed a couplet on the Shuangxi Thatched Cottage: "White birds forget their planes, and look at the clouds and clouds rolling in the sky. The green hills are not old, and the flowers bloom in front of the court." This also shows that the Zhang family is indifferent, far-reaching, and young. A philosophy of life that competes with others.Father and son Zhang Ying and Zhang Tingyu wrote a couplet in the lotus pavilion after watching the lotus flowers: "The white lotus root enters the mud, and the jade hairpin is inserted obliquely to understand geography. The red lotus comes out of the water, and the vermilion pen hangs upside down to point out astronomy." meaning.

Therefore, Liuchi Alley has now become a place of interest, and people in the world can learn from it.If Zhang Ying used his official power to suppress people, there would be no Liuchixiang today. Zhang Ying's eldest son Zhang Tingzan and third son Zhang Tinglu were Jinshi during the Kangxi period.Zhang Tingyu, the fifth son of Zhang Ying, was a Jinshi during the Yongzheng period.Therefore, for hundreds of years in Tongcheng, there have been sayings such as "father and son prime minister's mansion", "five miles and four scholars", and "two champions across the river".

Zhang Tingzan, courtesy name Youchen, nicknamed Suizhai, was recruited in 1678, and won the second-class and two Jinshi in the 1679 examination. He was awarded the editor of the Imperial Academy. Bachelor, entered the South Study Room. In 1687, he was ordered to preside over the Shandong Provincial Examination.Later, he followed Emperor Kangxi to conquer Juemo three times and was favored.But unfortunately, he died before Zhang Ying, and the ruling and opposition parties felt sorry for him, and his book "Chuan Gongtang Poetry Collection" survives. Zhang Tinglu (1675-1745), courtesy name Baochen, nicknamed Yaozhai. In 1702, Zhang Tinglu took the provincial examination as a deputy tribute; in 1713, he was selected again in the provincial examination; in 1718, he went to the national examination and ranked second in the first class (second place) Jinshi, awarded the editor of the Imperial Academy, entered the South Study Room, and moved to serve as a bachelor. In 1723, he served as the governor of Henan Xuezheng. Because of his resignation from the examination, he was re-appointed as the minister of the state son, promoted the state son to sacrifice wine, and moved to the Zhan Shifu to be the young Zhan Shi; in 1729, he was promoted to Jiangsu Xuezheng; in 1732 In 1733, he was promoted to the minister of the Ministry of Rites, and then supervised Jiangsu Xuezheng; in 1744, he presided over the Jiangxi provincial examination, and then resigned and returned to his hometown.He was eager to learn all his life. He was a famous poet in Tang Dynasty and a scholar in Song Dynasty. He wrote "Yonghuaxuan Zhiyi" and "Yonghuaxuan Poetry Collection".

Zhang Tingyu (1681-1764) was named Hengchen and named Sizhai.He passed the Zhongxiang Examination in 1713; in the Enke Examination in the first year of Yongzheng (1723), he won the top 15 Jinshi, awarded editing and editing, and moved to serve as a lecturer for a bachelor's degree. ; In 1736, the right servant of the Ministry of Relocation, served as the deputy examiner of the conference examination, and also served as the daily life note officer; For 20 years, he was frugal and frugal, and he ate poorly, and never became an official again; in 1764, he died of illness in Tongcheng at the age of 84.

Zhang Tingyu, courtesy name Hengchen, nicknamed Yanzhai, was born in Tongcheng, Anhui. In 1672, Zhang Tingyu was born in Beijing, the second son of Zhang Ying, a scholar.He was educated by a family at a young age, and successively studied under his fellow villager Ni Bochun and Yixing Tang Qicai. Can recite "Shangshu" and "Mao Shi" at the age of 10; at the age of 16, he returned to his hometown to take the boy's test, and was selected as the sixth place in the county school; at the age of 17, he married the sixth daughter of Yao Wenran (posthumous duanke), the chief minister; in 1697 Arrived in Beijing to take part in the test, but because his father was ordered to be the president, he avoided the test.

In 1700, Zhang Tingyu became a Jinshi and was selected as a Shuji scholar of the Imperial Academy; in 1703, "the first class of Qing books in the Mengyu Examination was first-class, and he was awarded the review by the Imperial Academy", and in the same year he was appointed as the editor of "Personal Expedition to Pingding Shuobei"; 1704 In the summer of 1705, he served in Zhinan's study and served as the editor of "Yu Xuanwu Shi" and "Pei Wen Yun Fu"; at the beginning of 1705, he served as the commentator of daily life. After 1705, Zhang Tingyu accompanied Emperor Kangxi on many visits to Shihegong in the south, Chengde in Beishangkou and other places for summer vacation, and toured various tribes in Mongolia.

In 1712, Zhang Tingyu was appointed to the Bureau of Economics and Economics to wash horses, to be in charge of the affairs of the bureau and to edit and write at the Imperial Academy.The so-called "Sijing Bureau washes horses" is also called "Prince washes horses".According to the records in "Hanshu Baiguangongqingbiao", the subordinate officials of Prince Taifu and Shaofu are officials who wash horses.Yan Shigu (zi Zhen, a Confucian scholar in the early Tang Dynasty, who was good at text exegesis, sound rhyme, and collation) quoted Zhang Yan as saying: "The sixteen people from Ximayuan are the ones who rank better than you." , "Guoyu" said: Goujian is Fucha's first horse, and he may be "washing" first." "Xingma" means galloping in front of the horse, and is the attendant of the prince.In the Liang Dynasty, Xima belonged to the Bureau of Classical Classics.In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Xima was installed in the Bureau of Economics and Economics, and it was changed into an official in charge of books. It was established until the Qing Dynasty.In the Qing Dynasty, the Department of Economics and Economics set up a horse-washing machine, one Man and one Han, from the fifth rank. In 1716, Zhang Tingyu was awarded a cabinet bachelor and a minister of rites. In 1719, Zhang Tingyu was ordered to lead the revision of "Pian Zi Lei Bian", which took seven years to complete. In the summer of 1720, Zhang Tingyu awarded Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Punishment, who was still in charge of the cabinet, to approve the book.In the winter of that year, Wang Meigong, a salt dealer in Shandong, and others gathered a crowd to rob rich households in the salt shop. Ju Shilin, a student from Qingzhou, advocated heresy and recruited a large number of people. Governor Li Shude ordered arrests, and more than 150 people were arrested.On the day when it was played, Emperor Kangxi ordered Zhang Tingyu, Tao Lai, the governor of the capital, and Deng De, a cabinet scholar, to go to Jinan to try and punish the crime together with Fuzhen. In the spring of 1721, Zhang Tingyu and others were ordered to leave the capital.Zhang Tingyu was "worried about selfishness, spent a lot of time eating and sleeping, and feared not being an envoy." The robbery case was concluded, 7 people who were the leader were killed, 35 people were detained, and those who were innocently involved were released. In the summer of 1721, Zhang Tingyu granted the Ministry of Officials Zuo Shilang to take care of You Shilang, and was also an academician of the Imperial Academy. At the end of the sixty-first year of Kangxi (1722), Emperor Yongzheng succeeded to the throne, and Zhang Tingyu was ordered to cooperate with the academicians Akton and Li Tingyi to handle the articles of the Imperial Academy.At the beginning of the first year of Yongzheng (1723), Zhang Tingyu was promoted to the Minister of Rites and served as the vice president of "Records of Emperor Shizuren".Emperor Yongzheng said: "You have received the grace of the country, and you are an old minister who has served the emperor for many years. You have seen all the saints, virtues and miracles in the past. Now you should compile the "Records". The records are detailed and accurate. You are the only one." In the same year, Zhang Tingyu was reinstated to be in the South Study Room, and served as masters of the princes along with Zhu Shi, Xu Yuanmeng and Ji Zengyun.This summer, Zhang Tingyu was the chief examiner for the Shuntian Township Examination.At this time, several of Zhang Tingyu's children and his eldest son-in-law Yao Kong were taking an examination in Beijing, and Zhang Tingyu asked them to avoid it.Yongzheng Jiaqi Gongshen, plus Prince Taibao.In the autumn of this year, Zhang Tingyu acted in charge of the affairs of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, concurrently in charge of the academic affairs of the Hanlin Academy, and transferred the Minister of the Household Department.In the winter of this year, in the palace examination, Zhang Tingyu was not listed because his children should take the exam. Emperor Yongzheng refused, so he continued to read the papers.Zhang Tingyu then reviewed it impartially with all the ministers, decided on A and B, and submitted the first ten volumes to the imperial examination as usual.When Emperor Yongzheng read the fifth volume, he greatly appreciated it and wanted to set it aside.Zhang Tingyu took this volume as his younger brother Zhang Tingheng's volume to resign, and Emperor Yongzheng nodded and ordered it to be the first in the second class.The next day, Zhang Tingheng was awarded a review by the Hanlin Academy and entered the South Study Room.Zhang Tingheng and Zhang Ruohan in this department were conferred as Shu Jishi.Three people in one subject were selected in the same subject, which is said to be an unprecedented event in the imperial examination.In the same month, Zhang Tingyu was appointed as the chief official of the national history of the Four Dynasties. In the spring of the second year of Yongzheng (1724), Zhang Tingyu made a play on the "shed people" in Jiangxi, Zhejiang and other provinces.Briefly: "The Quzhou Military Mansion in Zhejiang, Guangxin in Jiangxi and other prefectures are connected to Fujian, and Ganzhou in Jiangxi and other prefectures are also connected to Guangdong. The unregistered and migrant unemployed in Fujian and Guangdong went to the mountains to cultivate and live in huts. The number is daily. There are many, and those who are strong will always plagiarize. Please ask the governors of Jiangsu and Zhejiang to find out the situation and strictly restrain them, select talents with both ability and integrity, and guarantee the supplementary grants. , check from time to time to maintain law and order." After Emperor Yongzheng read it, he sent his governors to discuss it.In May, Zhang Tingyu became the chief executive officer of "Great Qing Huidian". In the spring of the third year of Yongzheng (1725), Zhang Tingyu served as the chief executive officer of "Emperor Sheng Zuren's River Control Strategy".Soon, Emperor Yongzheng plowed the native land, and Zhang Tingyu worked as the chief farmer. In the fourth year of Yongzheng (1726), Zhang Tingyu was awarded the cabinet bachelor, and he was still in charge of the affairs of the Minister of the Ministry of household affairs and the bachelor of the Hanlin Academy.The Ministry of Officials requested and held the title, and he was also a scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion and Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs.In March of that year, he served as the chief executive officer of "Records of Emperor Shengzuren". In the winter of the fifth year of Yongzheng (1727), Zhang Tingyu was a bachelor of Wenhuadian University.Emperor Yongzheng said that he "has several jobs, and spends all his time in the public office". In the spring of the sixth year of Yongzheng (1728), Zhang Tingyu was promoted to the University of Baohe Temple.Soon Zhang Tingyu was also in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Officials. In the seventh year of Yongzheng (1729), Zhang Tingyu added the title of Shaobao. In the eighth year of Yongzheng (1730), due to the use of troops in the Northwest, Emperor Yongzheng ordered the establishment of a military computer room, led by Prince Yi Yunxiang, Zhang Tingyu, and University scholar Jiang Tingxi.The military aircraft room was later renamed the Military Aircraft Office.Zhang Tingyu made regulations: "All ministers Chen Zou, use sparsely for common affairs, and draw up edicts from the general secretary and the cabinet; for important matters, use the office to draft edicts, and draft the edicts at the military aircraft office, and personally write wholesale." From then on, the power of the cabinet was transferred. When it comes to the Military Aircraft Department, a bachelor must serve as the Minister of Military Aircraft to participate in political affairs. He is called in every day to accept orders, to regulate political affairs, and to participate in secrets. In the spring palace examination in the ninth year of Yongzheng (1731), Zhang Ruoai, the son of Zhang Tingyu, won the first and third place in the first class, but Zhang Tingyu refused to accept it.Emperor Yongzheng said when talking about old affairs: "The great scholar Zhang Tingyu, who serves me around, is respectful and careful. For eleven years, he is peaceful on the outside and square on the inside, and he is sufficient to handle national affairs." In the autumn of the thirteenth year of Yongzheng (1735), Emperor Yongzheng was critically ill. Zhang Tingyu and Prince Zhuang Yunlu University scholar Ertai were both ministers of Gu Ming. Zhang Tingyu's official career in the Kang and Yong dynasties was smooth sailing. The Kang and Yong emperors favored him, especially the Yongzheng emperor regarded him as a stock.According to the "Chronology of Zhang Tingyu", when Zhang Tingyu recovered from illness and went to court, Yongzheng told him: "I said to my servant the day before yesterday: 'My arm has been hurting for a long time, do you know it?' The servant asked the reason in surprise, and I said: 'A scholar Zhang Tingyu's illness is not due to the pain in my arm?'" From this we can see how much Zhang Tingyu is favored. Speaking of Zhang Tingyu's favor in the Kang and Yong dynasties, the reason is that Zhang Tingyu has qualities and abilities that are difficult for others to match.To sum up, there are three points: First, the writing is quick and the master is capable. From 1704 when Zhang Tingyu joined the South Study Room and served as an official commentary on Rijiao until the early days of Emperor Qianlong's reign, Zhang Tingyu was able to compose and write the imperial edict in detail.Especially during the special period of Kangxi's death and Yongzheng's funeral, the political situation in the court and China was unstable, and a little carelessness could lead to disaster.At this time, Zhang Tingyu entered the palace to write the decree every day. After Yongzheng dictated it, Zhang Tingyu could draw it up. He never made a mistake more than ten times a day. His agility in writing and thinking was beyond the reach of others. Much praise. Zhang Tingyu's memory is also beyond the reach of others. One time Yongzheng asked him the names of ministers, divisions and subordinates of various ministries.In the early years of Yongzheng, the Qing government used troops on a large scale against Zhungar. At the time when the army was thriving, Zhang Tingyu and the leader were all important positions. Every day, hundreds of people stood around with their letters and cases waiting for approval. In the public opinion, Zhang Tingyu also kept processing documents.Despite the complexity of affairs, Zhang Tingyu did not make a single mistake or delay.For his ability to handle affairs, Emperor Yongzheng praised: "What you can do in one day, others can't do in ten days." Second, be honest and prudent, be kind and generous. Zhang Tingyu has been in an important position for decades, and has always maintained the qualities of integrity, loyalty, kindness, and honesty. He can receive most of his colleagues and friends with peace of mind and is very tolerant of them.Any gifts from others that are worth more than a hundred gold are strictly rejected.The three emperors Kang, Yong, and Qian successively gave Zhang Tingyu nearly ten thousand taels of silver. He either used the silver taels to encourage scholars to study hard, or sent them back to his hometown to buy public land to support the poor and disaster victims in the village. In the autumn of 1698, a flood occurred in Tongcheng. With the support of his father Zhang Ying, Zhang Tingyu set up a porridge field in his hometown to relieve the victims. From the spring of 1735 to the summer of 1737, Zhang Tingyu used nearly 5,000 taels of silver bestowed by Emperor Yongzheng to build a stone bridge outside the east gate of Tongcheng, which greatly facilitated the passing business travelers and was praised by the villagers. Liangbi Bridge". In the spring of 1740, Zhang Tingyu heard that there was a poor harvest in Tongcheng and the price of rice soared, so he sent a letter home asking his family to donate one thousand shi of grain to help the poor. Zhang Tingyu has a silent addiction in his daily life. He has followed his father's teaching that "you can't read all the ancient books on the shelves, but you have to work hard all the time." , act like no one else is around. Third, be upright and diligent, silent and prudent. Zhang Tingyu has been diligent, prudent and upright for most of his official life, which is also one of the important reasons why he can deal with the monarch and his ministers for a long time.In the last years of Kangxi, the government was loose and the government was unclear. Zhang Tingyu was the left servant of the Ministry of Officials at that time. People are called "Fuhu Shilang".During the Yongzheng period, he was summoned every day. Every time he had a suggestion, he would play it out orally, and ask the emperor to promulgate it to the outside world.He seldom handed over foreign officials. He had been an official in the court for many years and "had never had a single word with the governor and foreign officials".At the same time, Zhang Tingyu is also very strict with his children. In 1733, his eldest son, Zhang Ruoai, took part in the court examination, and was among the first and third in high school. Zhang Tingyu heard that "there are many talents in the world, and all three-year competitions are expected to be the best. The son of an official should not be the first in the world." His son was listed as Erjia, and Yongzheng asked Zhang Ruoai to be named Erjia. The "History of the Ming Dynasty" compiled by Zhang Tingyu is the last official history book of the 24 "imperially ordered" histories during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, and it is also the longest compilation of official history books in the history of our country. It took 94 years from the opening of the Ming History Museum in 1645 to 1739 when the historian formally reported to the emperor.If it is written from the formal organization of the team in 1679 to the submission of the manuscript, it will take a full 60 years. Why did this history book take so long?Mainly because of political instability at the time. During the Shunzhi period, although the Ming History Museum was opened, the war between the Qing Dynasty and the remnants of the Southern Ming Dynasty had not yet ended. During the war period, there was a lack of historical materials, incomplete "records", and very few book contributors.On the other hand, the ministers in charge of history compilation at this time were mainly Hong Chengchou, Fan Wencheng and Feng Quan.Hong Chengchou and Fan Wencheng were ministers of the Ming Dynasty and had many concerns. How to deal with the relationship between the Ming and Qing Dynasties after Wanli was really tricky, and they dared not write for a long time.Feng Quan was a notorious eunuch in the Ming Dynasty, and most of his words and deeds were despised by scholar-bureaucrats.Therefore, the revision of history could not get the support of scholars at that time.During the reign of Kangxi, Wu Sangui and other San Francisco rebellions occurred again, which once again delayed time. It was after 1679 that the real history was compiled.During the Kangxi period, those who compiled "History of Ming Dynasty" can be said to be full of talents.There were Zhu Yizun, You Tong, Mao Qiling and other famous writers at that time.But it was Wan Sitong, a famous historian in the early Qing Dynasty, who contributed the most.Here, we should mention a koan in the history of Chinese historiography.It turned out that during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, some Ming Dynasty survivors and anti-Qing patriots attached great importance to the study of Ming history.The outstanding thinker Huang Zongxi once compiled more than 400 volumes of "Ming Wenhai" and wrote 240 volumes of "Ming History Cases". Gu Yanwu also compiled and preserved one or two thousand volumes of historical materials about the Ming Dynasty.After the rulers of the Qing Dynasty entered the customs, in order to win over the remnants of the Ming Dynasty and celebrities, they deliberately opened a subject of erudition and great CI.Although Huang, Gu and others insisted on refusing to cooperate with the Qing court, they still sent their right-hand assistants to participate in the compilation of "Ming History" for the purpose of preserving the real historical relics of the Ming Dynasty.Wan Sitong, Huang Zongxi's proud disciple, was one of the editors appointed to participate in the "History of Ming Dynasty".Huang Zongxi's son and Gu Yanwu's nephew also participated in the incident.In this way, the quality of "History of Ming Dynasty" is guaranteed accordingly.Wan Sitong is an excellent historian.Qian Daxin, a famous scholar in the early Qing Dynasty, once commented that he "devoted himself to ancient studies and learned all kinds of history", he was familiar with the anecdotes of the Ming Dynasty, and he "could recite secretly" all the "Records" from Hongwu to Tianqi.He successively compiled and approved two "Ming History Drafts", each with more than 300 and 400 volumes.Therefore, it can be said that the first draft of "History of Ming Dynasty" was basically completed by the time of Vance.After Wan Sitong's death, Wang Hongxu, who served as the editor-in-chief of "Ming History" three times successively, adapted Wan's "Ming History Draft", and submitted it to the emperor twice in the last years of Kangxi and the early years of Yongzheng.This is Wang's "Ming History Draft".Wang's move caused criticism and criticism in the literary world at that time and later. Historians agreed that Wang Hongxu actually plundered the fruits of labor of dozens of scholars with Vance and others as the main force for decades, which was an act of plagiarism. From 1723 to 1739, the Qing government organized personnel to revise the "Ming History Draft" for the third time, and then the final "Ming History" was formed.Because Zhang Tingyu is the president of the book revision this time, the current "History of Ming Dynasty" is titled by Zhang Tingyu and others. Zhang Tingyu's "History of Ming Dynasty", which took decades to compile, has indeed had many advantages after three revisions. First of all, it is rigorous in style, clear in narrative, concise in writing and well arranged.Zhao Yi, a historical critic, compared the histories of Liao, Song, Jin, and Yuan with the "History of Ming" in "Notes of Twenty-two Histories", and believed that "there is no one as perfect as "History of Ming". Secondly, the historical materials of "History of Ming Dynasty" are relatively rich.At that time, there were many first-hand historical materials available. In addition to a complete set of "records" of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, there were also residence newspapers, local chronicles, anthologies, and a large number of private historical books.Zhu Yizun said in the "Second Book of the President" when he was writing history, that only the local chronicles of various places were collected in the National Library, which amounted to more than 3,000 volumes.In addition, such as "Jin Yi Zhi" and "Zhongguan Kao" written by Wang Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty, they all systematically introduced the Ming Dynasty's spy rule and eunuchs' abuses.All these gave the editors of "History of Ming Dynasty" a unique advantage over those who compiled official histories in other dynasties. Thirdly, some parts of "History of Ming Dynasty" are fair and fair, and can also be written honestly.For example, the records of Yuan Chonghuan's murder by Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty and Xiong Tingbi's merits and crimes are of great reference value. Finally, "History of the Ming Dynasty" has a new innovation in style, and in the biographies, "eunuch", "rogue" and "boss" are specially listed.The dictatorship of eunuchs was a major issue in the history of the Ming Dynasty. "The Eunuch Biography" recorded the crimes of Wang Zhen, Liu Jin, Wei Zhongxian and other eunuchs who harmed the country and the people. The authors of "History of the Ming Dynasty" held a hostile and hostile attitude towards Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong and other peasant uprising leaders.This is determined by the author's class position, and the purpose is to sum up experience for the rulers, "As for the death of the Ming Dynasty, the loss of appeasement is a good lesson", but objectively preserved some reliable facts of the peasant war in the late Ming Dynasty for future generations. historical data. "Biography of Tusi" is dedicated to the situation of ethnic minorities in the Southwest, and is divided into five Tusi biographies of Huguang, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi.Although these biographies insist on the position of ethnic oppression and have many slanderous words against ethnic minorities, they preserve a large number of important materials of ethnic minorities in this area.Most of the history of the ethnic minorities in China today can be traced back to the early Ming Dynasty.In addition, other chapters of "History of the Ming Dynasty" also preserved a lot of valuable historical materials for future generations, such as the narration of the factory guards of the secret service agency in the Ming Dynasty in "Criminal Law Records", which will help future generations to investigate and study this period of history . The "History of Ming Dynasty" that Zhang Tingyu was responsible for compiling also has obvious shortcomings: First of all, its promotion of Gangchang Mingjiao and its hatred of peasant uprisings have reached an extremely explicit level, which is more prominent than other history books.Among them, there are many inaccuracies in slandering the peasant war, which have been proved by many historians. Secondly, due to the prohibition policy of the Qing Dynasty, the authors of "History of the Ming Dynasty" often had to use cursive writing, especially for the rise of the Qing Dynasty and the deeds of the Southern Ming Dynasty, the records were too general and ambiguous, and some places even distorted and fabricated.For example, deliberately concealing the affiliation of Jianzhou Jurchen to the Ming Dynasty, and covering up the struggle of the people in the southeast against the Qing Dynasty.