The power of merchants gradually rose in the late Ming Dynasty.
In fact, in earlier times, merchants were merely vassals of officials and gentry.
It is not known whether it was the flattery of the Jiannu outside the Great Wall that made them cocky, or whether the fragmented state of the late Ming Dynasty gave the merchants an opportunity to take advantage.
They formed a comprehensive force that spanned all classes.
The strong men from Lu Village disguised themselves as merchant guards and were very popular along the way.
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