The title is chosen from "The Fifteenth Year of Wanli" because there is no better title than this.
Reading "Fifteen Years of Wanli" is like lighting a candle on the desk and reading the stories of the protagonists. The candlelight is pulled by the wind outside the window. It is this wind that changes the direction of the candlelight and makes it change. We see three-dimensional stories one after another, and this style stems from the storyteller's big view of history.
You were crouching beside the desk, the wind entangled the candlelight, and you inadvertently opened the file.
Japanese pirates are rampant and the people are living in dire straits. Civil servants are all making unwarranted accusations against senior generals. The culture of emphasizing civility over military affairs has caused serious consequences. The country's system is rotten and the social atmosphere is deplorable.
At this time, Qi Jiguang formed his own army. Like a breath of fresh air, whether it is the quality of personnel, weapons and equipment, troop establishment, or combat plans, they are all created for this era.
In this context, if Qi Jiguang was a wage earner, he would be very lucky to meet Zhang Juzheng. As the saying goes, a thousand-mile horse always exists, but a bole does not always exist. Qi Jiguang took office not long ago, so he only needed to concentrate on armaments and did not need to participate in politics. Because everything that should be arranged has already been arranged by Zhang Juzheng. Zhang Juzheng provided Qi Jiguang with generous policies and treatment to purchase military horses and manufacture weapons and chariots.
Compared with his contemporaries, Qi Jiguang's great achievements are also due to Qi Jiguang's excellent qualities. He never did the impossible, but he did it to the best of his ability.
But Qi Jiguang is a complex character. Qi Jiguang married three concubines during his lifetime and had five sons. Until his sons grew up, his first wife did not know about them. It is rumored that Qi Jiguang would spend a lot of money to buy beautiful women and give them to Zhang Juzheng. Qi Jiguang attached great importance to auspicious days and birth dates. Could it be that the most outstanding soldier in this dynasty fell into superstition?
Qi Jiguang is a hero of the times. We must be faithful to history. Hiding evil and promoting good is not a true respect for a hero.
Qi Jiguang's advantage is that he does not regard his talents as capital for opportunism and promotion and fortune, but only as a means to build a new army. He knew that a general could only make military science and technology work in real life with the permission of society.
Perhaps, he is a mirror. Let us look in the mirror, fix our makeup, and stay down-to-earth in the current life, so that we can become a better version of ourselves.