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Chapter 1, the Observers

• In July 1668 there was an earthquake that destroyed much of T'ang-Ch'en city.

• Feng was a magistrate, but was fired from his position.

• He stayed in town doing odd jobs that scholars can do, such as writing the "Local History."

• There were recurring famines in T'ang-Ch'en city and the surrounding county.

• After the famine of 1641, there was an attack on T'ang-Ch'en city by a group of bandits.

• The nearby market town of Ma-t'ou was looted and destroyed, but T'ang-ch'eng was successfully defended.

• In 1643 a Manchu army sacked the capital city and killed most of the officials and scholars.

• The peasants were miserable.
• Huang Liu-hung was an official who had passed his scholarly chu-jen examination.

• He worked hard to get the officials in Peking to lower the tax quota for the county.

• The Chinese Empire had to maintain a series of public works, such as clearing rivers...

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