Under the Ming Dynasty, in which it was first established, Shushigaku's influence became very strong in most regions, although in Jian Nang, the dynasty's most commercialized area, some people had kept a slight distance between themselves and Shushigaku since the early Ming period.
このように明朝に於いて確立した朱子学の権威は、明朝統治下のほぼ全域に亘り巨大な力を持つにいたったのだが、明朝政権下の中でも最も商業の発達していた江南には、明初期以来、朱子学と微妙な距離を置く人々がいた。