The correct answer is C:
Emperor Hongwu, who reigned between 1368 and 1398, tried to create a society of self-sufficient rural communities in a rigid and immobile system that didn't need to be involved in the commercial life of urban centers. His reconstruction of the Chinese agricultural base and the improvement of communication channels through a system of militarized roads had the unexpected effect of generating a large agricultural surplus that could be sold in flourishing markets close to the roads. The rural and commercial culture was influenced by urban fashions. The highest echelons of society, equated to the lower nobility, were equally affected by this new culture centered on consumption. Moving away from the traditions, the merchant families began to integrate into the bosom of the administration and the bureaucracy and adopted the cultural features and practices of the nobility. Parallel to this evolution of society and commerce, there were changes in philosophical thought, government institutions and in the arts and literature.
By the 16th century, the Ming economy was stimulated by trade with the Middle East, Japan, Portugal, Spain and Netherlands, among others. China traded construction materials, plants, animals, food and grains. Trade with the foreign powers brought huge amounts of silver, which replaced copper and paper money as the common currency in China.
