In the transition from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty and the social upheavals within, Gu Yanwu, who was familiar with Jiangnan society, wrote three serial articles under the title On Shengyuan to enumerate the various evils of Shengyuan——scholars qualified for locallevel Imperial Examination, arguing for depriving their title and privileges to ensure a clean and honest government, help the commons out of predicament, rid of partisan bias and give opportunities to really able people. Relevant materials and opinions at the time showed that the Shengyuan class was really dishonorable as Gu wrote. In the late Ming Dynasty, these scholars, taking advantage of their privilege of being exempted from service and higher social status than the commons, conspired with the rich to levy taxes on the poor, colluded with government officials to intervene with government affairs, pestered the neighborhood and controlled the public opinions, or even messed with the gangsters to become a social evil.