Question

ming view of merchants
emperor zhu yuanzhang was a ming emperor who believed in confucianism.
alas, how easily money and profit can bewitch a person! with the exception of the righteous person, the true gentleman, and the sage, no one is able to avoid the temptation of money....
... during the final years of the yuan dynasty, there were many ambitious men competing for power who did not treasure their sons and daughters but prized jade and silk, coveted fine horses and beautiful clothes, relished drunken singing and unrestrained pleasure, and enjoyed separating people from their parents, wives, and children. i also lived in that chaotic period. how did i avoid such snares? i was able to do so because i valued my reputation and wanted to preserve my life. therefore i did not dare to do these evil things.
—zhu yuanzhang
how does emperor zhu view merchants?
○ as bewitchers of money
○ as dangerous for society
○ as powerful and ambitious men
○ as true gentlemen

Explanation:

To determine Emperor Zhu's view of merchants, we analyze the text. The quote "how easily money and profit can bewitch a person" and the context about people being tempted by money (merchants deal with money/profit) suggests he sees them as those bewitched by money. The other options: "dangerous for society" isn't directly supported (the text talks about ambition in Yuan, not merchants as dangerous), "powerful and ambitious men" refers to Yuan's power - seekers, not merchants, and "true gentlemen" is contradicted as only righteous/gentleman/sage avoid money's temptation (merchants deal with money, so not seen as true gentlemen).

Answer:

A. as bewitchers of money