明開國後，對「省（行省）」級地方管理體制進行了徹底改造，形成了一套以「邊（都司、行都司）省（布政司、直隸）並立」、「軍民分治」為特徵的複雜體系。這套人為創置的制度，並不能很好地因應時勢的變化，但太祖確立的「家法」，又不容許進行任何改易。於是，祖制之不可變與舊制之不可不變，這一對矛盾體在洪武以後持續地發展；其特徵是：朝廷在不違戾舊制的前提下，大量差遣官員到地方管事，以補弊竇。最先是武臣與內官，然後是文臣，這些「欽差」官職後來都固著在地方，逐漸構築起新的統治架構，其中以鎮守內官、鎮守總兵和巡撫都御史為核心的「三堂體制」最為典型。然而在它內部，文臣與內官始終在角力，這顯示，「三堂體制」不過是「洪武體制」在向新體制轉化過程中的一種過渡形態。到嘉靖中葉，裁撤鎮守內官，這一體制便崩潰了，同時也宣告以文臣為中心的「督撫體制」正式誕生。無疑，在這個延續時間長達百年的地方管理體制的演變過程中，向來為人忽視的內官鎮守制度扮演了重要角色，是研究這一轉變的關鍵。

After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, a thorough transformation of the administration of the ”provincial” level was carried out. A complex, rigid system was formed, which separated borders and interior provinces, civilians and servicemen. But this man-made system, exemplified by the establishment of the ”family tradition” system by the dynasty's founder, could not cope with future changes in the political situation. Thus this paper finds that ideas such as ”the immutability of the ancestral system” and ”the invariability of the old system” through becoming unwritten laws made alterations to the system difficult. These contradictions continued throughout the Ming Dynasty as evidenced by the following examples: whilst striving for the appearance of working within the existing system, the Emperor nevertheless sent officials to be involved in local affairs to make up for deficiencies and these same imperial officials later worked on building a new administrative framework, with the core ”three hall systems” system being most typical. However, this was framework was just a transitional form between the original ”Hongwu system” and a new system. In the Jiajing middle era, with the abolition of eunuch officials, this system also collapsed, and simultaneously the official birth of the civil official-centric ”imperial inspector system” was announced. There is no doubt that in this centuries-long transformation, the system of eunuch officers played a crucial role which cannot be overlooked.