Many earlier studies considered classical (i.e. Confucian canons) studies in the Ming Dynasty of low research value. These evaluations may not be valid. By looking into the long-time overlooked Ba Gu essays, it is possible to observe that the interpretation of classical studies had experienced new developments since the mid-Ming Dynasty. Through a closer examination, these essays can be also related to other classical materials and different aspects of academic researches. This paper intends to point out the three phases of how Ba Gu essays in the Ming Dynasty explained the classics: From the "strict acceptance" to the "expanded interpretation" and then to the "rewriting." The impacts of these three phases could include: the rising of the canon interpreters' position; the diversion of and the competition between interpretations of the classics; and the development of the intellectuals' concerns in contemporary politics.