Analyzing China's historical reforms has had a great impact on the comprehensive deepening of reforms. This article constructs a comprehensive analysis framework based on the subject theory, geography theory, change theory and system theory, and reinterprets the influencing factors of the 14 reforms in history. The results of fsQCA show that a single condition fails to fully explain the success or failure of the reform. It is a combined function of the six conditions: “initial conditions”, “external environment”, “reform subjects”, “reform measures”, “institutional innovation” and “process requirements”. There are 5 configurations for successful reforms, which can be refined into an efficient execution mode and a centralized breakthrough mode, indicating that higher process requirements and strong main power are the core conditions. There are three configurations of failed reforms, which are simplified into a weak execution mode and a weak reform mode according to the strength of the "process requirements". The common point is that the reform subject is weak and the execution power is weak. Based on this, five theoretical propositions are derived: the interaction and coupling of multiple factors leads to successful reforms; reforms with strong subjects are easy to succeed; reform measures, process requirements and innovation strengths complement each other; reforms present historical cycles, and reforms in the early dynasty are easy to succeed; the lack of core conditions caused the reform to fail. Research has revealed that successful reforms must break through historical constraints with institutional innovation, follow a reasonable path, and avoid risks in a timely manner. This research attempts to bring history back to the perspective of public management, and to study the reform stories in our country's history, in order to construct a Chinese-style governance knowledge system.