Xu Da

Xu Da (1332–1385), courtesy name Tiande, known by his title as Duke of Wei (魏國公), later posthumously as Prince of Zhongshan (中山王), was a Chinese military general and official who lived in the late Yuan dynasty and early Ming dynasty. He was a friend of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder and first ruler of the Ming dynasty, and assisted him in overthrowing the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty and establishing the Ming dynasty. He was also the father of Empress Xu, who married the third Ming ruler, the Yongle Emperor, and maternal grandfather of the Hongxi Emperor. All but two subsequent Ming and Southern Ming emperors were descended from him.

Xu Da was cautious and skilled in governing the army, making outstanding contributions to the establishment of the Ming Dynasty and the recovery of Chinese territory. Zhu Yuanzhang praised him as "the Great Wall" of the Ming Dynasty. After his death, Xu Da was posthumously honored as the title "King of Zhongshan" (中山王) by Zhu in 1385, ranking first in the Imperial Ancestral Temples and Portrait Temples of Meritorious Officials.

Biography
Xu Da was described as a stalwart man with a slim face and high cheekbones, he joined the Red Turban rebels in 1353 to overthrow the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty in China. Xu served as a general under Zhu Yuanzhang, a prominent rebel leader, and assisted him in defeating other rival warlords and opposing forces. In 1368, the year when the Ming dynasty was founded, Xu Da and other Ming generals led an attack on Khanbaliq (present-day Beijing), the Yuan capital, and forced the last Yuan ruler, Toghon Temür, to flee northward.

Xu Da led a pursuit on the retreating Yuan forces and encountered Taejo of Joseon, the founder of the Korean Joseon dynasty, who was ordered by the Mongols to attack the Ming army. Xu Da's presence struck fear into the Korean generals, who in turn, allied themselves with the Ming forces instead. Afterwards, Xu Da's army entered Mongol territory, routed Mongol reinforcements, sacked the Mongol capital at Karakorum, and captured thousands of Mongol nobles in 1370. His army ventured to Transbaikalia and reached further north than any other Chinese army had ever before.

Xu Da died in 1385 under mysterious circumstances. He was not accused of plotting an assassination on the Hongwu Emperor – although many other generals who contributed heavily to the founding of the Ming dynasty were put to death by the emperor for allegedly plotting rebellions. According to legend, Xu Da was allergic to goose, so the Hongwu Emperor sent him a goose dish and ordered the emissary to ensure that Xu ate it and died. This statement is not a fact, but a rumor. Xu Da died of a natural illness. His family was still very prominent in the Ming dynasty.

Family
Wives and Issue:
 * Lady, of the Zhang clan (張氏)
 * Madame Wang of Zhongshan, of the Xie clan (中山王夫人 謝氏), daughter of Xie Zaixing (謝再興)
 * Xu Huizu, Duke Zhongzhen of Wei (徐輝祖 忠贞魏国公; 1368–1407), 1st son
 * Xu Tianfu (徐添福), 2nd son
 * Xu Zengshou, Duke of Ding (徐增壽 定國公; d. 1402), 3rd son
 * Xu Yihua, Empress Renxiaowen (仁孝文皇后 徐儀華; 5 March 1362 – 6 August 1407), 1st daughter
 * Married Zhu Di, 5th son of Hongwu Emperor, in 1736 and had issue (4 daughters and 3 sons)
 * Lady Xu, Princess Consort of Dai (徐氏 代王妃; d. 1427), 2nd daughter
 * Married Zhu Gui, 13th son of Hongwu Emperor, and had issue (3 sons)
 * Lady Xu, Princess Consort of An (徐氏 安王妃; d. 1449), 3rd daughter
 * Married Zhu Ying, Prince of Ai, 22th son of Hongwu Emperor
 * Lady, of the Sun clan (孫氏)
 * Xu Yingxu (徐膺緒; 1372 – 2 March 1416), 4th son
 * Lady, of the Jia clan (賈氏)
 * Xu Miaojin (徐妙锦), 4th daughter

In fiction
Xu Da appears as a minor character in Louis Cha's wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. As a member of the anti-Yuan Ming Cult, Xu Da participated actively in the rebellions to overthrow the Yuan dynasty under the leadership of Zhang Wuji. Zhang passes Xu the Book of Wumu, a text on military strategy written by the Song dynasty general Yue Fei. Xu benefits greatly from reading the book, becomes a brilliant military commander, and assists Zhu Yuanzhang in overthrowing the Yuan dynasty and establishing the Ming dynasty.