Xu Da

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Xu Da (徐達) (1332—1385) was a talented general whom help found the Ming Dynasty. Prior to being a good friend of the first Ming Emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, he was also the father-in-law of the third Ming emperor, the Yongle Emperor.

He joined the red turbans rebels in 1353. He was put under Zhu Yuanzhang's command, and helped the future emperor put down various warlords. In the year 1369, two years after the founding of the Ming dynasty, he along with various deputies, attacked the Yuan capital of Beijing and forced the Yuan Emperor to flee. Xu Da followed the retreating Mongols and at one point were checked by the Korean general, Yi Seonggye, who was commanded to take out the Chinese army. Xu Da's presence striked fear into the Korean generals, whom in turn allied themselves with the Chinese instead. Yi Seonggye would later found the Joseon Dynasty. Afterward, Xu Da entered Mongolian and routed several Mongol reinforcements from around the empire. Eventually, he sacked the Mongolian capital at Karakorum, and captured thousand of Mongol nobles in 1370. He died in 1385 under mysterious circumstances; many gossips suggest that Zhu Yuanzhang is responsible for his death out of jealousy.