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Chang Yuchun
Early Ming general from Huaiyuan who led the assault at Caishi, served as Xu Da's deputy in the northern campaign that took Dadu, and died suddenly on the march home
Mural of the event “Founding of Ming”, which this person took part in.
The end-Yuan Red Turban uprising had cleared most of the southern geopolitical fragmentation but also faced the still-strong counter-strike strength of the main northern Yuan court. The south urgently needed a leader to command the heroes.
Also known as Zi Boren
- Roles
- Commanders
Chang Yuchun, courtesy name Boren, came from Huaiyuan; the Ming History (Ming shi) describes a man of striking looks and great strength, long-armed and a fine archer. After a spell with the outlaw Liu Ju he joined Zhu Yuanzhang at Hezhou in 1355, and in that year's Yangzi crossing he was first ashore at Caishi, scattering the Yuan defenders. He fought at Lake Poyang and with Xu Da took Pingjiang and captured Zhang Shicheng, and his boast that he could sweep the realm with a hundred thousand men earned him the nickname Chang Hundred Thousand. As Xu Da's deputy he helped take the Yuan capital in 1368, and the next year he seized Kaiping, driving the last Yuan emperor north. On the march back in 1369 he fell ill and died suddenly at Liuhechuan, aged forty, and was made Prince of Kaiping with the name Zhongwu. He shared the sacrifices of the imperial ancestral temple and ranked second after Xu Da among the meritorious officials.
Life and times
Dates 1330 CE–1369 CE
- 1367Founding of MingTook partage 37