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, father-in-law of the Yongle Emperor, and maternal grandfather of the Hongxi Emperor. All but two subsequent Ming and Southern Ming emperors were descended from him.