(d. 22 March 1393) was a Chinese military leader and one of the most influential generals of the
. His exceptional military skills and the support of his relative, General
, earned him a high-ranking position in the Ming army. Throughout the 1380s, he rose to prominence as one of the empire's top military leaders. However, in 1393, he was accused of conspiracy and attempted coup, leading to his downfall and execution. His family and a large number of his relatives and subordinates were also executed, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people during the purge.
Biography
Lan Yu was from Dingyuan, Anhui Province. In the 1360s, his elder sister married Chang Yuchun, the second most important general of Zhu Yuanzhang, who was establishing his own state during the Red Turban Rebellion against the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. Lan Yu served as an officer in Chang Yuchun's army and quickly rose through the ranks during this time period.
By 1371, he had become a general in Fu Youde's army, which was tasked with conquering Sichuan under the orders of Zhu Yuanzhang, who had become the Ming emperor in 1368. The following year, Lan Yu was transferred to the army of General Xu Da, which marched north from Shanxi to confront the Mongol warlord Köke Temür. In April 1372, Lan Yu led a separate force and successfully defeated Köke Temür at the Tula River. He then continued to serve in the north, leading an expedition against the Mongols gathered north of Kalgan in 1374. In 1375, Lan Yu played a crucial role in the defense of Yan'an against the Mongols.
In November 1378, the emperor appointed him as Mu Ying's deputy in the campaign against the Tibetans in Gansu. In October 1379, the enemy suffered a defeat, and the generals returned to the capital. In December 1379, the emperor awarded twelve of them noble titles, but most of them were later executed as members of the Lan Yu conspiracy. He himself became the Marquis of Yongchang with an annual income of 2,000 dan (about 119 tons) of grain.
In September 1381, Lan Yu served as General Fu Youde's deputy during the conquest of Yunnan. In January 1382, after the Ming troops successfully defeated the Yuan army in the first phase of the campaign, Lan Yu led a separate detachment to Dali and conquered it, gaining control of northwestern Yunnan. As a reward for his contributions, the emperor increased Lan Yu's income to 2,500 dan and allowed his daughter to marry the emperor's eleventh son, Zhu Chun, who was the Prince of Shu.
In September 1385, Feng Sheng, along with two deputies, Lan Yu and Fu Youde, assumed control of the army in Beijing. After thorough preparations, they were tasked with suppressing the Mongol forces in southern Manchuria in January 1387. Lan Yu led the vanguard and successfully defeated some of the Mongols. In July of that year, the main Ming army emerged victorious against the enemy forces and captured their commander, Naghachu. However, in September 1387, Feng Sheng was dismissed due to his unsatisfactory performance during the campaign. Lan Yu then took over as the commander of the army and established his headquarters east of Beijing. In November 1387, Lan Yu was given the order to attack the main Mongol forces led by Khan Tögüs Temür. By mid-May 1388, a massive army of 150,000 Ming troops had marched across the Gobi Desert into northeastern Mongolia. The Mongols were taken by surprise at Buir Lake, which was located 500 miles north of Beijing. Although Tögüs Temür fled the battle, Lan Yu's troops were able to capture tens of thousands of prisoners and defeat the Mongol general Qarajang on their way back. Upon returning to Nanjing in September 1388, Lan and his subordinates were generously rewarded for their victory. On 19 January 1389, Lan was appointed Duke of Liang with an annual income of 3,000 dan. This was a significant achievement, as he was only the third duke to be appointed since 1370. Lan was part of a new generation of generals who rose to prominence after the civil wars of the 1360s. The emperor also praised Lan Yu as "comparable to Wei Qing of the Han dynasty and Li Jing of the Tang dynasty".
In March 1389, he was sent to Sichuan, and the following year, he suppressed revolts in southwestern Huguang. Upon his return to the capital in September 1390, his income was increased to 3,500 dan. In April 1391, he was sent to Shaanxi with two other dukes and several marquises to command the frontier army.
In February 1392, the emperor dismissed several influential generals from their command positions, including Lan Yu, Li Jinglong, Chang Sheng, and others. The emperor had developed a distrust of the military elite as a whole, but Lan Yu still retained his favor, despite his occasional tactless behavior. In March, he was appointed commander in Lanzhou, where he fought against the Mongols. In Sichuan, commander of the Jianchang guard, Yelü Temür, gained the support of local non-Chinese tribes and rebelled. Despite the efforts of loyal troops, they were unable to stop him. As a result, Lan Yu was sent with his army to confront the rebellion. Before his arrival, the rebels were defeated in July 1392, and their commander was captured by the end of the year. In order to prevent future rebellions, Lan Yu proposed relocating a larger number of soldier-peasants to Sichuan. This recommendation came at a time when the government was unsuccessful in addressing the abuse of soldiers and soldier-peasants by their commanders. The emperor, angered by this issue, used it as a pretext to recall Lan Yu to Nanjing in December 1392.
In August 1392, a purge of military commanders was initiated. Zhou Dexing, Marquis of Jiangxia, was accused of colluding with Hu Weiyong, a chancellor who had been executed in 1380, and was subsequently executed. In September, Ye Sheng, Marquis of Jingning and a relative of Lan Yu, was also put to death. Additionally, several dukes and marquises were relieved of their command positions and sent back to their respective fiefs.
In late 1392, Lan Yu was sent to the northwest to suppress the Mongol rebellion of Orlug Temür. He successfully defeated the rebels in December of that year. Upon his return to Nanjing, he demanded levies from the local peasants for further campaigns in the west. This request was refused by the emperor, who then relieved Lan Yu of his command. Lan Yu was deeply affected by this dismissal and in January 1393, he was given an honorary title of grand tutor (taifu) as partial compensation. However, he loudly complained that his colleagues Feng Sheng and Fu Youde held a title one level higher (grand preceptor, taishi), which only increased the emperor's aversion towards him.
Zhu Di, the fourth son of the emperor, was known for his military prowess and played a significant role in fueling the emperor's distrust towards his arrogant generals. One of his main targets was Lan Yu, whom he saw as a threat due to his close relationship with the crown prince. In order to solidify his own power, Zhu Di deliberately directed the emperor's suspicions towards the generals. According to historian Wang Shizhen (1526–1590), Zhu Di was the main instigator behind Lan Yu's arrest and execution. He was also linked to the suspicious deaths of Feng Sheng and Fu Youde in late 1394 and early 1395.
In the early months of 1393, the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrested several of Lan Yu's former subordinates and coerced them into confessing against him. In February 1393, four of the emperor's sons were hastily sent to the northern frontiers, with three of them not even having built their own residences yet. In March 1393, Lan Yu, along with a large number of his subordinates and allies, were arrested and accused of conspiracy and rebellion. They were subsequently executed on 22 March.
In the subsequent purges, approximately 20,000 people were executed, including one duke and fourteen marquises. During the purges of the early 1390s, the emperor eliminated the military nobility, leaving a power vacuum that was eventually filled by individuals closely associated with the emperor, particularly his sons. It is possible that the removal of influential and meritorious individuals was a strategic move to ensure a smooth transfer of power to the heir to the throne.
Lan Yu (d. 22 March 1393) was a Chinese military leader and one of the most influential generals of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder and first emperor of the Ming dynasty. His exceptional military skills and the support of his relative, General Chang Yuchun, earned him a high-ranking position in the Ming army. Throughout the 1380s, he rose to prominence as one of the empire's top military leaders. However, in 1393, he was accused of conspiracy and attempted coup, leading to his downfall and execution. His family and a large number of his relatives and subordinates were also executed, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people during the purge.