Ming Yuzhen
Ming Yuzhen was a peasant who established the rebel Empire of Xia during the late Yuan dynasty in China.
Ming was born in Suizhou in a farmer family. He changed the character of his surname to mean "Brilliance" later. In 1353 he joined the Red Turbans, a rebel group led by Xu Shouhui. He was blinded in the right eye during a battle.
In 1360, Xu was killed by Chen Youliang, so Ming left his group and proclaimed himself King of Longshu. Two years later, he proclaimed himself Emperor of Great Xia in Chongqing, with the era name of Tiantong. In Great Xia, there was taxation, imperial examination, and a state religion of Buddhism.
In 1363, he attacked Prince Liang, Bolud Temür in Yunnan. His plans to expand did not work out and he died in of illness at the age of 35. He was succeeded by his son Ming Sheng, who changed the era name to Kaixi and was exiled to Korea when Longshu was destroyed by the Ming Empire in 1371. The Korean official Yun Hui-chong's daughter married Ming Sheng in March 1373. Ming Sheng was 17 and Chen Li was 21 when they were sent to Korea in 1372 by the Ming dynasty.
Also, Ming Yuzhen is the founder of one of the Korean clan, Yeonan Myeong clan, Seochok Myeong clan and Namwon Seung clan.
