Hu Mei (Ming dynasty)

Hu Mei (胡美) (died 1384), originally name Tingrui (廷瑞), later changed his name to avoid Zhu Yuanzhang's courtesy name, a native of Xiantao, Henan Jiangbei province (present-day Xiantao, Hubei), was a Chinese military general of the Ming dynasty.

He first served Chen Youliang and served as Chancellor of Jiangxi Province (江西行省丞相), guarding Longxing. Zhu Yuanzhang captured Jiangzhou and sent an envoy to persuade Hu Mei to surrender. Hu Mei sent Zheng Renjie (鄭仁傑) to ask for surrender, but he requested that his troops not be disbanded. Zhu Yuanzhang was initially faced with a difficult choice, then Liu Ji suggested it and Zhu wrote a letter to explain it. In the end, Hu Mei led the crowd to request surrender, but Zhu Yuanzhang still allowed him to retain his old post.^[1] After Hu Mei surrendered, his subordinates Kang Tai (康泰) and Zhu Zong (祝宗) still refused to surrender and rebelled, capturing Hongdu. Xu Da put down the rebellion, but Zhu Yuanzhang refused to kill Kang Tai because he was Hu Mei's nephew. After that, Hu Mei captured Wuchang, and with Xu Da and others, he captured Huaidong, attacked Zhang Shicheng, successively capturing Huzhou, Pingjiang, Wuxi, and other places, and persuaded Mo Tianyou (莫天祐) to surrender.^[2]

Later, he became the "General Who Conquered the South" (征南將軍). He invaded Fujian and successively captured Shangguan (杉關), Guangze (光澤), Shaowu, Jianyang, Jianning, Fuzhou, Yanping, and Xinghua (興化). He stayed in Fujian before being recalled.^[3] Later, he was appointed to the positions of Manager of the Central Secretariat (中書平章) and Associate Administrator of the Household (同知詹事院事) and was granted the titles of Marquis of Yuzhang (豫章侯) and Marquis of Linchuan (臨川侯).

Later, during the Hu Weiyong case, Hu Mei was forced to commit suicide due to his eldest daughter, who was a Noble Consort, his son, and his son-in-law being convicted of debauchery in the imperial palace. His son and son-in-law were also sentenced to death.^[4]

References

Citations

^ History of Ming, Volume 129:「胡美，沔陽人。初名廷瑞，避太祖字，易名美。初仕陳友諒，為江西行省丞相，守龍興。太祖既下江州，遣使招諭美。美遣使鄭仁傑詣九江請降，且請無散部曲。太祖初難之，劉基蹴所坐胡床。太祖悟，賜書報曰：「鄭仁傑至，言足下有效順之誠，此足下明達也；又恐分散所部，此足下過慮也。吾起兵十年，奇才英士，得之四方多矣。有能審天時，料事機，不待交兵，挺然委身來者，嘗推赤心以待，隨其才任使之，兵少則益之以兵，位卑則隆之以爵，財乏則厚之以賞，安肯散其部曲，使人自危疑，負來歸之心哉？且以陳氏諸將觀之，如趙普勝驍勇善戰，以疑見戮。猜忌若此，竟何所成。近建康龍灣之役，予所獲長張、梁鉉、彭指揮諸人，用之如故，視吾諸將，恩均義一。長張破安慶水寨，梁鉉等攻江北，並膺厚賞。此數人者，其自視無複生理，尚待之如此，況如足下不勞一卒，以完城來歸者耶？得失之機，間不容髮，足下當早為計。」美得書，乃遣康泰至九江來降。太祖遂如龍興，至樵舍。美以陳氏所授丞相印及軍民糧儲之數來獻，迎謁於新城門。太祖慰勞之，俾仍舊官。」
^ History of Ming, Volume 129:「美之降也，同僉康泰、平章祝宗不欲從，美微言於太祖。太祖命將其兵，從徐達征武昌。二人果叛，攻陷洪都。達等還兵擊定之。祝宗走死，執康泰歸於建康。太祖以泰為美甥，赦勿誅。美從征武昌，複與達等帥馬步舟師取淮東，進伐張士誠，下湖州，圍平江，別將取無錫，降莫天祐。師還，加榮祿大夫。」
^ History of Ming, Volume 129:「其冬，命為征南將軍，帥師由江西取福建，諭之曰：「汝以陳氏丞相來歸，事吾數年，忠實無過，故命汝總兵取閩。左丞何文輝為爾副，參政戴德聽調發，二人雖皆吾親近，勿以其故廢軍法。聞汝嘗攻閩中，宜深知其地利險易。今總大軍攻圍城邑，必擇便宜可否為進退，無失機宜。」美遂渡杉關，下光澤，邵武守將李宗茂以城降。次建陽，守將曹複疇亦降。進圍建寧，守將同僉達裏麻、參政陳子琦謀堅守以老我師。美數挑戰，不出，急攻之，乃降。整軍入城，秋毫無所犯。執子琦等送京師，獲將士九千七百餘人，糧糗馬畜稱是。會湯和等亦取福州、延平、興化，美遂遣降將諭降汀、泉諸郡。福建悉平。美留守其地。尋召還，從幸汴梁。」
^ History of Ming, Volume 129:「太祖即位，以美為中書平章、同知詹事院事。洪武三年命赴河南，招集擴廓故部曲。是年冬論功，封豫章侯，食祿千五百石，予世券，誥詞以竇融歸漢為比。十三年改封臨川侯，董建潭漂府於長沙。太祖榜列勳臣，謂持兵兩雄間，可觀望而不觀望來歸者七人。七人者，韓政、曹良臣、楊璟、陸聚、梅思祖、黃彬及美，皆封侯。美與璟有方面勳，帝遇之尤厚。十七年坐法死。二十三年，李善長敗，帝手詔條列奸黨，言美因長女為貴妃，偕其子婿入亂宮禁，事覺，子婿刑死，美賜自盡雲。」

Sources

Chen, Wutong (陈梧桐) (2019-01-01). Zhu Yuanzhang history (朱元璋大传) (in Chinese). Beijing Book Co. Inc. ISBN 978-7-101-13109-3.
Wang, Xinlong (王新龙) (2013-11-20). The Ming Dynasty: Part 3 (大明王朝3) (in Chinese). Green Apple Data Center (青苹果数据中心).
Shi, Jian (石堅) (2010). House of Zhu (朱家天下) (in Chinese). Cloud Books (雲書).
Li, Yong (李勇) (2017-08-01). Ming Taizu: Zhu Yuanzhang (大明太祖朱元璋) (in Chinese). Beijing Book Co. Inc. ISBN 978-7-5451-4344-7.
Zhang, Tingyu. History of Ming.

[1] History of Ming, Volume 129:「胡美，沔陽人。初名廷瑞，避太祖字，易名美。初仕陳友諒，為江西行省丞相，守龍興。太祖既下江州，遣使招諭美。美遣使鄭仁傑詣九江請降，且請無散部曲。太祖初難之，劉基蹴所坐胡床。太祖悟，賜書報曰：「鄭仁傑至，言足下有效順之誠，此足下明達也；又恐分散所部，此足下過慮也。吾起兵十年，奇才英士，得之四方多矣。有能審天時，料事機，不待交兵，挺然委身來者，嘗推赤心以待，隨其才任使之，兵少則益之以兵，位卑則隆之以爵，財乏則厚之以賞，安肯散其部曲，使人自危疑，負來歸之心哉？且以陳氏諸將觀之，如趙普勝驍勇善戰，以疑見戮。猜忌若此，竟何所成。近建康龍灣之役，予所獲長張、梁鉉、彭指揮諸人，用之如故，視吾諸將，恩均義一。長張破安慶水寨，梁鉉等攻江北，並膺厚賞。此數人者，其自視無複生理，尚待之如此，況如足下不勞一卒，以完城來歸者耶？得失之機，間不容髮，足下當早為計。」美得書，乃遣康泰至九江來降。太祖遂如龍興，至樵舍。美以陳氏所授丞相印及軍民糧儲之數來獻，迎謁於新城門。太祖慰勞之，俾仍舊官。」

[2] History of Ming, Volume 129:「美之降也，同僉康泰、平章祝宗不欲從，美微言於太祖。太祖命將其兵，從徐達征武昌。二人果叛，攻陷洪都。達等還兵擊定之。祝宗走死，執康泰歸於建康。太祖以泰為美甥，赦勿誅。美從征武昌，複與達等帥馬步舟師取淮東，進伐張士誠，下湖州，圍平江，別將取無錫，降莫天祐。師還，加榮祿大夫。」

[3] History of Ming, Volume 129:「其冬，命為征南將軍，帥師由江西取福建，諭之曰：「汝以陳氏丞相來歸，事吾數年，忠實無過，故命汝總兵取閩。左丞何文輝為爾副，參政戴德聽調發，二人雖皆吾親近，勿以其故廢軍法。聞汝嘗攻閩中，宜深知其地利險易。今總大軍攻圍城邑，必擇便宜可否為進退，無失機宜。」美遂渡杉關，下光澤，邵武守將李宗茂以城降。次建陽，守將曹複疇亦降。進圍建寧，守將同僉達裏麻、參政陳子琦謀堅守以老我師。美數挑戰，不出，急攻之，乃降。整軍入城，秋毫無所犯。執子琦等送京師，獲將士九千七百餘人，糧糗馬畜稱是。會湯和等亦取福州、延平、興化，美遂遣降將諭降汀、泉諸郡。福建悉平。美留守其地。尋召還，從幸汴梁。」

[4] History of Ming, Volume 129:「太祖即位，以美為中書平章、同知詹事院事。洪武三年命赴河南，招集擴廓故部曲。是年冬論功，封豫章侯，食祿千五百石，予世券，誥詞以竇融歸漢為比。十三年改封臨川侯，董建潭漂府於長沙。太祖榜列勳臣，謂持兵兩雄間，可觀望而不觀望來歸者七人。七人者，韓政、曹良臣、楊璟、陸聚、梅思祖、黃彬及美，皆封侯。美與璟有方面勳，帝遇之尤厚。十七年坐法死。二十三年，李善長敗，帝手詔條列奸黨，言美因長女為貴妃，偕其子婿入亂宮禁，事覺，子婿刑死，美賜自盡雲。」

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