At the end of the Yuan dynasty, the Yellow River changed course and famine swept across the land. Xu Da, the son of a farming family from Zhongli in Haozhou, joined his fellow townsman Zhu Yuanzhang amid the chaos and embarked on a life of warfare. From the infighting within Haozhou's walls to the flames over Lake Poyang, from the setting sun over Pingjiang to the gates of Yuan Dadu, he spent his life winning ten thousand li of territory for the Great Ming. He surpassed all the other generals in achievement, yet remained silent and cautious, always treading as if on thin ice.
