In history, there have been many self-made founding emperors, such as Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, and Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, who have attracted the attention of the world. However, there is another one worth mentioning, and that is the founding emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty - Liu Yu, Emperor Wu of the Song Dynasty. Like Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang, Liu Yu's rise is also full of legends.
Liu Yu was born as a descendant of Liu Jiao, the king of Chu Yuan, however, his family had fallen into decay in this generation, and Liu Yu himself was even more in debt. As a young man, he was addicted to gambling and owed huge sums of money, even being arrested until his nobleman Wang Mi paid it back for him. This small "funding" made Liu Yu brilliant later.
In ancient times, people who did not do their jobs usually chose to join the army, and Liu Yu was no exception. He became a Sima of the Northern Fu Army of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, initially as a subordinate of the champion general Sun Wuzhong. In 399, Sun En of Wudou Midao rebelled in Huiji, and Liu Yu ushered in his opportunity to make his fortune. In a battle with the rebels, Liu Yu adopted heroic and frontal tactics, leading a reconnaissance team of dozens of people, although most of them were killed, but finally recaptured Huiji City with the support of Liu Gaozhi.
Liu Gaozhi, also a descendant of Liu Jiao, the king of Chu Yuan, became the second nobleman on Liu Yu's way to fortune. However, the political situation was turbulent, Huan Xuan raised troops on the side of the Qing monarch, Liu Gaozhi hesitated in the process of resisting, and was finally attacked by Huan Xuan. Liu Yu could only be forced to commit himself to the thieves and become Huan Xuan's subordinate.
Huan Xuan took a fancy to Liu Yu's prestige among the Beifu soldiers, appointed him as a lieutenant soldier to join the army, and ordered him to quell Sun En's rebellion again. Liu Yu once again made meritorious contributions, but with Huan Xuan's usurpation of the Jin Dynasty as emperor, Liu Yu was helpless against the tyrannical Huan Xuan. However, Liu Yu's opportunity finally came, and he raised troops in Jingkou (Zhenjiang), and was elected by the rebels as the leader of the alliance to jointly defeat Huan Xuan. After the death of his friend Wang Mi, Liu Yu accepted the edict of the auxiliary government, and eventually obtained a series of important official positions.
Liu Yu, with his pioneering military skills and outstanding political skills, successfully quelled the chaos. He successively quelled the rebellion of Lu Xunzhi, suppressed the rebellions of Liu Yi and Sima Xiuzhi, destroyed the Shu Dynasty, and realized the actual unification of the situation that fell apart in the last years of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The Northern Expedition to the outside world, destroyed the Southern Yan, captured Murong Chao and beheaded Jiankang, and recovered the two capitals of Luoyang and Chang'an.
Liu Yu became one of the most glorious founding emperors in the history of the Southern Dynasties with his outstanding military performance. His success benefited from the assistance of his staff members Liu Muzhi, Xu Xianzhi, Fu Liang, and Xie Hui, as well as his generals Tan Daoji, Wang Zhenwei, Zhu Lingshi, Zhu Chaoshi, and Shen Tianzi. His military strength was among the highest among the founding emperors, and Liu Yu's prestige pushed this history to a climax.