Biography

According to the History of Ming, in his early years, a Muslim general Lan Yu was a subordinate of Chang Yuchun, another general under the rebel leader Zhu Yuanzhang (later the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming). Lan Yu was also the younger brother of Chang Yuchun's wife. As Lan Yu displayed courage in battle, Chang Yuchun spoke well of him numerous times in front of Zhu Yuanzhang and Lan was later promoted from guanjun zhenfu (管军镇抚) to an administrative officer in the commander-in-chief's office (大都督府佥事). In 1371, Lan Yu followed Fu Youde to attack Shu (covering present-day Sichuan) and conquered Mianzhou (绵州) around present-day Mianyang. In 1372, he accompanied Xu Da on a campaign against the Northern Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia, departing from Yanmen Pass and defeating the Yuan armies at Mount Luan (乱山) and near the Tula River (土剌河). Seven years later he followed Mu Ying to attack Tibet, capturing three tribal leaders and around a thousand men. For his efforts, in 1379, Lan Yu was conferred the title of "Marquis of Yongchang" (永昌侯), in addition to receiving 2500 dan (石) of grain and a shiquan (世券), a type of plaque granted by the emperor to officials in recognition of their contributions.

In 1381, Lan Yu was appointed "Left Deputy General Who Conquers the South" (征南左副将军) and accompanied Fu Youde to attack Yunnan and pacify the region. He was rewarded with 500 dan of grain and his daughter was granted the title of "Princess Consort of Shu" (蜀王妃). In 1387, Nahachu (纳哈出) of the Northern Yuan invaded Liaodong and the Hongwu Emperor sent Feng Sheng, with Lan Yu and Fu Youde as his right and left deputies respectively, along with a 200,000-man army to attack him. Nahachu was defeated and surrendered. Lan Yu garrisoned the army at Jizhou (蓟州).

In 1388, the Hongwu Emperor commissioned Lan Yu as General-in-Chief (大将军) and sent him with 150,000 troops to attack the Northern Yuan ruler Uskhal Khan. In the fourth lunar month of that year, Lan Yu's force arrived at Buir Lake and defeated the Northern Yuan army, capturing Uskhal Khan's family members numbering more than 100, more than 77,000 civilians, more than 150,000 livestock, along with several priced items, including Uskhal Khan's imperial seals. Uskhal Khan attempted to flee to the Mongol Empire's old capital of Karakorum, but was killed shortly after the defeat. The Hongwu Emperor was pleased when he received news of Lan Yu's victory and intended to grant Lan the title of "Duke of Liang" (梁国公), but changed the Chinese character for "Liang" from "梁" to "凉" after he heard that Lan seized a Mongol noble lady for himself and violated her. This resulted in a change in the area that was to be Lan Yu's dukedom. Despite so, Hongwu still praised Lan Yu as "comparable to Wei Qing of the Han Dynasty and Li Jing of the Tang Dynasty". In 1392 a surrendered Yuan general Yuelutiemu'er (月鲁帖木儿) rebelled in Jianchang (present-day Xichang, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan) and Lan Yu was sent to suppress the revolt. Lan Yu crushed the uprising and captured Yuelutiemu'er and his son, and was appointed as the Crown Prince's Tutor (太子太傅) for his achievement.

As he made more achievements, Lan Yu became more arrogant, self-indulgent and unbridled. He started abusing his power and status and behaved violently and recklessly, sometimes even showing disrespect towards the emperor. Once, after he seized land from peasants in Dongchang (东昌), an official questioned him on his actions, but Lan Yu drove the official away in anger. In another incident, after Lan Yu returned from a campaign in the north, he arrived at Xifeng Pass (喜峰关), where the guards denied him entry as it was already late at night, but Lan led his men to force his way through. When he was away at war, Lan Yu sometimes also demoted officers at his own will and defied orders, to the extent of going to battle without permission. During his appointment as the Crown Prince's Tutor, Lan Yu was unhappy that his post was lower than the dukes of Song and Ying, so he exclaimed, "Am I not fit to be the Imperial Tutor (太师)?" The Hongwu Emperor became more angry with Lan Yu after learning of these incidents.

Lan Yu had a close friendship with the crown prince Zhu Biao. Once after Lan Yu returned from a campaign against the Mongols, he warned the crown prince that Zhu Di (the Prince of Yan and future Yongle Emperor) seemed to be a likely a threat to his succession. Zhu Di heard about this, so after Zhu Biao died in 1392, he cautioned the Hongwu Emperor that Lan Yu and other founding pioneers of the dynasty were becoming a threat to the throne and should be dealt with before they get out of control. Lan Yu and others did not restrain themselves and continued behaving in the same manner as they did. Around this time, Hongwu was already making plans to eliminate them. Five months later when Hongwu appointed Zhu Biao's son Zhu Yunwen (future Jianwen Emperor) as the new crown prince, he allowed Lan Yu to continue serving as the Crown Prince's Tutor.

Death

In the second lunar month of 1393, a Jinyiwei (secret police) commander Jiang Huan (蒋瓛) accused Lan Yu of plotting a rebellion and a search was conducted in Lan's residence and around 10,000 Japanese swords were found. The Hongwu Emperor immediately had Lan Yu put to death on a charge of treason. Lan Yu's clan was exterminated to the third degree and his properties confiscated. More than 15,000 people were implicated and executed in this incident, including 12 marquises and two counts. This incident is known historically as the Lan Yu Case (蓝玉案). It was believed that Hongwu Emperor orchestrated his death to eliminate any threat for his successor Zhu Yunwen; ironically, Lan Yu's death contributed greatly to Zhu Yunwen's downfall as after his death, there were no capable generals that could prevent the powerful Zhu Di (future Yongle Emperor) from usurping the throne after Hongwu Emperor's death.

生平

蓝玉早年隶属于常遇春的麾下，因「临战勇敢，所向多捷」，所以常遇春数次在朱元璋面前称赞蓝玉，后来自「管军镇抚」积功升为「大都督府佥事」。

洪武四年（1371年），蓝玉跟从傅友德进攻四川；洪武五年（1372年）跟从大将军徐达征讨北元，再从沐英收服吐番。由于屡立战功，明洪武十二（1379年）年蓝玉获封永昌侯。

洪武十四年（1381年），蓝玉以征南左副将军的身分跟随傅友德进攻云南。洪武二十年（1387年），北元纳哈出屡进辽东，朱元璋命蓝玉为右副将军，颍国公傅友德为左副将军，跟随征虏大将军冯胜领军二十万北征。纳哈出不敌，降明。蓝玉等暂时移屯蓟州以待其变。

洪武二十一年（1388年），朱元璋拜蓝玉为大将军，统率十五万兵马征伐北元脱古思帖木儿。该年四月明军抵捕鱼儿海（今内蒙古呼伦贝尔市贝尔湖），大破北元主力部队，获其次子地保奴、妃、公主以下百馀人，男女七万七千馀人，并宝玺、符敕金牌、金银印诸物，马驼牛羊十五万馀。脱古思帖木儿投奔蒙古旧都和林，至此，北元一蹶不振。捷报传至京城应天府，举国欢呼，朱元璋在大喜之下，本来打算封蓝玉为梁国公，后因为听到蓝玉有逼奸元妃的劣迹，改梁为「凉」。然而朱元璋仍然在其谕中，赞誉蓝玉可比汉之卫青、唐之李靖。

洪武二十四年（1392年）元降将月鲁帖木儿在建昌起兵，蓝玉擒月鲁帖木儿父子，封太子太傅。

但是爵封国公的蓝玉自恃有大功，行为开始暴戾，很多作为皆触犯明朝的律法，此外他又在皇帝面前有损人臣之礼，令朱元璋心中对蓝玉越发感到不满。

当太子朱标还健在时，蓝玉因为与朱标有戚谊，经常友好往来。有一次，蓝玉自蒙古班师回朝，告知太子说：「臣观燕王在国，举动行止，与皇帝无异。又闻望气者言，燕有天子气，愿殿下先事预防，审慎一二！」朱标回答蓝玉：「燕王事我甚恭，决无是事。」蓝玉向朱标解释：「臣蒙殿下优待，所以密陈利害，但愿臣言不验，不愿臣言幸中。」朱标没再说甚么。不过此事后来为燕王朱棣所知悉，到了洪武二十五年四月朱标薨逝后，燕王入朝上奏朱元璋说：「在朝公侯，纵恣不法，将来恐尾大不掉，应妥为处置」，暗批蓝玉等虎将立于朝廷，要趁早抑制，否则将来难治。但是蓝玉等将领依旧桀骜不驯，完全不察觉朱标的逝世已使政情丕变，因为多疑的朱元璋这时已有再大狱功臣的准备了。但是洪武二十五年九月朱元璋册立嫡长孙朱允炆为皇太孙时，仍然命蓝玉兼太孙太傅以示隆宠。

洪武二十六年（1393年）二月，锦衣卫指挥蒋瓛指控蓝玉谋反，准备在明太祖躬耕籍田时发难，并在蓝玉府库内搜出近万把倭制武士刀之说(持有刀或倭刀在明代是无罪的，万把倭刀为旁证)，朱元璋立刻以「谋反罪」处死蓝玉，抄其家产，夷三族，此案连累一万五千人被杀，包括一公爵、十三侯爵、二伯爵，史称「蓝玉案」。

未久颍国公傅友德、定远侯王弼、宋国公冯胜等亦在一两年内相继自尽或被杀。《国榷》洪武二十六年三月庚申条写：「会宁侯张温、都督萧用等以党诛。」至此，明初开国功臣几被杀尽，仅存汤和、耿炳文等人。朱元璋最后说：「自今胡党蓝党概赦不问。」

家庭

• 姐姐是常遇春之妻

• 外甥女常氏（常遇春之女）嫁给朱元璋长子，皇太子朱标

• 女儿嫁给朱元璋十一子朱椿

影视形象

在中国大陆制播的《朱元璋》和《传奇皇帝朱元璋》二部历史连续剧之中，朱元璋与张士诚激战过后不到两年，陈友谅发动大军六十万欲攻击洪都，洪都告急，朱元璋遣蓝玉率领四万兵士和两万民兵前去防守，并向蓝玉说｢坚守百日自有大军援救｣，而蓝玉不负所望，除原先的军士外，和洪都的城防兵两万馀与陈友谅部相持百馀日，几乎全军覆没，但仍歼敌数万。在洪都城即将被陈友谅大军攻破时，朱元璋的三十万大军终于赶到，徐达、傅友德等率军冲锋，夹击陈友谅的汉军。最终陈友谅军被歼灭近十五万惨败而退，是役是为｢洪都之战｣。蓝玉因此获得爵位，然而最终因｢蓝玉案｣而被抄家灭族。实际上洪都之战的守将为朱文正、邓愈、赵德胜并非蓝玉，蓝玉当时随常遇春援救安丰克吕珍，围攻庐州，后于彭蠡的康郎山方遭遇陈友谅部。