Hou Jing
Hou Andu came from a prominent clan of Shixing Commandery (始興, roughly modern Shaoguan, Guangdong). In his youth, he was known for being skilled at calligraphy, playing the "qin", riding, and archery. When the rebel general Hou Jing (no relation) attacked the capital Jiankang and captured it in 549, the local general Chen Baxian decided to try to raise an army to try to assist in recovering Jiankang. Hou Andu gathered 3,000 men and joined Chen's army. He, as one of Chen's three key lieutenants (along with Du Sengming and Zhou Wenyu () subsequently assisted Chen in his campaigns against local warlords Cai Luyang () and Li Qianshi (), and, when Chen served as the lieutenant of Emperor Yuan's general Wang Sengbian in 552 in defeating Hou Jing and recapturing Jiankang with contribution from Hou Andu, Emperor Yuan awarded Hou Andu with a general title and created him as the Viscount of Fuchuan.