Xu Da
Liu served not only in the administration of Zhu Yuanzhang, but also in many battles as a commanding officer on land and water, leading the early Ming naval forces. Zhu Yuanzhang placed Liu in charge of the campaign to conquer all of Zhejiang from Yuan forces. Liu was also responsible for military ventures against opposing Chinese rebel groups, as well as the "wokou". His forces owed much of their success to the use of the medieval Chinese firearm known as the fire lance. It was during this period that he wrote the books "Extraordinary Strategies of a Hundred Battles" ("百戰奇略") and "Eighteen Strategies and Affairs" ("時務十八策"). Later in the rebellion, Zhu Yuanzhang only rarely relied on Liu to personally command his armies in the field, as he acquired other capable generals, including Xu Da, Deng Yu and Chang Yuchun. Liu was most often consulted for his strategic advice during this period.