Little is known about Min Xu's background, as neither of the official histories of Tang Dynasty contained a biography for him. It is known that he was originally an officer from Jiangxi Circuit, whose soldiers were stationed at neighboring Hunan Circuit as of 881. Around the new year 882, when Min's assignment was apparently completed and he was set to return to Jiangxi with his soldiers, he went through Hunan's capital Tan Prefecture. While there, he expelled Hunan's governor Li Yu and seized power himself, claiming the title of acting governor.
Rule of Hunan and death
As of summer 882, the imperial government under then-reigning Emperor Xizong must have confirmed Min Xu's takeover, for he was referred to by that point as full governor. After being made governor, he made numerous requests for the post to be upgraded to the more prestigious position of military governor, but the imperial government rejected the overture, believing that granting Min's request would lead to other circuits not yet at military governor status making the requests. However, around the same time, the agrarian rebel leader Zhong Chuan, whom the imperial government had previously tried to enlist into the imperial camp by making him the prefect of Fu Prefecture, had taken over Jiangxi's capital Hong Prefecture and expelled Jiangxi's governor Gao Maoqing. The imperial government wanted to put Min and Zhong into conflict with each other, and therefore upgraded Jiangxi to Zhennan Circuit as a military governor post and commissioned Min as the military governor of Zhennan, ordering him to return to Zhennan to expel Zhong. Min, knowing the imperial government's intent, refused to launch his forces. In fall 883, Emperor Xizong promoted Hunan to the military governor-level Qinhua Circuit and made Min its military governor. In summer 886, Zhou Yue the prefect of Heng Prefecture, formally a subordinate of Min's, attacked Tan Prefecture. At that time, Huang Hao, one of the generals under Qin Zongquan, who had claimed imperial title at Cai Prefecture, was in the region. Min, for reasons unclear to history, invited Huang into Tan Prefecture to assist in defending against Zhou's attack. Once Huang entered Tan Prefecture, however, he killed Min and seized control. Zhou, soon thereafter, captured Tan Prefecture and put Huang to death, taking over control of the circuit.
