According to Records of the Historian, there were 14 merchants who passed from their ancestors "Qi" to "Tang", and the monarch of Xia Dynasty was also the 14th (17th) emperor from to. Shang Tang changed his life, Shang replaced him and died in the 17th (the 31st emperor).
The situation from Qi to Tang recorded in Historical Records has been confirmed, which shows that Tai Shigong's Historical Records is rigorous, and it can't be recorded unless he believes in history, so it is speculated that "Xia" should exist.
Ancient books such as Shiben, Zuo Zhuan, Zhushu, Shangshu, Shan Hai Jing, Chu Ci all have records about Xia. It is hard to imagine that in the Zhou dynasty, which advertised "ruling the country by virtue", many scholars and sages collectively faked it.
Moreover, there is no need for unofficial mainstream books such as bamboo slips, Shan Hai Jing and Chu Ci to make up a "Xia" to prove the legitimacy of Shang Dynasty. Therefore, judging from the situation that the non-school of "Xia" was put forward separately, "Xia" definitely existed.
Extended data:
"Xia" did not rule the world, and culture was not necessarily the most advanced at that time. According to the development of human society at that time, Xia should only be the leader of the tribal alliance in the Central Plains (Heluo area), and the degree of civilization may not be as good as that of Shang Dynasty, but it was deliberately exaggerated by Zhou people for political needs, which made future generations feel that Xia was magnificent and represented advanced culture.
To tell the truth, it is not known whether there are mature words in Xia. Judging from the prehistoric cultural relics excavated now, at the same time (before Shang Tang), the culture in the middle reaches of the Yellow River was not the most advanced, on the contrary, it may be relatively backward, so it is normal to find no exact material evidence and Xia characters about "Xia" so far.
Due to the flood of the Yellow River, Xia civilization was destroyed or buried. During the Yu Xia period, the Yellow River flooded, and the Xia people moved their capital many times (the Yellow River flooded many times after the Shang Dynasty). The Yellow River flooded for a long time and it was difficult to control it. Therefore, it is very likely that Xia civilization will be destroyed by the Yellow River, which needs to be explored in the future.
References:
Baidu Encyclopedia-Xia Dynasty