Xu Shu

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Xu.

When Xu Shu rst attended school, his mates ostracised

him because of his background, but he remained humble
and hardworking. He woke up early, cleaned the school
alone, and paid great attention to his schoolwork. He
met Shi Tao (; also known as Shi Guangyuan
) and they became close friends. In the early 190s,
when wars broke out in central China, Xu Shu and Shi
Tao moved south to Jing Province (covering present-day
Hubei and Hunan), where they met Zhuge Liang and befriended him.* [3] During his time in Jing Province from
the late 190s to the early 200s (decade), Xu Shu maintained close friendships with Zhuge Liang, Shi Tao and
Meng Gongwei (). They travelled and studied together.* [4]

Xu Shu (birth and death dates unknown), courtesy name

Yuanzhi, originally named Shan Fu, was an ocial of
the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period. He
was born sometime in the late Eastern Han dynasty and
used to be a vigilante swordsman in his early life. However, after running into trouble with the authorities, he renounced his old ways and took up scholarly pursuits. He
lived a reclusive life from the 190s to mid-200s (decade)
in Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan
provinces), where he met and befriended Zhuge Liang. In
late 207, he became an adviser to the warlord Liu Bei and
served under Liu for about a year. He also recommended
Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei during this period of time. In late
208, Liu Bei was defeated at the Battle of Changban by
his rival Cao Cao. Xu Shu's mother was captured by Cao
Cao's forces during the battle. Feeling lost and without
a sense of direction, Xu Shu eventually left Liu Bei and 2 Serving Liu Bei
joined Cao Cao. He continued serving in the state of Cao
Wei founded by Cao Cao's son and successor, Cao Pi,
who ended the Han dynasty and died of illness in oce. When the warlord Liu Bei was stationed at Xinye (
; present-day Xinye County, Nanyang, Henan), Xu Shu
Xu Shu's defection from Liu Bei to Cao Cao was ction- visited him and was highly regarded by the former. Xu
alised in the historical novel Romance of the Three King- Shu recommended Zhuge Liang as an adviser to Liu Bei
doms. In the novel, he was Liu Bei's chief strategist be- and told him that Zhuge cannot be invited to meet him
fore Zhuge Liang came along, and he once helped Liu and that he must visit Zhuge personally. Zhuge Liang
repel two attacks from Cao Cao's general Cao Ren. He later came to serve Liu Bei after Liu visited him thrice
was eventually tricked by Cao Cao into leaving Liu Bei and consulted him on the aairs of their time.* [5]
and joining Cao, but he recommended Zhuge Liang to
Liu before leaving and swore never to give advice to Cao. In 208, Liu Biao, the Governor of Jing Province, died
and was succeeded by his younger son Liu Cong. Later
that year, when the warlord Cao Cao invaded Jing
Province, Liu Cong surrendered and much of northern
Jing Province came under Cao Cao's control. Liu Bei led
1 Early life
his forces and a large number of civilians south to Xiakou (; in present-day Wuhan, Hubei), which was
Xu Shu was from Yingchuan Commandery (), Yu independent of Cao Cao's control and where Liu Biao's
Province, which is in present-day central Henan.* [1] His elder son, Liu Qi, was based. Xu Shu accompanied Liu
original family name was Shan() and his original Bei on his journey towards Xiakou. Cao Cao sent 5,000
given name was Fu(). He was a swordsman in riders to pursue Liu Bei. They caught up with him and
his early life and he once helped someone take revenge defeated him at the Battle of Changban.* [6] Xu Shu's
by killing another person. To avoid being recognised, he mother was captured by Cao Cao's men during the chaos,
covered his face with white chalk and let his hair run wild. so Xu decided to leave Liu Bei to reunite with his mother.
He was later arrested by an ocial, who asked him for his Before leaving, he pointed at his heart and told Liu Bei,
name, but he did not reply. The ocial tied him to a cart, I wanted to join you, General, in making great achievehad him paraded through the streets, and asked for any ments. This is my purpose in life. Now that I've lost my
person who could identify him. No one came forth. Xu mother, I've also lost my sense of direction. This isn't goShu was later rescued by his fellows. He was so grateful ing to be helpful. Now I bid farewell to you.He went to
to be saved that he gave up his life as a swordsman and join Cao Cao.* [7] Shi Tao also followed him and both of
them came to serve Cao Cao.* [8]
became a scholar.* [2]
1

6 SEE ALSO

Service in Cao Wei

Xu Shu continued serving in the state of Cao Wei

founded by Cao Cao's son and successor, Cao Pi after the fall of the Han dynasty and the start of the Three
Kingdoms period. In the 220s, during the reign of Cao
Pi, Xu Shu served as aRight General of the Household
() and an Imperial Secretary ().* [9]
During the reign of Cao Rui (Cao Pi's successor), Zhuge
Liang who was then the chancellor-regent of the state
of Shu Han, which was founded by Liu Bei in 221 led
a series of campaigns to attack Wei. When Zhuge Liang
heard that Xu Shu and Shi Tao had become wealthy and
famous ocials in Wei, he remarked, There are some
many talents in Wei. Why aren't the talents of these two
men put to good use?" Xu Shu died of illness in Wei several years later. A tombstone with his name on it was
found in Pengcheng (present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu).* [10]

In ction

An illustration Xu Shu recommends Zhuge (Liang) while on

horseback() at the Long Corridor of the Summer
Palace, Beijing.

Xu Shu is featured as a fairly prominent character in the

historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which
romanticises the historical events before and during the
Three Kingdoms period. He appeared mainly in chapters
3536, in which he served as Liu Bei's strategist before
Zhuge Liang came along.

Liu Bei defeated Cao Ren again in the night battle and
forced Cao Ren to retreat.
Cao Cao was impressed when he heard about Xu Shu and
was eager to recruit Xu as an adviser. He invited Xu Shu's
mother to meet him and asked her to write a letter to her
son, requesting that her son come to join him. Xu Shu's
mother refused, denounced Cao Cao as a treacherous villain, and threw an ink stone at him. The furious Cao Cao
ordered Xu Shu's mother to be executed but changed his
mind when Cheng Yu reminded him that Xu Shu would
be more determined to help Liu Bei oppose him if he
killed his mother. Cao Cao then had Xu Shu's mother
detained and asked Cheng Yu to pretend to be Xu Shu's
sworn brother to win the trust of Xu's mother. After some
time, Cheng Yu got close to Xu Shu's mother and learnt
to mimic her handwriting. He wrote a letter to Xu Shu in
the handwriting of Xu's mother, telling Xu that she was
in trouble and urging him to come to the capital Xu (;
present-day Xuchang, Henan) quickly. Xu Shu was a lial son so he immediately left for Xu after reading the
letter.
Xu Shu was in a hurry when he sped o on horseback.
On the way, he suddenly remembered something and immediately turned back to meet Liu Bei and recommend
Zhuge Liang to him. He then resumed his journey to Xu.
When he arrived at his destination, he was shocked to discover that he had been tricked. His mother was furious
with her son's failure to discern between truth and deception, and ashamed by the fact that her son joined Cao Cao
instead of Liu Bei. She committed suicide. Xu Shu remained with Cao Cao, but he swore never to give advice
to Cao.* [11]
The Chinese sayingHis body is in (Cao) Cao's camp, but
his heart is actually with the Han (dynasty)" (traditional
Chinese: ; simplied Chinese:
; pinyin: shn zi Co yng xn zi Hn) is
derived from this story about Xu Shu and another story
about Guan Yu in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It is
used to describe a situation where a person who ostensibly
works for a badorganisation is actually loyal towards
another goodorganisation.

Xu Shu was singing on the streets of Xinye ( ;

present-day Xinye County, Nanyang, Henan) when Liu
Bei noticed him and asked him if he was either the 5 Modern references
Crouching Dragonor the Young Phoenixwhom
Sima Hui spoke of. However, Xu Shu told Liu Bei that
he was neither of them. He agreed to become Liu Bei's Xu Shu is rst introduced as a playable character in
strategist and helped Liu counter an invading army led by Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires of Koei's Dynasty Warriors
Cao Cao's general Cao Ren. Cao Ren deployed his troops video game series.
in an Eight Gates Golden Locks Formation(
) outside Xinye, but Xu Shu pointed out the weaknesses in the formation and instructed Liu's general Zhao
Yun on how to break it. Zhao Yun led his men to attack 6 See also
the formation and succeeded in breaking it and defeating
Cao Ren. Xu Shu also accurately predicted that Cao Ren
List of people of the Three Kingdoms
would launch a surprise attack that night after his defeat.

References

[1] (
) Sanguozhi vol. 35.
[2] (

) Weilue annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 35.
[3] (

) Weilue annotation
in Sanguozhi vol. 35.
[4] (

) Weilue annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 35.

[5] (

) Sanguozhi vol. 35.

[6] (

) Sanguozhi vol. 32.

[7] (

) Sanguozhi vol. 35.

[8] ()
Weilue annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 35.
[9] (
) Weilue annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 35.
[10] (

) Weilue annotation
in Sanguozhi vol. 35.
[11] Sanguo Yanyi ch. 35-36.

Chen, Shou.
guozhi).

Records of Three Kingdoms (San-

Luo, Guanzhong. Romance of the Three Kingdoms

(Sanguo Yanyi).
Pei, Songzhi. Annotations to Records of the Three
Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).

8 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1

Text

Xu Shu Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xu_Shu?oldid=726147957 Contributors: Kowloonese, Olivier, Mgmei, DopeshJustin, Remuel, Evil Monkey, Itsmine, Chochopk, Isnow, Plastictv, Nandesuka, Chobot, Chensiyuan, Edallen399, Apeman, Nlu, Fram, SmackBot,
Pgk, Lds, Hmains, Kittybrewster, Underbar dk, Vina-iwbot~enwiki, Disavian, Jonathan Gro, Breno, Intranetusa, Newone, IvanLanin, Cydebot, Huanghe63, Yongrenjie, Armando12, JimCubb, Magioladitis, Linear Model, EveryDayJoe45, Dohe, Niceguyedc, Sanada Yuki-kun,
Addbot, Debresser, LinkFA-Bot, Yobot, Amirobot, HenryXVII, SporkBot, Donner60, Rafton5, Cold Season, Dexbot, Neymarz, Omarcof
and Anonymous: 18

8.2

Images

File:Romance_of_the_Three_Kingdoms_at_Long_Corridor.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/

Romance_of_the_Three_Kingdoms_at_Long_Corridor.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: originally posted to Flickr as
Original artist: shi zhao

8.3

Content license

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