Xu Sheng
Encyclopedia
Xu Sheng style name
Wenxiang (文響), was a military general of Eastern Wu
during the late Han Dynasty
and Three Kingdoms
era of Chinese history
. He fought in at least 5 wars for the southern regime during his lifetime. He is often noted as a brave yet arrogant men whether on the battlefield or court.
, who killed Sun Jian
(father of Sun Ce and Sun Quan) during the Battle of Xiangyang (191)
. Xu came from a gentry family rooted in Lu County, but his clan migrated to Wu because of the frequent wars in central China. After the death of Sun Ce
, his brother Sun Quan succeeded him and became the new ruler of Jiangdong. When Sun Quan held large-scaled recruitments to draw support for his heritage, Xu clan answered the call, and Xu Sheng received 500 soldiers to station in Chaisang (柴桑, southwest of present-day Jiujiang
, China) as a Marshall of Separate Command.
As (Acting) Chief of Chaisang (守柴桑长), Xu Sheng was tasked with local defenses. Once, the son of Huang Zu, Huang She, led several thousand men down to attack Xu Sheng when the latter only had 200 men inside Chaisang fortress. However, the men under Xu were elite archers and they caused Huang a casualty of a thousand. When the morale of Huang's army plummeted, Xu Sheng opened the city gate and ordered his men to conduct melee combat. Huang She was soundly defeated, so he left the area and retreated to his father in Jiangxia (present-day Yunmeng County
, Hubei
, China).
and Zhang Zhao
, Xu Sheng was also a representative of the gentry class, and they were preservative and skeptical on resisting the leading warlord, Cao Cao
, when the latter launched the Battle of Red Cliff. Therefore, Xu Sheng played a minor role in Sun Quan's military until the latter solidified his position after the Battle of Jiangling
. During the first battle of Ruxu, in which Cao Cao personally led 400,000 men with the intention to crush the 70,000 men Sun Quan gathered, Xu Sheng served as a captain in the front division for Sun. However, the Mengchong warships were blown to the other side of the river as a result of strong winds. The captains (generals in charge of the warships) were terrified and dared not move out from the ships. Xu Sheng landed and ordered his men to attack the enemy, and dealt some damage to his foe. After the wind stopped, all the generals returned to the southern side unharmed. Sun Quan applauded Xu Sheng's bravery when the generals reported of what happened. Along with Zhu Ran, Xu deliberately expressed displeasure to work with and under general Zhou Tai
, who came from a lower origin but was assigned as the area commander. (See Appraisal Section for details).
After the Liu-Sun agreement of AD 215, Sun Quan launched the Battle of Leisure Ford to divert Cao Cao's pressure on the Shu-region warlord Liu Bei
. In the battle, Xu Sheng was wounded by Zhang Liao and fled the battlefield. More humiliating, he lost his precious weapon during the clash and got one of his soldier executed by Pan Zhang
as an act of military discipline. It is recorded in He Qi
's biography of the Records of the Three Kingdoms that the famous collector, general He, had Xu Sheng's 474 cm long Mao (矛, similar to a lengthened spear) retrieved. However, it is not stated whether general He kept the loot himself or he returned it to Xu Sheng. Either way, losing his personal weapon was a shame to the proud Xu Sheng.
, 20 armies of his 26 armies were now under commandership of Cao Xiu
, the newly appointed area commander under Wei emperor, Cao Pi
(son of Cao Cao). Xu Sheng was the Governor of Lujiang at the time, and worked under Lu Fan
when Cao Xiu advanced to Dongfu. Xu and Lu sailed across the river and occupied the ford. However, they were struck by a cyclone, and many of their mariners, as well as ships, were lost. The Wu generals were scared to death because they had lost half of the ships to the natural disaster, but were overjoyed by the arrival of Hè Qi, who actually arrived behind schedule and was not affected by the storm. Coincidentally, Hè Qi was obsessed with luxuries, and every ship of his was finely decorated and well equipped with elite bows and crossbows, even the arrows were amongst the best; thus, Cao Xiu was shocked when he saw Hè Qi's grandeur display of his refulgent navy, so he paused his attack. Xu Sheng then assembled those scattered by the gale and returned back to the other side of the river. Cao Xiu targeted Lu Fan, and ordered his subordinates to do battle with Xu Sheng. Even Cao routed Lu, his aides were not able to suppress Xu, at the end both sides withdrew their troops from the area.
. Despite opposition from the majority, Xu insisted and carried out his plan by pitching encampments starting from Jianye. Within each encampment, there elected a "fake tower", and warships (whether they were populated or not) were suspended on the river. Xu Sheng's ruse effectively constructed a "wall" along the banks of the river that served as a border, which stretched over several hundreds li
. Cao Pi, upon sighting his foe's "strong defenses", sighed, "did God creat the Yangtze to divide South and North?" Cao Pi then withdrew his forces, and the Wu generals finally recognized Xu's insight.
Xu Sheng died during the reign of Huangwu (222 - 229). Therefore, he must have died between 224 -229. His title, as well as his troops, were succeeded by his son, Xu Kai, who continued to serve the Kingdom of Wu.
However, Xu Sheng's self-ego did not always lead to positive actions, though. During the battle of Ruxu, Zhou Tai was appointed by Sun Quan to be the area commander, Xu Sheng and Zhu Ran were both under Zhou's command. However, the two came from a wealthier background, and did not want to submit to Zhou Tai's command citing the latter's common background. Thus, a great party was held, where Sun Quan personally served wine to Zhou Tai, and asked him to remove his outer garments. Pointing at each scar on Zhou's body, Sun Quan asked Zhou Tai the story behind it, whereupon Zhou would respond with his memories of past battles. At the end, Xu Sheng and Zhu Ran yielded to Zhou's authority.
Xu Sheng was also a man who tended to think too much. During his early appointment as the Huwu Chief, he attempted to execute Jiang Qin
's civil clerk but was stopped by Sun Quan. Since then, Xu had been apprehensive of Jiang's revenge. When Jiang received the staff of authority to articulate military affairs in Ruxu, Xu Sheng even held the illusion that Jiang would use an excuse to get rid of him. However, the truth is that Jiang always spoke in favour of Xu and never abused his power to harm the latter.
Chinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
Wenxiang (文響), was a military general of Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
and Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
era of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. He fought in at least 5 wars for the southern regime during his lifetime. He is often noted as a brave yet arrogant men whether on the battlefield or court.
Early career against Huang She
Xu Sheng's early career and responsibility can be concluded with the defense against the guerrilla forces under Huang ZuHuang Zu
Huang Zu was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was an experienced naval commander, and was most famous for having skillful warriors like Sun Jian and Ling Cao killed in battle.-Background:Huang was born in an influential...
, who killed Sun Jian
Sun Jian
Sun Jian was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian in his power...
(father of Sun Ce and Sun Quan) during the Battle of Xiangyang (191)
Battle of Xiangyang (191)
The Battle of Xiangyang in 191 was a battle fought between Sun Jian and Liu Biao during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Liu Biao emerged victorious against Sun Jian's forces...
. Xu came from a gentry family rooted in Lu County, but his clan migrated to Wu because of the frequent wars in central China. After the death of Sun Ce
Sun Ce
Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the oldest of the children of Sun Jian who was killed during the Battle of Xiangyang when Sun Ce was only 16. Sun Ce then broke away from his father's overlord, Yuan Shu, and headed to...
, his brother Sun Quan succeeded him and became the new ruler of Jiangdong. When Sun Quan held large-scaled recruitments to draw support for his heritage, Xu clan answered the call, and Xu Sheng received 500 soldiers to station in Chaisang (柴桑, southwest of present-day Jiujiang
Jiujiang
Jiujiang , formerly transliterated Kiukiang, is a prefecture-level city located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province, China. It is the second-largest prefecture-level city in Jiangxi province, the largest one being Nanchang...
, China) as a Marshall of Separate Command.
As (Acting) Chief of Chaisang (守柴桑长), Xu Sheng was tasked with local defenses. Once, the son of Huang Zu, Huang She, led several thousand men down to attack Xu Sheng when the latter only had 200 men inside Chaisang fortress. However, the men under Xu were elite archers and they caused Huang a casualty of a thousand. When the morale of Huang's army plummeted, Xu Sheng opened the city gate and ordered his men to conduct melee combat. Huang She was soundly defeated, so he left the area and retreated to his father in Jiangxia (present-day Yunmeng County
Yunmeng County
Yunmeng County is a county in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China administered by Xiaogan City.-History:...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, China).
Wars with Cao Cao
Like Zhu RanZhu Ran
Zhu Ran was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Despite being a childhood friend of the first emperor of Eastern Wu, Sun Quan, he was never tasked with important position nor assignment before Lü Meng's invasion of southern Jing Province in 219,...
and Zhang Zhao
Zhang Zhao
Zhang Zhao was an official of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China.-Biography:Zhang was born in present-day Jiangsu. A brilliant scholar, he devoted his life mainly to the study of Chinese classic texts...
, Xu Sheng was also a representative of the gentry class, and they were preservative and skeptical on resisting the leading warlord, Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
, when the latter launched the Battle of Red Cliff. Therefore, Xu Sheng played a minor role in Sun Quan's military until the latter solidified his position after the Battle of Jiangling
Battle of Jiangling
The Battle of Jiangling was fought by the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei against Cao Cao during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
. During the first battle of Ruxu, in which Cao Cao personally led 400,000 men with the intention to crush the 70,000 men Sun Quan gathered, Xu Sheng served as a captain in the front division for Sun. However, the Mengchong warships were blown to the other side of the river as a result of strong winds. The captains (generals in charge of the warships) were terrified and dared not move out from the ships. Xu Sheng landed and ordered his men to attack the enemy, and dealt some damage to his foe. After the wind stopped, all the generals returned to the southern side unharmed. Sun Quan applauded Xu Sheng's bravery when the generals reported of what happened. Along with Zhu Ran, Xu deliberately expressed displeasure to work with and under general Zhou Tai
Zhou Tai
Zhou Tai , style name Youping , was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Early life and career:...
, who came from a lower origin but was assigned as the area commander. (See Appraisal Section for details).
After the Liu-Sun agreement of AD 215, Sun Quan launched the Battle of Leisure Ford to divert Cao Cao's pressure on the Shu-region warlord Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
. In the battle, Xu Sheng was wounded by Zhang Liao and fled the battlefield. More humiliating, he lost his precious weapon during the clash and got one of his soldier executed by Pan Zhang
Pan Zhang
Pan Zhang was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Although an active general with high rank, he was known to desire wealth and treasure, and to dress himself in a gaudy fashion...
as an act of military discipline. It is recorded in He Qi
He Qi
He Qi , style name Gongmiao , was an official serving under the warlord Sun family of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history....
's biography of the Records of the Three Kingdoms that the famous collector, general He, had Xu Sheng's 474 cm long Mao (矛, similar to a lengthened spear) retrieved. However, it is not stated whether general He kept the loot himself or he returned it to Xu Sheng. Either way, losing his personal weapon was a shame to the proud Xu Sheng.
Defense against Cao Xiu
After the death of the southern commander of Kingdom of Wei, Xiahou DunXiahou Dun
Xiahou Dun was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Cao Cao's original family name was Xiahou, but his father Cao Song was the adopted son of the eunuch Cao Teng, so Xiahou Dun and Cao Cao share blood relations...
, 20 armies of his 26 armies were now under commandership of Cao Xiu
Cao Xiu
Cao Xiu was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. A distant nephew of Cao Cao, Cao Xiu was given special attention by the former, who once asserted him befitting...
, the newly appointed area commander under Wei emperor, Cao Pi
Cao Pi
Cao Pi , formally known as Emperor Wen of Wei, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Born in Qiao County, Pei Commandery , he was the second son of the late Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao.Cao Pi, like his father, was a poet...
(son of Cao Cao). Xu Sheng was the Governor of Lujiang at the time, and worked under Lu Fan
Lü Fan
Lü Fan , style name Ziheng , was an official of the state of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
when Cao Xiu advanced to Dongfu. Xu and Lu sailed across the river and occupied the ford. However, they were struck by a cyclone, and many of their mariners, as well as ships, were lost. The Wu generals were scared to death because they had lost half of the ships to the natural disaster, but were overjoyed by the arrival of Hè Qi, who actually arrived behind schedule and was not affected by the storm. Coincidentally, Hè Qi was obsessed with luxuries, and every ship of his was finely decorated and well equipped with elite bows and crossbows, even the arrows were amongst the best; thus, Cao Xiu was shocked when he saw Hè Qi's grandeur display of his refulgent navy, so he paused his attack. Xu Sheng then assembled those scattered by the gale and returned back to the other side of the river. Cao Xiu targeted Lu Fan, and ordered his subordinates to do battle with Xu Sheng. Even Cao routed Lu, his aides were not able to suppress Xu, at the end both sides withdrew their troops from the area.
Defense of Stone City
In AD 224, Cao Pi mobilized a large force to attack Eastern Wu. Xu proposed to Sun Quan they should show the enemy that they were well prepared for an invasion, thus discouraging the Wei from crossing the Yangtze RiverYangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
. Despite opposition from the majority, Xu insisted and carried out his plan by pitching encampments starting from Jianye. Within each encampment, there elected a "fake tower", and warships (whether they were populated or not) were suspended on the river. Xu Sheng's ruse effectively constructed a "wall" along the banks of the river that served as a border, which stretched over several hundreds li
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
. Cao Pi, upon sighting his foe's "strong defenses", sighed, "did God creat the Yangtze to divide South and North?" Cao Pi then withdrew his forces, and the Wu generals finally recognized Xu's insight.
Xu Sheng died during the reign of Huangwu (222 - 229). Therefore, he must have died between 224 -229. His title, as well as his troops, were succeeded by his son, Xu Kai, who continued to serve the Kingdom of Wu.
Appraisal
Xu Sheng was always confident. When Wei sent Xing Zhen as an ambassador to Jiangdong to officially grant a kingship to Sun Quan, Sun personally led his officers out to a pavilion to receive Xing, who represented the Wei emperor, Cao Pi. Xing acted arrogantly and did not take Sun Quan seriously. Observing Xing's elated expression and behavior, Zhang Zhao and Xu Sheng were enraged. Xu said to his peers, "we can't risk our life for the country to conquer Xuluo (Xuchang and Luoyang) and Bashu (Ba and Shu regions), is that not a shame? Xing commented, "with officers such as them, (Sun Quan) will not be a subject for long."However, Xu Sheng's self-ego did not always lead to positive actions, though. During the battle of Ruxu, Zhou Tai was appointed by Sun Quan to be the area commander, Xu Sheng and Zhu Ran were both under Zhou's command. However, the two came from a wealthier background, and did not want to submit to Zhou Tai's command citing the latter's common background. Thus, a great party was held, where Sun Quan personally served wine to Zhou Tai, and asked him to remove his outer garments. Pointing at each scar on Zhou's body, Sun Quan asked Zhou Tai the story behind it, whereupon Zhou would respond with his memories of past battles. At the end, Xu Sheng and Zhu Ran yielded to Zhou's authority.
Xu Sheng was also a man who tended to think too much. During his early appointment as the Huwu Chief, he attempted to execute Jiang Qin
Jiang Qin
Jiang Qin , style name Gongyi , was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Jiang Qin was a pirate at the time he joined Sun Quan's predecessor, Sun Ce...
's civil clerk but was stopped by Sun Quan. Since then, Xu had been apprehensive of Jiang's revenge. When Jiang received the staff of authority to articulate military affairs in Ruxu, Xu Sheng even held the illusion that Jiang would use an excuse to get rid of him. However, the truth is that Jiang always spoke in favour of Xu and never abused his power to harm the latter.