Xu Zhi was a military general of Cao Wei

Cao Wei

Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...

 during the 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...

 period 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...

. His name is sometimes romanticized as Xu Zi.

Biography

In 254, Xu participated in a battle

Jiang Wei's Northern Expeditions

Jiang Wei's Northern Expeditions refer to a series of nine military campaigns launched by Shu Han general Jiang Wei against the rival state of Cao Wei from 247 to 262 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Each expedition was aborted eventually due to inadequate food supplies or...

 against an invading army from the rival state of Shu Han

Shu Han

Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...

, which was led by Jiang Wei

Jiang Wei

Jiang Wei was a military general and regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He originally served Shu's rival state, Cao Wei, as a middle-level military officer, but defected to the Shu strategist Zhuge Liang, leaving his mother in Wei. After that, Jiang...

. He engaged Jiang's forces at Nan'an (南安) as a local defense. During the ensuing battle, he defeated the Shu Han generals Liao Hua

Liao Hua

Liao Hua , originally named Liao Chun , style name Yuanjian , was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Biography:...

 and Zhang Yi

Zhang Yi (Bogong)

Zhang Yi , style name Bogong, was a general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Originally from Wuyang and a descendant of Zhang Liang, he became Liu Bei's commander after Liu Bei had captured Yizhou...

 (張翼) and slew Zhang Yi

Zhang Yi (Boqi)

Zhang Yi , style name Boqi, was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He was instrumental in pacifying the barbarian peoples who rebelled against Shu. He was slain by Xu Zhi during one of Jiang Wei's Northern Expeditions while distracting the enemy from pursuing...

 (張嶷). However, Zhang Yi's desperate fight also inflicted a devastating damage to Xu's army, so he was forced to retreat and await reinforcements. Shu forces thus gained some footholds on Xiangwu region and the battles went on and off for some time until Jiang finally suffered a catastrophic defeat from Deng Ai

Deng Ai

Deng Ai was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. It was said that whenever he saw a hill or wide valley, he would immediately size up the best places to store grain and position troops. His talent was recognized by Sima Yi, who recommended him to take up...

. Unlike what the novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...

, depicts, Xu was recorded to have resisted Jiang Wei, and supposedly drove the latter out along with the relief forces, rather than being killed by the invading forces.

In fiction

In Luo Guanzhong

Luo Guanzhong

Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...

's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...

, Xu volunteered to engage Jiang Wei's army and was appointed general of the vanguard. The two armies encountered each other at Dongting (董亭) and got into their respective formations. Xu charged out of the Cao Wei formation and dueled with the Shu Han general Liao Hua

Liao Hua

Liao Hua , originally named Liao Chun , style name Yuanjian , was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Biography:...

. Soon after, Liao took advantage of a feint and retreated. Zhang Yi

Zhang Yi (Bogong)

Zhang Yi , style name Bogong, was a general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Originally from Wuyang and a descendant of Zhang Liang, he became Liu Bei's commander after Liu Bei had captured Yizhou...

(張翼) continued the duel against Xu but was forced to retreat as well after a few rounds. Xu then led his troops on a charge and defeated the enemy.

Later, Xu Zhi was caught in a surprise attack led by Liao Hua and Zhang Yi. Though his force was wiped out, Xu managed to escape alive; he ultimately ran into an ambush party led by Jiang Wei, where he was killed.