Xu Huang () (died 227),

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theo ...

Gongming, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord

Cao Cao Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the dynasty's final years. As one o ...

in the late

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...

of China. He later served in the state of

Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' <

Middle Chinese

: *''ŋjwei^C'' < Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...

period under the first two rulers,

Cao Pi Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest s ...

and Cao Rui, before his death at the start of Cao Rui's reign. Xu Huang is best noted for breaking the siege at the

Battle of Fancheng The Battle of Fancheng or the Battle of Fan Castle was fought between the warlords Liu Bei and Cao Cao in 219 in the late Eastern Han dynasty. It is named after Fancheng in present-day Xiangyang, Hubei, a fortress that played a significant ro ...

in 219 by routing the enemy commander

Guan Yu Guan Yu (; ), courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him on ...

on the field.

Chen Shou Chen Shou (; 233–297), courtesy name Chengzuo (), was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer who lived during the Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty of China. Chen Shou is most known for his most celebrated work, the '' Records of ...

, who wrote the third-century historical text '' Sanguozhi'', named Xu Huang as one of the Five Elite Generals of his time, alongside Yu Jin, Zhang He, Yue Jin and Zhang Liao.

Early life and service under Yang Feng

Xu Huang was born in Yang County (楊縣), Hedong Commandery, which is located southeast of present-day

Hongtong County Hongtong County () is a county in the southwest of Shanxi Province, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Linfen. The county spans an area of 1,494 square kilometers, and has a population of approximately 766,579 as ...

Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-leve ...

, in the late

. He served as a minor official in the commandery office in his youth. Later, he became a subordinate of Yang Feng, a former White Wave Bandit who later became a general under the Han central government. Xu Huang later followed Yang Feng to attack rebels and was commissioned as a Cavalry Commandant (騎都尉) as a reward for his efforts. Between 192 and 195, Li Jue and

Guo Si Guo Si () (died 197), also known as Guo Duo, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He assisted Dong Zhuo in his many campaigns and served as a su ...

controlled the Han central government and held the figurehead Emperor Xian hostage in the imperial capital,

Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin ...

(present-day

Xi'an Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by other names, is the capital of Shaanxi Province. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong Plain, the city is the third most populous city in Western China, after Chongqi ...

Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...

). In 195, internal conflict broke out between Li Jue and Guo Si, whose respective factions started warring with each other in the streets of Chang'an. Yang Feng and Xu Huang were Li Jue's subordinates at the time. In the same year, Xu Huang managed to convince Yang Feng to escort Emperor Xian from Chang'an back to the old Han imperial capital,

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyan ...

. After Emperor Xian made it safely to Anyi County (安邑縣; west of present-day

Xia County Xia County or Xiaxian () is a county in the southwest of Shanxi province, People's Republic of China, bordering Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is o ...

), he rewarded Xu Huang by granting him the peerage of a Marquis of a Chief Village (都亭侯). After they returned to Luoyang with Emperor Xian, internal conflict broke out between the generals

Han Xian Han Xian (died 197) was a bandit leader and military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Han Xian was a leader among the White Wave Bandits. In 195, Emperor Xian, who had been a puppet emperor under the contro ...

and Dong Cheng, who were among those who escorted the emperor back to Luoyang. During this time, Xu Huang persuaded Yang Feng to summon the warlord

to Luoyang to help them deal with the crisis and protect the emperor. In early 196, Cao Cao and his troops showed up in Luoyang and fetched Emperor Xian to their base in Xu (許; present-day

Xuchang Xuchang (; postal: Hsuchang) is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pi ...

, Henan), which became the new Han imperial capital. Yang Feng initially wanted to heed Xu Huang's suggestion and join Cao Cao, but ultimately refused and went his own way. Xu Huang followed him. In late 196, after Cao Cao defeated Yang Feng in battle at Liang State (梁國; around present-day Shangqiu,

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is a ...

), Xu Huang pledged allegiance to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao's campaigns in central and northern China

Cao Cao sent Xu Huang with an army to attack rebels at Juan County (卷縣; west of present-day

Yuanyang County, Henan Yuanyang County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Xinxiang Xinxiang ( ; postal: Sinsiang) is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to its ...

) and Yuanwu County (原武縣; present-day Yuanyang County, Henan). Xu Huang defeated them and was promoted to Major-General (裨將軍). During the battles between Cao Cao and

Lü Bu Lü Bu () (died 7 February 199), courtesy name Fengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betr ...

Xu Province Xuzhou as a historical toponym refers to varied area in different eras. Ordinarily, it was a reference to the one of the Nine Provinces (China), Nine Provinces which modern Xuzhou inherited. History Pre-Qin era Xuzhou or Xu Province was one ...

in 198, Xu Huang attacked and defeated Lü Bu's subordinates Zhao Shu (趙庶) and Li Zou (李鄒). With aid from

Shi Huan Shi Huan (died 209), courtesy name Gongliu, gained a reputation for valour and loyalty comparable to Han Hao. Shi Huan served the Eastern Han dynasty warlord Cao Cao from early on and was a trusted figure who helped supervise officials. Life ...

, he also defeated and killed Sui Gu (眭固) in Henei Commandery (河內郡; around present-day

Jiaozuo Jiaozuo ( ; postal: Tsiaotso) is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Henan province, China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the south, Xinxiang to the east, Jiyuan to th ...

). In the year 200, during the

Battle of Guandu The Battle of Guandu was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in 200 AD in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Cao Cao's decisive victory against Yuan Shao's numerically superior forces marked the turning point in their war. The victo ...

between Cao Cao and

Yuan Shao Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred t ...

, Xu Huang participated in the early skirmishes at Boma (白馬; near Hua County, Henan) and Yan Ford (延津; present-day

Yanjin County, Henan Yanjin County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Xinxiang Xinxiang ( ; postal: Sinsiang) is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to ...

) where he helped to defeat the warlord

Liu Bei Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the ...

– who had joined Yuan Shao after losing

– and Yuan Shao's generals

Yan Liang Yan Liang () (died 200) was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was slain by Guan Yu at the Battle of Boma. Life Little is known about Yan Liang's life. The only historic ...

and Wen Chou. He was promoted to Lieutenant-General (偏將軍) for his achievements, and later joined Cao Hong in eliminating rebels led by Zhu Bi (祝臂) at Yinjiang (氵隱疆; southwest of present-day

, Henan). Yuan Shao had stored his supplies at a depot in Gushi (故市; southwest of present-day Yanjin County, Henan). Cao Cao sent Xu Huang and

to attack this position. They defeated the defenders at Gushi and burnt down Yuan Shao's grain carts, forcing Yuan Shao to call for relief supplies in response to this raid. Xu Huang received the title of a Marquis of a Chief Village (都亭侯) for his contributions. A few years later, Xu Huang joined Cao Cao on a campaign against the heirs of Yuan Shao, who had died in 202. In 203, Han Fan (韓範), the Prefect of Yiyang County (易陽縣; northeast of present-day

Handan Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shan ...

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and ...

), pretended to surrender to Cao Cao while buying time to strengthen his defences. Xu Huang then wrote a letter to Han Fan, tied it to an arrow and fired it into the county. Han Fan became convinced after reading Xu Huang's letter and decided to surrender Yiyang County without putting up resistance. Before the fall of Yiyang County, Xu Huang went to see Cao Cao and asked him to refrain from massacring the population after Han Fan surrendered. The rationale of their final decision was entirely based on tactical consideration, which was to induce other enemy territories into voluntarily surrendering by setting an example. Cao Cao approved Xu Huang's suggestion. Xu Huang later set up an ambush and routed the Yuans' forces at Maocheng (毛城), defeated

Yuan Tan Yuan Tan (died 205), courtesy name Xiansi, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who was the eldest son of Yuan Shao, a warlord who occupied much of northern China during the late Eastern Han dynasty. After Yuan Shao's death, Y ...

at the Battle of Nanpi, and suppressed a revolt in

Pingyuan Commandery Pingyuan Commandery ( zh, 平原郡) was a historical commandery of China, existing from Han dynasty to Tang dynasty. It was centered around present-day northwestern Shandong province. The commandery was carved out of the Jibei Kingdom during ...

(平原郡; around present-day

Dezhou Dezhou () is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Liaocheng to the southwest, Binzhou to the northeast, and the province of Hebei t ...

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal Provinces of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in His ...

). He also participated in Cao Cao's campaign against

Yuan Shang Yuan Shang (died December 207), courtesy name Xianfu, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was the third son and successor of the warlord Yuan Shao. In the 14th-centu ...

Yuan Xi Yuan Xi (died December 20711th month of the 12th year of the ''Jian'an'' era, per Emperor Xian's biography in ''Book of the Later Han''. The month corresponds to 7 Dec 207 to 5 Jan 208 in the Julian calendar.), courtesy name Xianyi or Xianyong ...

and the

Wuhuan The Wuhuan (, < Eastern Han Chinese: *''ʔɑ-ɣuɑn'', <

tribes which led to the Battle of White Wolf Mountain in 207. Xu Huang was further promoted to General Who Sweeps Across the Wilderness (橫野將軍) for his contributions in battle.

Battle of Jiangling

In 208, Xu Huang followed Cao Cao to pacify

Jing Province Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in Chinese historical texts such as the '' Tribute of Yu'', ''Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of Empe ...

(covering present-day

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The p ...

and

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangx ...

), and participated in the

Battle of Red Cliffs The Battle of Red Cliffs, also known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive naval battle in the winter of AD 208–209 at the end of the Han dynasty, about twelve years prior to the beginning of the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history ...

in the winter of 208–209. When Cao Cao retreated north after his defeat at Red Cliffs, Xu Huang was ordered to stay behind with

Cao Ren Cao Ren () (168 – 6 May 223), courtesy name Zixiao, was a military general serving during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China under the warlord Cao Cao, who was also his older second cousin. He continued serving in the state of Cao Wei – ...

Jiangling County Jiangling () is a county in southern Hubei province, People's Republic of China. Administratively, it is under the jurisdiction of Jingzhou City. History The county name derived from the old name of Jingzhou. Liang dynasty Prince Xiao Yi 蕭繹 ( ...

to resist attacks by

Sun Quan Sun Quan (, Chinese: 孫權) (183 – 21 May 252), courtesy name Zhongmou (), posthumously known as Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of the Eastern Wu dynasty, one of the Three Kingdoms of China. He inherited control of the warlord regime ...

's forces. During this time, Xu Huang was stationed at Fancheng (樊城; present-day

Fancheng District Fancheng is a district of the city of Xiangyang, Hubei, People's Republic of China. History Fancheng, or Fan City, was an ancient city in Hubei, situated on the northern side of the Han River, opposite Xiangyang on the southern side of the r ...

Xiangyang Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China and the second largest city in Hubei by population. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city no ...

, Hubei) and he defeated opposing forces in Zhonglu (中廬), Linju (臨沮) and Yicheng (宜城) counties. During the Battle of Jiangling, he joined Man Chong in attacking

at Han Ford (漢津), and Cao Ren in resisting attacks by

Zhou Yu Zhou Yu (, ) (175–210), courtesy name Gongjin (), was a Chinese military general and strategist serving under the warlord Sun Ce in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. After Sun Ce died in the year 200, he continued serving under Sun Quan, ...

at Jiangling.

Cao Cao's northwestern campaigns

In 210, Xu Huang led his troops to attack rebels in

Taiyuan Commandery Taiyuan Commandery ( zh, 太原郡) was a commandery of China from the Warring States period to Tang dynasty. It was located in modern central Shanxi province. The commandery was established by the Qin state in 248 BC, after Qin general Meng A ...

(太原郡; around present-day

Taiyuan Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...

), besieged them in Daling County (大陵縣; northeast of present-day Wenshui County, Shanxi), and defeated and killed the rebel leader Shang Yao (商曜). In 211, when

Han Sui Han Sui () (140s - June or July 215According to Cao Cao's biography in ''Sanguozhi'', Han Sui was killed in the 5th month of the 20th year of the ''Jian'an'' era of Liu Xie's reign. This corresponds to 15 June to 13 July 215 on the Julian calend ...

and

Ma Chao Ma Chao () (176–222), courtesy name Mengqi, was a Chinese military general and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. A descendant of the general Ma Yuan, Ma Chao was the eldest son of Ma ...

led a coalition of northwestern warlords to start an uprising in

Liang Province Liang Province or Liangzhou () was a province in the northwest of ancient China, in the approximate location of the modern-day province of Gansu. It was bordered in the east by Sili Province. History Establishment The province was first con ...

(covering parts of present-day

and

Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibe ...

), Cao Cao ordered Xu Huang to move to Fenyin County (汾陰縣; southwest of present-day Wanrong County, Shanxi) and pacify the people in Hedong Commandery. He also awarded Xu Huang gifts of cattle and alcohol, and allowed him to repair and clean up his ancestors' tombs. When Cao Cao led his forces to Tong Pass to engage the coalition, he became worried that he could not cross the Wei River to attack the enemy so he consulted Xu Huang for advice. Xu Huang suggested to Cao Cao to send him north and cross the

Yellow River The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth-longest river system in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Ha ...

via Puban Ford to circumvent Tong Pass from the west of the river. Cao Cao approved Xu Huang's plan and sent him and Zhu Ling to lead 4,000 troops across the river. They crossed Puban and started pitching camps, but before the defence fortification was completed, one of the coalition members, Liang Xing (梁興), discovered their presence and led some 5,000 troops to attack them. Xu Huang and Zhu Ling managed to hold off Liang Xing and allow Cao Cao and his remaining forces to cross the river. After Cao Cao's victory at Tong Pass, he sent Xu Huang and Xiahou Yuan to pacify the various Di tribes in Yumi County (隃麋縣; east of present-day

Qianyang County Qianyang County () is a county in the west of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Gansu province to the north. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Baoji () is a prefecture-level city in western Shaanxi province, Peopl ...

) and Qian County (汧縣; south of present-day

Long County, Shaanxi Long County or Longxian () is a county of Baoji, in the west of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Gansu province to the north and west. History Longxian was formerly known as Longzhou (陇州), and named for being east of Longshan, which is th ...

). Xu Huang and Xiahou Yuan later rendezvoused with Cao Cao's main army at Anding Commandery (安定郡; around present-day Zhenyuan County, Gansu). After Cao Cao had returned to Ye (in present-day

), he sent Xu Huang and Xiahou Yuan again to suppress revolts in Fu County (鄜縣; southwest of present-day

Huangling County Huangling County () is a county in the north of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Gansu province to the west. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Yan'an. The county spans an area of , and has a permanent population of ...

, Shaanxi) and Xiayang County (夏陽縣; southwest of present-day Hancheng, Shaanxi), where they defeated Liang Xing and forced some 3,000 civilian households into submission. When Cao Cao embarked on another campaign in western China to attack the warlord Zhang Lu in

Hanzhong Hanzhong (; abbreviation: Han) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Shaanxi province, China, bordering the provinces of Sichuan to the south and Gansu to the west. The founder of the Han dynasty, Liu Bang, was once enfeoffed as ...

, he sent Xu Huang with a separate force to pacify the Di tribes living in Du (櫝) and Chouyi (仇夷) mountains. Xu Huang succeeded and was promoted to General Who Pacifies Bandits (平寇將軍). Later, Xu Huang also lifted rebels' siege on Zhang Shun (張順), one of Cao Cao's officers, and defeated the rebel leader Chen Fu (陳福) and destroyed some 30 rebel camps.

Hanzhong Campaign

Cao Cao returned to Ye (in present-day

) after his victory over Zhang Lu at the

Battle of Yangping The Battle of Yangping, also known as the Battle of Yangping Pass, was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Zhang Lu from roughly April 215 to January 216 during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. The battle concluded with a victory fo ...

in 215. He left Xu Huang and Xiahou Yuan behind to defend Hanzhong Commandery against attacks by

. During this time, Liu Bei sent Chen Shi to lead troops to cut off Xiahou Yuan's supply routes at Mamingge (馬鳴閣), Hanzhong's main communication line. Xu Huang led a separate detachment to launch a fierce attack on Chen Shi and defeated him. The casualty rate on Chen Shi's side was very high as many of his soldiers were forced to jump off the cliff during the attack. Cao Cao was delighted when he heard of the victory and he gave orders to Xu Huang: "This pass is a crucial gateway into Hanzhong. Liu Bei intends to isolate the pass and then move on to conquer Hanzhong. You have done well in foiling the enemy's attempt." Cao Cao then personally led reinforcements to Hanzhong Commandery to counter Liu Bei's advances.

Battle of Fancheng

Xu Huang's most glorious moment in his military career came at the

in 219. When Fancheng (樊城; in present-day

) and Xiangyang were besieged by Liu Bei's general

, Cao Cao first sent Yu Jin to lead a relief force to lift the siege but Yu Jin's seven armies were destroyed by a flood. Cao Cao then ordered Xu Huang to lead a second relief force to lift the siege.

, the general defending Fancheng, and Lü Chang (呂常), who defended Xiangyang, were both under siege for months. Knowing that most of his soldiers were composed of new recruits without training, Xu Huang did not go straight into battle but camped behind the enemy at Yanglingbei (陽陵陂; northwest of present-day Xiangyang, Hubei) to impose a deterrent effect. In the meantime, Cao Cao sent subordinates Xu Shang (徐商) and Lü Jian (呂建) to assist Xu Huang and instructed Xu Huang to advance only when Xu Shang, Lü Jian and all other reinforcements had arrived. At the time, Guan Yu had set up a camp at Yancheng (偃城; north of present-day Xiangyang, Hubei). When Xu Huang showed up, he ordered his troops to pretend to dig trenches around Yancheng to fool the enemy into thinking that they were trying to cut off the supply routes leading to Yancheng. The enemy fell for his ruse, burnt down their camp and abandoned their position, thus allowing Xu Huang to gain a foothold at Yancheng. After capturing Yancheng, Xu Huang pressed on and set up two linked camps about 30 ''zhang''s away from Guan Yu's encirclement. Before Xu Huang attacked, Cao Cao sent Yin Shu (殷署), Zhu Gai (朱蓋) and other officers to lead another 12 military units to support him. Guan Yu's encirclement was made up of five camps – one main camp leading the siege and four supporting camps. Xu Huang deliberately spread news that he was going to attack the main camp to trick Guan Yu into strengthening his defences at the main camp. In the meantime, he secretly sent his forces to attack the four supporting camps and succeeded in destroying them. When Guan Yu saw that the four camps were down, he personally led 5,000 troops to engage the enemy. Xu Huang launched a fierce attack on Guan Yu and succeeded in defeating him and lifting the siege on Fancheng. During Xu Huang's attack, many of Guan Yu's soldiers panicked and fled towards the nearby Han River, where they drowned. When Cao Cao heard of the victory, he praised Xu Huang: "The enemy formation was very thick, yet you managed to achieve victory and destroyed their camps and killed so many of their men. I have fought in battles for over 30 years, but I have never heard of any person in history who attempted to break a siege by launching a direct attack on the enemy's encirclement. The situation at Fancheng and Xiangyang was much worse than that at Ju and Jimo. Your achievements are comparable to those of Sun Wu and Rangju." The ''Shu Ji'' (蜀記) recorded an incident about Xu Huang meeting Guan Yu on the battlefield. Xu Huang had a close personal friendship with Guan Yu. They often chatted about other things apart from military affairs. When they met again at Fancheng, Xu Huang gave an order to his men: "Whoever manages to take Guan Yunchang's head will be rewarded with 1,000 '' jin'' of gold." Guan Yu was shocked and he asked Xu Huang: "Brother, what are you talking about?" Xu Huang replied: "This is an affair of the State." Upon Xu Huang's return, Cao Cao went seven '' li'' out of

to greet him, giving him full credit for securing Fancheng and Xiangyang. Throughout the field reception, the soldiers of other commanders shifted about in order to get a better view of Cao Cao, but Xu Huang's men stood stationary in neat files. Seeing this, Cao Cao remarked: "General Xu has truly inherited the style of

Zhou Yafu Zhou may refer to: Chinese history * King Zhou of Shang () (1105 BC–1046 BC), the last king of the Shang dynasty * Predynastic Zhou (), 11th-century BC precursor to the Zhou dynasty * Zhou dynasty () (1046 BC–256 BC), a dynasty of China ** Wes ...

Service under Cao Pi and Cao Rui

Following Cao Cao's death in March 220, his son

succeeded him and inherited his

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerai ...

king title as the King of Wei (魏王). Xu Huang continued to be heavily trusted by Cao Pi, and he was appointed General of the Right (右將軍) and enfeoffed as the Marquis of Lu District (逯鄉侯). In late 220, Cao Pi usurped the throne from Emperor Xian, ended the

, and established the state of Cao Wei (or Wei) with himself as the new emperor. After his coronation, Cao Pi promoted Xu Huang from a district marquis to a county marquis under the title "Marquis of Yang" (楊侯). Later, Cao Pi ordered Xu Huang and Xiahou Shang to lead an army to attack Shangyong Commandery (上庸郡; in present-day northwestern

). After completing his mission, Xu Huang moved to the garrison at Yangping County (陽平縣; present-day Shen County,

), so his marquis title was changed to "Marquis of Yangping" (陽平侯). Cao Pi died in 226 and was succeeded by his son Cao Rui as the emperor of Wei. During that time, Xu Huang successfully repelled an invasion on

by the Wu general

Zhuge Jin Zhuge Jin (174 – July or August 241), courtesy name Ziyu, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born in the late Eastern Han dynasty, Zhuge Jin started his career in ...

. For his contributions, he was awarded another 200 taxable households in his marquisate, bringing the total number to 3,100. When Xu Huang became seriously ill later, he gave instructions that he was to be given a simple burial after his death. He died in 227 and was granted the

posthumous title A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments o ...

"Marquis Zhuang" (壯侯), which literally means "robust marquis". Xu Huang's son, Xu Gai (徐蓋), inherited his father's peerage as the Marquis of Yangping. After Xu Gai died, his son Xu Ba (徐霸) succeeded him as the next Marquis of Yangping. Cao Rui later divided their marquisate and awarded marquis titles to two descendants of Xu Huang.

Appraisal

Chen Shou concluded Xu Huang's biography in the '' Sanguozhi'' with a brief appraisal:

In ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''

Xu Huang is a character in the 14th-century historical novel ''

Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD ...

'', which romanticises the events before and during the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...

period of China. He makes his first appearance in Chapter 13 as a subordinate of Yang Feng. Xu Huang and Yang Feng escort Emperor Xian back to

after the emperor escapes from Li Jue and

's clutches in

. When

comes to Luoyang to fetch the emperor to his base in

, Yang Feng sends Xu Huang to stop him. Cao Cao knows on first sight that Xu Huang is an extraordinary man so he orders Xu Chu to duel with Xu Huang. Neither side can gain an advantage over each other after 50 bouts, and by then, Cao Cao is very impressed by Xu Huang's skill. Not wanting either of the two men to get hurt, Cao Cao calls for Xu Chu to retreat. Man Chong, one of Cao Cao's subordinates, knows that his lord wants to recruit Xu Huang so he volunteers to persuade Xu Huang to defect to their side. That very night, Man Chong disguises himself as a common soldier, sneaks into Xu Huang's tent and manages to convince him to switch allegiance to Cao Cao. Man Chong then suggests that Xu Huang slays Yang Feng to prove his loyalty to Cao Cao, but Xu Huang refuses to kill his former superior out of respect for him. In the novel, Xu Huang meets his end during the Xincheng Rebellion when he is struck by an arrow in the forehead fired by the rebel leader

Meng Da Meng Da () (died 228), courtesy name Zidu, was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the early Three Kingdoms period of China. He previously served the warlords Liu Zhang and Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty before defec ...

. His men immediately take him back to camp, where the physician removes the arrow and tries to heal him, but Xu Huang eventually dies later that night. The novel states that he is 59 years old at the time of his death. This figure, however, is not supported by any evidence from historical records.''Sanguo Yanyi'' ch. 94.

In popular culture

Xu Huang is featured as a playable character in

Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its ''Dynasty Warriors'' games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based on p ...

's ''

Dynasty Warriors is a series of Japanese hack and slash action video games created by Omega Force and Koei (now is Koei Tecmo). The series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' series, based upon the Chinese novel o ...

'' and '' Warriors Orochi'' video game series. He also appears in all instalments of Koei's ''

'' strategy game series.

Notes

References

* Chen, Shou (3rd century). ''

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220� ...

'' (''Sanguozhi''). * * Luo, Guanzhong (14th century). ''

'' (''Sanguo Yanyi''). * Pei, Songzhi (5th century). ''

Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms () by Pei Songzhi (372-451) is an annotation completed in the 5th century of the 3rd century historical text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', compiled by Chen Shou. After leaving his native land, Pei ...

'' (''Sanguozhi zhu''). * {{DEFAULTSORT:Xu, Huang Year of birth unknown 227 deaths Cao Wei generals Dong Zhuo and associates Generals under Cao Cao Han dynasty generals from Shanxi People from Linfen