Zhuge Xu ( 250 – 260s) was a Chinese general and politician of the state of

Cao Wei Wei () was one of the major Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic states in China during the Three Kingdoms period. The state was established in 220 by Cao Pi based upon the foundations laid by his father Cao Cao during the end of the Han dy ...

during the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...

period of China.

Life

Zhuge Xu was from Yangdu County (),

Langya Commandery Langya Commandery ( zh, , ) was a commandery in historical China from Qin dynasty to Tang dynasty, located in present-day southeast Shandong and northeast Jiangsu. The commandery was established in Qin dynasty on the former territories of Qi. Fr ...

(), which is in present-day

Yinan County Yinan () is a county in the south of Shandong province, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Linyi. The population was in 1999. As of the end of 2022, Yinan County had a resident population of 791,900 people. A ...

Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...

. He was probably a distant relative of other famous Zhuges in the Three Kingdoms period, such as

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 i ...

Zhuge Liang Zhuge Liang () (181September or October 234), also commonly known by his courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman, strategist, and inventor who lived through the End of the Han dynasty, end of the Eastern Han dynasty ( 184–220) and t ...

and

Zhuge Dan Zhuge Dan (died 10 April 258), courtesy name Gongxiu, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. When he held key military appointments throughout his middle to late career, h ...

, since he shared the same

ancestral home An ancestral home is the place of origin of one's extended family, particularly the home owned and preserved by the same family for several generations. The term can refer to an individual house or estate, or to a broader geographic area such as a ...

as them. He served in the state of

in the Three Kingdoms period. In 255, when the Wei generals

Guanqiu Jian Guanqiu Jian (died 16 March 255), courtesy name Zhonggong, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Life Guanqiu Jian was from Wenxi County (), Hedong Commandery, which ...

and

Wen Qin Wen Qin (died February or March 258), courtesy name Zhongruo, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Wen Qin was a son of Wen Ji (文稷), a general who served under Ca ...

started a rebellion in Shouchun (壽春; present-day

Shou County Shou County or Shouxian () is a county in the north-central part of Anhui Province, China, and is located on the southern (right) bank of the Huai River. It is the southernmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Huainan. It ...

Anhui Anhui is an inland Provinces of China, province located in East China. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, bordering Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiang ...

), Zhuge Xu was then serving as the Administrator () of

Taishan Commandery Taishan Commandery ( zh, 泰山郡) was a historical commandery of China in present-day Shandong province, existing from Han dynasty to Sui dynasty. Taishan Commandery was created in 122 BC, when the king of Jibei offered the land surrounding Moun ...

(泰山郡; around present-day

Tai'an Tai'an () is a prefecture-level city in Western Shandong Province of the People's Republic of China. Centered on Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng ...

). He led troops from Taishan Commandery to assist other Wei imperial forces led by the regent

Sima Shi Sima Shi () (208 – 23 March 255), courtesy name Ziyuan, was a military general and regent of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. In February 249, he assisted his father Sima Yi in overthrowing the emperor Cao Fang's regent Cao S ...

to suppress the rebellion. Zhuge Xu was later promoted to the position of Inspector () of

Yong Province Yong Province or Yongzhou was the name of various regions and provinces in ancient China, usually around the Wei River or the imperial capital. Geographical region In the ''Book of Documents'', Yongzhou is mentioned as one of the legendary Nin ...

in an unknown year. In 263, he participated in the campaign against one of Wei's rival states, Shu. His mission was to lead 30,000 troops to block the Shu general

Jiang Wei Jiang Wei (202 – 3 March 264), courtesy name Boyue, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born in Ji County (present-day Gangu County, Gansu), Jiang Wei started his ...

at a bridge in Yinping () and stop him from reinforcing Yang'an Pass (). When Jiang Wei heard about it, he pretended to launch an attack on Yong Province via Konghan Valley (). Zhuge Xu fell for the ruse, thought that Jiang Wei wanted to attack his base, so he ordered his troops to retreat from Yinping by 30 ''li''. Jiang Wei then seized the opportunity to cross the bridge at Yinping. When Zhuge Xu found out and tried to stop Jiang Wei, he was already one day behind time. Later, the Wei general

Zhong Hui Zhong Hui (225 – 3 March 264), courtesy name Shiji, was a Chinese calligrapher, essayist, military general, and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the younger son of Zhang Changpu with Zhong Ya ...

advanced south from Yang'an Pass and reached Baishui (). At the time, another Wei general

Deng Ai Deng Ai (197 – late March 264Vol.04 of ''Sanguozhi'' and vol.02 of ''Jin Shu'' both indicated that Deng Ai was arrested in the 1st month of the 1st year of the ''Xianxi'' era. The month corresponds to 15 Feb to 14 Mar 264 in the Julian calendar ...

wanted to link up with Zhuge Xu and attack the enemy position at Jiangyou () together, but Zhuge Xu refused and moved to Baishui to join Zhong Hui instead. At Baishui, Zhong Hui accused Zhuge Xu of cowardice, seized command of his troops and sent him as a prisoner back to Yong Province. Zhuge Xu later served in the

Western Jin dynasty Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia * Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that ...

, which replaced the Cao Wei state in February 266 after the regent

Sima Yan Emperor Wu of Jin (; 236 – 16 May 290), personal name Sima Yan (), courtesy name Anshi (安世), was a grandson of Sima Yi, nephew of Sima Shi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, ...

usurped the throne from the last Wei emperor

Cao Huan Cao Huan () (246 – 302/303), courtesy name Jingming, was the fifth and last emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. On 4 February 266, he abdicated the throne in favour of regent Sima Yan (later Emperor Wu of the J ...

. He served as Minister of Ceremonies () and Minister of the Guards () under the Jin government.

Children and descendants

Zhuge Xu had at least two sons: Zhuge Chong (諸葛冲) and Zhuge Hong (諸葛厷). Zhuge Chong's daughter Zhuge Wan was selected to enter

's harem in the spring of 273. Zhuge Wan's brother Zhuge Mei later married a younger sister of Zhou Mu (周穆); their common brother-in-law was Sima Xia (司馬遐), son of Emperor Wu and Lady Chen and father of

Sima Tan Sima Tan (; 165–110 BCE) was a Chinese astrologist, astronomer, and historian during the Western Han dynasty. His work ''Records of the Grand Historian'' was completed by his son Sima Qian, who is considered the founder of Chinese hist ...

. In February or March 307, Zhuge Mei and Zhou Mu both advised

Sima Yue Sima Yue (司馬越) (died 23 April 311), courtesy name Yuanchao (元超), formally Prince Xiaoxian of Donghai (東海孝獻王), was a Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin imperial prince and regent for Emperor Hui of Jin, Emperor Hui and Emper ...

, regent of

Emperor Huai of Jin Emperor Huai of Jin (; 284 – March 14, 313), personal name Sima Chi (司馬熾), courtesy name Fengdu (豐度), was an emperor of the Jin dynasty. Emperor Huai was captured in July 311 ( Disaster of Yongjia) and later executed in 313 under t ...

, to install Sima Tan to the throne, but Yue, angered by their suggestion, had them executed. Zhuge Wan's elder brother Zhuge Quan was killed on 5 May 311, together with Wang Yan and many other Jin officials and princes, by

Shi Le Shi Le (; 274 –17 August 333), courtesy name Shilong, also known by his posthumous name as the Emperor Ming of Later Zhao, was the founding emperor of the Jie-led Later Zhao dynasty of China. He was initially sold as a slave by Western Jin ...

, in the aftermath of Sima Yue's death in April that year.( ��嘉五年��月戊子，石勒追东海王越丧...将军钱端战死，军溃，太尉王衍、吏部尚书刘望、廷尉诸葛铨、尚书郑豫、武陵王澹等皆遇害，王公已下死者十馀万人。东海世子毗及宗室四十八王寻又没于石勒.) ''Jin Shu'', vol.05. Vol.87 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'' dated the event to the 4th month of that year, and did not record a specific day.

References

Sources

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

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' is a Chinese official history written by Chen Shou in the late 3rd century CE, covering the end of the Han dynasty (220 CE) and the subsequent Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). It is regard ...

'' (''Sanguozhi''). * Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). ''

Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, ...

'' (''Jin Shu''). * Pei, Songzhi (5th century). ''

Annotated Records of the Three Kingdoms ''Annotated 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 the fall of the Eastern Jin ...

'' (''Sanguozhi zhu''). * Sima, Guang (1084). ''

Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...

''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Zhuge, Xu Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown Cao Wei generals Cao Wei government officials Jin dynasty (266–420) government officials Political office-holders in Shandong Political office-holders in Shaanxi

Life

Children and descendants

See also

References

Sources