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Xu Shu (168 AD - 235 AD), whose courtesy name was Yuanzhi, was a native of Yingchuan, Yuzhou (now Yuzhou City, Henan Province).

In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, he was first an adviser to Liu Bei and later to Cao Cao. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Wei, he served as the Right General of the Central Army and the Chief Censor.

Xu Shu's original name was Xu Fu, and he was born in a poor family. In his early years, he was a chivalrous man, and was arrested after taking revenge for someone else. He was rescued by his friends and changed his name to Xu Shu.

After that, he devoted himself to study and became good friends with Shi Tao. In the second year of Chuping (191 AD), Xu Shu fled to Jingzhou due to military turmoil and got to know Sima Hui, Zhuge Liang, Cui Zhouping and others.

In the 207th year of Jian'an ( AD), Liu Bei was stationed in Xinye. Xu Shu went there to recommend himself and was appreciated by Liu Bei.

Xu Shu recommended Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei. In 208 AD (the th year of Jian'an), Cao Cao led his army southward. Liu Biao died of illness, and his second son Liu Cong took over Jingzhou and sent envoys to request surrender to Cao Cao.

Liu Bei was stationed in Fancheng. After hearing about this, Liu Bei led his people south. Xu Shu fled with his family and Zhuge Liang, but was caught up by Cao Cao's army at Changbanpo in Dangyang.

Xu Shu's mother was captured by Cao Cao's army. In order to save his mother, Xu Shu bid farewell to Liu Bei and went to Cao's camp.

During the reign of Emperor Wen of Wei, Xu Shu was promoted to Right General of the Imperial Guards and Chief Censor. He died of illness a few years later.

The Chinese idiom "Xu Shu entered Cao's camp and said nothing" comes from the story of Xu Shu.

Wang Zhi of the Song Dynasty commented on Xu Shu: If there was no Xu Shu in the world, there would be no Pang Tong, and the heroes would be lost.

Xu Shu's original name was Xu Fu, and he was born in a poor family. When he was young, he liked to be a knight-errant, often traveling with a sword.

During the last years of the Zhongping Period, Xu Shu avenged someone and smeared white ash on his face, let his hair down and tried to escape, but was caught by officials.

When the official asked him his name and surname, Xu Shu kept his mouth shut and said nothing.

The officials then tied him to a pillar on the cart, pretended to execute him by dismemberment, and beat drums to order the people in the surrounding streets to come out and identify him.

No one dared to go up and recognize Xu Shu. Later, Xu Shu's friends came together to rescue Xu Shu, and Xu Shu was able to escape.

Xu Shu was very grateful for his companions' life-saving grace and the chance to escape death, so he decided to give up martial arts and pursue literature. He put down his sword, halberd and other weapons, dressed like a scholar, changed his interests, and began to study hard.

When Xu Shu first arrived at the school, other students heard about his past experiences and were unwilling to study and live with him.

So Xu Shu lowered his attitude, got up early and swept the floor by himself; he listened carefully to the lectures and studied the classics, and eventually he became familiar with the principles and achieved academic success.

Shi Tao, who was from the same county, became his best friend and the two had a close relationship.

In the second year of Chuping (191 AD), there was a war in Zhongzhou, and Xu Shu and Shi Tao lived in Jingzhou together.

In Jingzhou, Xu Shu met Zhuge Liang and became friends with him. Xu Shu and Shi Tao also socialized with Zhuge Liang, Meng Gongwei of Runan, Sima Hui and others.

At that time, Zhuge Liang lived a commoner life. He claimed that he had the talents of Guan Zhong and Yue Yi, but was not recognized by people at that time.

Only Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping of Boling were friendly to Zhuge Liang and believed in his abilities.

In the 207th year of Jian'an ( AD), when Liu Bei was attached to Liu Biao and stationed his troops in Xinye, Xu Shu went to see Liu Bei and recommended himself to him, and was highly regarded by Liu Bei.

Xu Shu said to Liu Bei, "Zhuge Kongming is the Sleeping Dragon. Would you like to meet him?" Liu Bei said, "You can come with him."

Xu Shu said: "You can see this person, but you can't ask him to come to see you. You should visit him in person."

So Liu Bei went to pay a visit to Zhuge Liang, and only after three visits to his thatched cottage was he able to meet him.

In 208 AD (the th year of Jian'an), after Liu Biao's death, his son Liu Cong surrendered without a fight.

Cao Cao sent troops to attack him. When Liu Bei heard about it, he led his troops to flee south.

Xu Shu was traveling with Zhuge Liang when they were caught up by Cao Cao, and Xu Shu's mother was captured by Cao Cao.

Cao Cao used Xu Shu's mother as a bargaining chip to ask Xu Shu to surrender to him. Xu Shu then said goodbye to Liu Bei and confessed his true feelings.

Xu Shu said that he originally wanted to assist Liu Bei in achieving great things, but his mother was held hostage by Cao Cao, and he was panicked and unable to assist Liu Bei wholeheartedly, so he asked to leave.

Liu Bei also understood Xu Shu's kindness and let him go. Then Xu Shu went to Cao Cao.

Zhuge Liang then followed Liu Bei away, while Xu Shu and Shi Tao defected to Cao Cao.

During the Huangchu period, Xu Shu served as the Right General of the Central Army and Chief Censor, and Shi Tao served as the governor of a county and the Commandant of Agriculture.

In the second year of Taihe (228 AD), Zhuge Liang led his army to the north. Hearing that Xu Shu and Shi Tao (county governor and agricultural commander) were not high-ranking officials,

So he sighed: "Is it because Wei has too many counselors? Why don't they use Xu Shu and Shi Tao?"

A few years later, Xu Shu died of illness, and a stele remained in Pengcheng.

The story of Xu Shu mainly consists of four parts: "Singing to recommend himself", "Defeating Cao Ren", "Leaving Liu and returning to Cao" and "Recommending Zhuge Liang on horseback".

Compared with historical facts, the story of Xu Shu in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" has some historical elements, but most of it is the fabrication and imagination of later generations.

For example, the only record of “singing a song to recommend oneself” in the Records of the Three Kingdoms is “Xu Shu met the First Lord, and the First Lord appreciated him”.

Although the story of "leaving Liu and returning to Cao" is based on historical facts, it was not that Cheng Yu forged a letter from Xu's mother to trick him into returning. Instead, Xu's mother was captured by Cao Cao's army while fleeing with Liu Bei's army, and Xu Shu had no choice but to return to Cao.

As for the matter of "recommending Zhuge Liang on the spot", it is more imagination than fact, because Xu Shu recommended Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei shortly after he "met the first lord", there was no such thing as "recommendation on the spot" at all.

Although Xu Shu does not have many roles in the novel, he is the most crucial figure in Zhuge Liang's legendary life.

Although Xu Shu appears as a foil to Zhuge Liang in the novel, his image itself embodies rich cultural implications.

"Singing a song to recommend myself" embodies the mentality of the ancient grassroots intellectuals to actively take up official positions, and "leaving Liu and returning to Cao" shows why a person cannot get out of the tragic choice circle between "loyalty" and "filial piety". Through his thinking, Xu Shu shows a strong tragic color caused by the dilemma caused by his adherence to virtues.

The story of Xu Shu reflects a life dilemma that the novel raises but cannot answer. However, the image of Xu Shu shows great moral power because of its tragic nature.

The idiom related to Xu Shu, "Xu Shu entered Cao's camp and said nothing", comes from "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

After Xu Shu was tricked into going to Cao's camp, Cao Cao divided his army into eight routes to attack Fancheng.

Liu Ye suggested that Cao Cao send Xu Shu, who had a close relationship with Liu Bei, to Fancheng to persuade Liu Bei to surrender. When Xu Shu arrived in Fancheng, he talked about his old friendship with Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang and others, and informed Liu Bei and others that Cao Cao was about to lead his troops to attack Fancheng.

Liu Bei wanted to persuade Xu Shu to stay, but Xu Shu said that although he was in Cao's camp, he would not make any plans for them.

Moreover, Liu Bei now had Zhuge Liang by his side, so he did not have to worry about his great cause failing. Therefore, Liu Bei did not force Xu Shu to stay.

Xu Shu returned to Cao's camp and reported to Cao Cao that Liu Bei had no intention of surrendering. Cao Cao was furious and attacked Fancheng that day. There is a view that "being in Cao's camp but the heart is with Han" is an allusion to Xu Shu.

It is written in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" that when Liu Bei was in Xinye, Xu Shu changed his name to Dan Fu, joined Liu Bei and was appointed as military advisor.

Xu Shu made a plan to capture Fancheng. Soon, Cheng Yu, an adviser under Cao Cao, saw through Xu Shu's identity and said that Xu Shu's talent was ten times greater than his own.

Cao Cao wanted to recruit Xu Shu, so he took Xu Shu's mother and used a fake letter to lure Xu Shu to surrender. Before leaving, Xu Shu recommended Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei and vowed to "never make a plan" in Cao's camp.

In the 47th chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Xu Shu said: "I feel grateful for Uncle Liu's kindness, and I have never forgotten to repay him. Cao Cao forced my mother to death, and I have already said that I would never make a plan in my life... If you teach me how to escape, I will keep silent and stay away."

Hence, there is another common saying: "Xu Shu entered Cao's camp and said nothing." And Xu Shu fulfilled his promise.

According to "Hu Family Letters", there is a place called Guziyang on the sea northeast of Lingshan.

There is a kind of white wintersweet flower on the island that is so big that you need to hold it with both hands.

A curious person took a boat across the sea to the place and met an old man coming in a small boat. He was wearing reed sandals and a Taoist robe and looked very old.

The old man asked, "Where are you going, young man?" The man said he was going to pick winter jasmine. The old man scolded him, "This is not a vulgar thing in the world. It can help people survive the severe cold of winter."

He also said, "There is a Taoist scholar in Jimo named Hu Yiyang. Please give him your regards for me."

After he finished speaking, the man had disappeared. The man was very suspicious and returned to the boat.

Suddenly a strong wind blew, and it did not calm down until he threw away all the wintersweet flowers he had gathered.

Later, this person came to Jimo and found out that there was indeed a Hu Yiyang. He then told him the whole story.

After hearing this, Hu Yiyang said sadly: "This man is Xu Shu from the Three Kingdoms period. He has been living in seclusion in Guziyang for a long time."

Xu Shu (170-235), courtesy name Yuanzhi, was a native of Yangdi, Yingchuan (now Yuzhou, Henan).

He came from a prominent family in the Eastern Han Dynasty. His grandfather Xu Xu was a prime minister, and his father Xu Ying was also from an official family.

Xu Shu was extremely intelligent since childhood and read widely, especially in classics and military strategy. When he was young, he was well-known in his hometown for his outstanding talent.

Due to the political corruption and social unrest in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Xu Shu was deeply disappointed with the officialdom and chose to live in seclusion in the mountains, away from the hustle and bustle of the world.

During his seclusion, he devoted himself to studying and had close contacts with famous scholars of the time such as Sima Hui and Pang Degong.

Xu Shu's seclusion was not only to avoid the chaotic world, but also to maintain his independent personality and noble sentiments.

After Liu Bei learned of Xu Shu's talent, he personally went to Yingchuan to visit him and sincerely invited Xu Shu to come out of seclusion to help.

Xu Shu was moved by Liu Bei's sincerity and decided to leave his secluded life and join Liu Bei.

After Xu Shu joined Liu Bei's camp, he quickly demonstrated his outstanding talents. With his profound political insight and military talents, he provided Liu Bei with many key suggestions.

Especially in the process of Liu Bei's capture of Jingzhou, Xu Shu played an important role.

Xu Shu was well aware of Zhuge Liang's talents and once recommended him to Liu Bei, saying: "Zhuge Kongming is the Sleeping Dragon. Would the general like to meet him?" This sentence has become a famous saying throughout the ages.

The joining of Zhuge Liang greatly increased the strength of the Shu Han camp and laid the foundation for the later division of the world into three parts.

Xu Shu was mainly responsible for strategic planning and diplomatic affairs in the Shu Han camp. He advocated an alliance with the Eastern Wu to fight against Cao Cao and played an important role in the Battle of Chibi.

With his outstanding diplomatic skills, he successfully persuaded Sun Quan and Liu Bei to join forces to fight against Cao.

Xu Shu also performed well in domestic politics. He advocated light taxes and levies, developing agricultural production, and stabilizing people's livelihood. Thanks to his efforts, the economic and social conditions of Shu Han were significantly improved.

Xu Shu also showed extraordinary talent in military affairs. He proposed the fire attack strategy in the Battle of Chibi and personally participated in the specific implementation of the fire attack. The success of this battle enabled Shu Han and Dong Wu to achieve a decisive victory.

Xu Shu's mother was held hostage by Cao Cao. Cao Cao took advantage of this and forced Xu Shu to leave Liu Bei's camp and submit to him. Xu Shu had no choice but to leave Liu Bei and go to Cao Wei's camp.

When Xu Shu left Liu Bei, his heart was filled with pain and contradictions. He was full of gratitude to Liu Bei, but also felt guilty about his decision.

Before leaving, he assured Liu Bei: "If I don't come back, I will die by the sword!" This sentence expressed his loyalty to Liu Bei and his helplessness.

Although Xu Shu obeyed Cao Cao's orders on the surface in the Cao Wei camp, he was not actually fully committed to Cao Wei's cause.

He expressed his dissatisfaction and protest in silence and negative attitude, which made Cao Cao suspicious of him and gradually alienated him.

After spending a period of lonely and painful days in the Cao Wei camp, Xu Shu finally chose to retire. He returned to his hometown Yingchuan, lived a secluded life, and devoted himself to academic research and writing.

He wrote many works on politics, military affairs and philosophy, leaving behind valuable cultural heritage for future generations.

Xu Shu died of illness in 235 AD at the age of . His death marked the end of an era.

Xu Shu's life was full of contradictions and struggles, but he always maintained his noble character and firm beliefs.

With his outstanding wisdom and steadfast loyalty, Xu Shu left a profound mark on the history of the Three Kingdoms.

He was not only an important adviser to Liu Bei, but also a representative figure among intellectuals in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

Xu Shu's life embodies the essence of hermit culture. He maintained his independent personality and noble sentiments by living in seclusion, and also demonstrated the choices and responsibilities of intellectuals in troubled times.

Xu Shu's life is full of tragedy. His loyalty and helplessness, wisdom and contradictions make him one of the most complex characters in the Three Kingdoms period.

Xu Shu is a legendary figure in the Three Kingdoms period. With his outstanding wisdom and firm loyalty, he spent a life full of contradictions and struggles between Shu Han and Cao Wei.

His story is not only the ups and downs of his personal destiny, but also a true portrayal of the social turmoil and ideological changes in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

Xu Shu's life tells us that a true wise man not only needs to possess outstanding talents, but also needs to maintain noble character and firm beliefs in complex situations.

His story has become a classic case for later generations to explore loyalty, wisdom and destiny.

Xu Shu's life was full of contradictions and struggles, but he always maintained his noble character and firm beliefs.

His story is not only the ups and downs of his personal destiny, but also a true portrayal of the social turmoil and ideological changes in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

Xu Shu's life tells us that a true wise man not only needs to have outstanding talents, but also needs to maintain noble character and firm beliefs in complex situations. (End of this chapter)