RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a General of the Standard of WeiWei 28 §103
NCalled a commander with the body of a tiger and the arms of an apeCh. 116 §4
Xu Yi 許儀
| Occupation | RGeneral · General of the Standard NGeneral · Vanguard | Faction | Wei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | R? N? Unverified | Native place | Pei Commandery Qiao County Unverified |
| Died | R263 N(same) Unverified | Place of death | |
| Cause of death | RExecuted NExecuted Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Xu Yi (許儀) was the son of the Wei commander Xu Chu and succeeded him when Xu Chu died. In the autumn of the 4th year of Jingyuan (263), when Zhong Hui invaded Shu by separate routes through the Xie Valley and the Luo Valley, Xu Yi went ahead as General of the Standard to prepare the road, and when Zhong Hui, following behind, had his horse's hoof sink into a hole in a bridge, he beheaded him. Chen Shou wrote that although Xu Yi was the son of Xu Chu, of a family with merit toward the royal house, Zhong Hui did not pardon him, and the armies trembled with fear on hearing of it. Records, Wei 18 §57Records, Wei 28 §103–104
He has no biography of his own in the Records, and his name appears at the end of the Biography of Xu Chu in Records of Wei 18 and in the Biography of Zhong Hui in Records of Wei 28. In the Romance he appears only in Chapter 116, and no chapter has his name in its title. The Romance portrays him as a commander who volunteers for the vanguard, is defeated attacking the Nanzheng Pass, and is beheaded for violating military orders when Zhong Hui's horse's hooves sink on a bridge. Records, Wei 18 §57Records, Wei 28 §103Romance, Ch. 116 §3–4 · 15–20
In the Records
Xu Chu was a man of Qiao County in Qiao State. When Emperor Ming took the throne, Xu Chu was advanced in rank to Marquis of Mouxiang with a fief of 700 households, and one of his sons was given the rank of Marquis Within the Passes. When Xu Chu died he was given the posthumous name Marquis Zhuang, and his son Xu Yi succeeded him. During the Taihe era the emperor, remembering Xu Chu's loyalty and filial piety, issued an edict in his praise and further granted two of Xu Chu's sons and grandsons the rank of Marquis Within the Passes. Records, Wei 18 §48 · 57
In the winter of the 3rd year of Jingyuan (262), Zhong Hui was made General Who Guards the West, with Acting Credentials (jiajie) and Commander of All Military Affairs in Guanzhong. In the autumn of the 4th year (263) an edict ordered Deng Ai and Zhuge Xu each to command more than 30,000 men of the various armies: Deng Ai was to advance on Gansong and Tazhong to pin down Jiang Wei, and Zhuge Xu was to advance on Wujie and Qiaotou to cut off Jiang Wei's way back. Zhong Hui, commanding a host of more than 100,000, entered by separate routes through the Xie Valley and the Luo Valley. Records, Wei 28 §102–103
Zhong Hui first had the General of the Standard Xu Yi go ahead to prepare the road while he himself followed behind, and when a hole opened in a bridge and his horse's hoof sank into it, he beheaded Xu Yi. Chen Shou wrote that although Xu Yi was the son of Xu Chu, of a family with merit toward the royal house, he was not pardoned. Among the armies there was none who did not tremble with fear on hearing of it. Records, Wei 28 §103–104
The end of the Biography of Xu Chu also records that Xu Yi was killed by Zhong Hui, and that at the beginning of the Taishi era his son Xu Zong succeeded him. Chen Shou's main text does not record Xu Yi's courtesy name or age, and he does not appear in the assessments of Records of Wei 18 or 28 either. Records, Wei 18 §57 · 92Records, Wei 28 §140
In the Romance
In Chapter 116 of the Romance, after all his camps have been set up, Zhong Hui gathers his commanders and looks for someone to take the vanguard, opening roads when they meet mountains and building bridges when they meet water. One man answers the call and steps forward: Xu Yi, son of the tiger general Xu Chu. When the commanders all say that no one but this man can lead the vanguard, Zhong Hui calls him a commander with the body of a tiger and the arms of an ape, and has him wear the seal of the vanguard and lead 5,000 cavalry and 1,000 infantry out by the central route, the Xie Valley, to take Hanzhong directly. Romance, Ch. 116 §3–4
Zhong Hui tells him that all these routes run through rugged, steep mountains, so he must fill in the roads, repair the bridges, cut through hills and break rocks so that nothing obstructs them, and that any failure will surely be dealt with by military law. Xu Yi receives the order and advances with his troops, and Zhong Hui follows behind him leading a host of more than 100,000. Romance, Ch. 116 §5
Xu Yi, vanguard of the whole army, wanting to win the first merit, reaches the Nanzheng Pass first and, saying that there are not many men and horses on the pass, tries to seize it by sheer force. But the Shu commander guarding the pass, Lu Xun (盧遜), has already placed troops in ambush to the left and right of the wooden bridge before the pass and set up the ten-bolt repeating crossbows left by Marquis Wu, so that arrows and stones pour down like rain. Xu Yi hastily withdraws, but dozens of horsemen have already fallen, and the Wei army is badly defeated. Romance, Ch. 116 §15–17
When Zhong Hui, on receiving the report, comes in person to look, he is chased by Lu Xun and crosses the bridge, but the earth on the bridge collapses and his horse's hooves sink; he abandons his horse and goes on foot, and survives thanks to Xun Kai's arrow. After taking the pass, Zhong Hui summons Xu Yi before his tent and rebukes him: as the vanguard he did not repair the bridges and roads, so that Zhong Hui himself nearly fell from the bridge, and since he has violated military orders he will be dealt with by military law. The commanders plead for mercy, citing the merit of his father Xu Chu toward the court, but Zhong Hui says that if military law is not clear there is no way to command the host, has him beheaded and his head displayed to the troops, and the commanders are all shocked. Romance, Ch. 116 §17–20
Where the Romance differs
How he became the vanguard: In Chapter 116 of the Romance, Xu Yi volunteers for the vanguard at the gathering of commanders and receives from Zhong Hui the seal of the vanguard along with 5,000 cavalry and 1,000 infantry. Chen Shou's main text says only that Zhong Hui first had the General of the Standard Xu Yi go ahead to prepare the road. Romance, Ch. 116 §3–4Records, Wei 28 §103
The battle at the Nanzheng Pass: In Chapter 116 of the Romance, Xu Yi attacks the Nanzheng Pass to win the first merit and is defeated by Lu Xun's ambush and repeating crossbows. Chen Shou's main text has no battle fought by Xu Yi, and the Biography of Zhong Hui records that Shu ordered its various defensive positions not to give battle but to withdraw and hold the two cities of Hancheng and Lecheng. Romance, Ch. 116 §15–17Records, Wei 28 §103–104
The sinking hoof: In Chapter 116 of the Romance, Zhong Hui, chased by Lu Xun, is crossing the bridge when the earth collapses and his horse's hooves sink, and he is saved by Xun Kai's arrow. Chen Shou's main text says only that a hole opened in the bridge and a horse's hoof sank through, and does not record it as something that happened during a battle. Romance, Ch. 116 §17Records, Wei 28 §103
Xu Chu's merit: In Chapter 116 of the Romance, the commanders plead for mercy citing Xu Chu's merit, and Zhong Hui rejects them. In Chen Shou's main text the mention of Xu Chu's merit is Chen Shou's own narration, which records that although Xu Yi was the son of Xu Chu, of a family with merit toward the royal house, Zhong Hui did not pardon him. Romance, Ch. 116 §19–20Records, Wei 28 §103
The family line: The Romance states only that Xu Yi was the son of Xu Chu. The Biography of Xu Chu in the Records records that when Xu Chu died Xu Yi succeeded him, and that after Xu Yi was killed by Zhong Hui, his son Xu Zong succeeded him at the beginning of the Taishi era. Romance, Ch. 116 §4Records, Wei 18 §57
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total365 / 1000Rank 817 of 996 · Top 83%Romance total382 / 1000Rank 659 of 1,113 · Top 60%
Romance adaptation index+17Romance total − Records total
- LEA3535±0
- STR4560+15
- INT3532−3
- POL3533−2
- CHA3850+12
- VIR4540−5
- ADP3535±0
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3333±0
- DIS3333±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a General of the Standard of WeiWei 28 §103
NRecommended as vanguard by the commanders, who also pleaded for his life at his executionCh. 116 §4Ch. 116 §19
8 similar abilities — show evidence
RWent ahead as General of the Standard to prepare the road, but was beheaded when a bridge gave wayWei 28 §103
NAttacked the Nanzheng Pass as vanguard and was badly defeated by an ambush of repeating crossbowsCh. 116 §16Ch. 116 §17
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a General of the Standard of WeiWei 28 §103
NRushed to attack the pass for the first merit and failed to see the ambushCh. 116 §15Ch. 116 §16
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a General of the Standard of WeiWei 28 §103
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhong Hui's vanguardCh. 116 §4
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a General of the Standard of WeiWei 28 §103
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhong Hui's vanguardCh. 116 §4
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a General of the Standard of WeiWei 28 §103
NBeheaded for violating the military order to repair the bridgesCh. 116 §19Ch. 116 §20
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a General of the Standard of WeiWei 28 §103
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhong Hui's vanguardCh. 116 §4
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a General of the Standard of WeiWei 28 §103
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhong Hui's vanguardCh. 116 §4
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a General of the Standard of WeiWei 28 §103
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhong Hui's vanguardCh. 116 §4
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Wei · Romance · Romance ch. 116 「乃虎将许褚之子许仪也」 · Q124695275
Family
| Parents | Xu Chu Romance |
|---|
Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.
Related events (1)
- Zhong Hui Divides His Army on the Hanzhong Road 263 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).