Jia Xu 賈詡

In his youth no one recognized his worth; only Yan Zhong of Hanyang said that he had rare talents like those of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping. Recommended as Filial and Incorrupt, he became a Gentleman, but left office because of illness. On his way back west, at Qian, he and several dozen travelling companions were seized by rebel Di. He told them that he was a maternal grandson of the Grand Commandant Duan Jiong, and that if they buried him separately, his family would surely pay a handsome ransom. The Di did not dare harm him; they swore a covenant with him and sent him home, while all the rest were killed. In fact he was not Duan Jiong's grandson at all. Records, Wei 10 §68–69

When Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, Jia Xu, as a clerk of the Grand Commandant, became Commandant of Pingjin, then moved to Colonel Who Attacks Caitiffs, and was attached to the army of Niu Fu, Dong Zhuo's son-in-law. When Dong Zhuo was overthrown and Niu Fu also died, Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji, and others wanted to disband their troops and slip home to their villages by back roads. Jia Xu told them that there was talk in Chang'an of killing every man from Liang Province, and that if they abandoned their troops and went off alone, a single precinct chief could tie them up; better to lead their men west, gathering troops as they went, and attack Chang'an. Li Jue and the others followed this advice and attacked Chang'an. Records, Wei 10 §70–71

Having become Governor of Zuopingyi, Jia Xu declined when Li Jue and the others wished to enfeoff him as a marquis for his merit, saying it had been merely a scheme to save their lives; he also declined the post of Deputy Director of the Imperial Secretariat as too weighty for his modest name, and instead became an Imperial Secretary in charge of selecting officials. When Li Jue and Guo Si fought each other in Chang'an, he became General Who Proclaims Righteousness, and it was partly through his efforts that Li Jue and the others made peace, let the Son of Heaven leave, and protected the high ministers. Once the Son of Heaven had left, he returned his seal and ribbon and went to rely on General Duan Wei, a man of his own commandery. Records, Wei 10 §71–72

Duan Wei outwardly treated him with the utmost courtesy but inwardly feared losing his position to him, so Jia Xu secretly came to terms with Zhang Xiu in Nanyang. He reasoned that if he left, Duan Wei would be glad and, hoping for an ally outside, would treat his wife and children generously, while Zhang Xiu, who had no chief strategist, would be eager to have him. Just as he said, Zhang Xiu treated him with the courtesy due from a son or grandson, and Duan Wei looked after his family well. Jia Xu persuaded Zhang Xiu to ally with Liu Biao. Records, Wei 10 §73–75

When Taizu, Cao Cao, after attacking Zhang Xiu repeatedly, suddenly withdrew one morning, Zhang Xiu wanted to pursue him in person. Jia Xu warned him that he would certainly be defeated, but Zhang Xiu did not listen and suffered a great defeat. Jia Xu then told him that if he pursued again at once he would certainly win, and Zhang Xiu gathered his scattered troops, pursued, and indeed won. When asked why, Jia Xu explained that Lord Cao would surely have covered his own rear in person, so even picked troops were defeated; and since Cao Cao had withdrawn before his strength was spent, there must have been trouble at home, so after beating off the pursuers he would press on lightly and in haste, which was why even defeated troops could win. Records, Wei 10 §75–77

When Cao Cao faced Yuan Shao at Guandu, Yuan Shao summoned Zhang Xiu and also sent a letter to Jia Xu. In Zhang Xiu's presence Jia Xu rebuffed Yuan Shao's envoy, asking how a man who could not tolerate even his own brother could tolerate the worthy men of the realm. To Zhang Xiu, who hesitated because Yuan Shao was strong and Cao Cao weak and because they were already enemies of Cao Cao, Jia Xu gave three reasons: Lord Cao upheld the Son of Heaven and issued commands to the realm; his following was weak, so he would be glad to gain them; and one who harbored the ambition of a hegemon and king would surely set aside private grudges. When Zhang Xiu submitted, Cao Cao took Jia Xu by the hand and said, "It is you who have made me trusted and respected throughout the realm," and made him Bearer of the Golden Mace and Marquis of a Chief Precinct. Records, Wei 10 §78–80

When Yuan Shao had Cao Cao hemmed in at Guandu and his provisions were running out, Jia Xu urged him to act decisively, saying that Cao Cao surpassed Yuan Shao in discernment, courage, the use of men, and seizing the moment, yet had failed to settle matters in half a year only because he looked for complete safety. Cao Cao combined his forces and broke Yuan Shao's camps. The Annals of Emperor Wu record that when Xu You fled over and urged an attack on Chunyu Qiong, those around Cao Cao were suspicious, but Xun You and Jia Xu urged it. Records, Wei 10 §80–81Records, Wei 1 §69

In the 13th year of Jian'an (208), when Cao Cao had crushed Jing Province and wished to sail east down the river, Jia Xu remonstrated that if he used the wealth of the old land of Chu to reward his officials and soldiers and to settle the people, the region east of the Yangtze would submit without wearing out his troops. Cao Cao did not listen, and his army gained no advantage. At Weinan, when Han Sui and Ma Chao sued for peace demanding a cession of land, Jia Xu advised pretending to agree and sowing discord between them; the defeat of Han Sui and Ma Chao was, at bottom, Jia Xu's plan. Records, Wei 10 §82–83Records, Wei 1 §112

When Cao Pi and Cao Zhi contended for the succession and Cao Pi asked him for a strategy, Jia Xu told him to broaden his virtue and magnanimity, to live as a plain scholar should, and never to depart from the way of a son. When Cao Cao dismissed his attendants and questioned him, he stayed silent, then answered that he had been thinking of Yuan Benchu and Liu Jingsheng and their sons; Cao Cao laughed heartily, and the heir was settled. Because he was not one of Cao Cao's longtime retainers and yet his schemes ran deep, Jia Xu feared falling under suspicion; he shut his gate, kept no private friendships, and did not marry his children into eminent families. Records, Wei 10 §84–85

When Cao Pi succeeded, Jia Xu became Grand Commandant and was raised to Marquis of Weishou District. Asked whether Wu or Shu should be attacked first, Jia Xu replied that Liu Bei had outstanding talent, Zhuge Liang governed the state well, Sun Quan understood strength and weakness, and Lu Xun perceived the shape of a campaign, so none could be quickly overcome, and that civil measures should come first and military ones later. Cao Pi did not accept this, and later, in the Jiangling campaign, many soldiers died. In the 4th year of Huangchu (223), on the jiashen day of the 6th month, he died at the age of seventy-seven, and was given the posthumous name Marquis Su. Records, Wei 2 §2 · 42–44Records, Wei 10 §86–88

In his assessment, Chen Shou named Xun You and Jia Xu together, writing that their calculations left scarcely a plan overlooked, and that they mastered principle while excelling at adapting to circumstances, so that they were second only to Zhang Liang and Chen Ping. Records, Wei 10 §91