Xu Jing 許靖

Xu Jing, courtesy name Wenxiu, was a man of Pingyu County in Runan Commandery. In his youth he became known together with his younger cousin Xu Shao, and both had a reputation for judging people's character, but they did not get along personally. When Xu Shao became Officer of Merit of the commandery, he pushed Xu Jing aside so that he could not take his place in the ranks of office, and Xu Jing supported himself by having a horse turn a millstone. When Liu Yi of Yingchuan became Administrator of Runan, he recommended Xu Jing as an accounts clerk and selected him as Filial and Incorrupt, and Xu Jing became a Gentleman of the Masters of Writing in charge of the selection of officials. Records, Shu 8 §2

When Emperor Ling died and Dong Zhuo took power, the Master of Writing for Personnel Zhou Bi, together with Xu Jing, admitted and dismissed the gentlemen of the realm. They promoted Xun Shuang, Han Rong, Chen Ji and others, and made Han Fu Governor of Ji Province, Liu Dai Inspector of Yan Province, Kong Zhou Inspector of Yu Province and Zhang Miao Administrator of Chenliu, among others, while Xu Jing was transferred to Administrator of Ba Commandery but did not take up the post and became Palace Assistant Imperial Clerk. However, once Han Fu and the others reached their posts, each raised troops intending to kill Dong Zhuo, and Dong Zhuo in anger beheaded Zhou Bi. Records, Shu 8 §2–4

Because his elder cousin Xu Yang had also plotted together with Kong Zhou, Xu Jing, fearing execution, fled to Kong Zhou. When Kong Zhou died he relied on Chen Yi, Inspector of Yang Province, and when Chen Yi died he went to place himself under Xu Gong, Commandant of Wu Commandery, and Wang Lang, Administrator of Kuaiji, both old friends of his, and he gathered and cared for his relatives and fellow villagers. When Sun Ce crossed the river they all fled to Jiao Province; Xu Jing sat at the water's edge and had those who followed him board the boats first, leaving only after all his relatives had gone, and everyone who saw this sighed in admiration. Shi Xie, the Administrator of Jiaozhi, treated him with deep respect. Records, Shu 8 §4–5

Yuan Hui of Chen State, who was staying in Jiao Province, wrote to Xun Yu that during his wanderings, whenever there was trouble or danger, Xu Jing always put others first and himself last. Zhang Xiang, who came to Jiao Province bearing the royal command, summoned him and wanted to make a pact with him, but Xu Jing refused. Records, Shu 8 §5–6

Xu Jing sent a long letter to Cao Cao. He wrote that when Yuan Shu's troops pressed in and Kuaiji fell, he crossed the sea to escape to Jiao Province; on the journey of ten thousand li their provisions ran out and they ate grass, and more than half of them died, and then they met with an epidemic in which his aunt, his cousins, and even his wife and children nearly all died, so that only one or two in ten survived. As the roads to Jing and Yi Provinces were all blocked, he asked that a way be opened for him, and he urged Cao Cao to forget old grudges and to choose men for the sake of the offices. But Zhang Xiang, resentful that Xu Jing had not come over to him, searched out the letters he had sent and threw them all into the water. Records, Shu 8 §6–10 · 14 · 16

Later, when Liu Zhang sent an envoy to summon him, Xu Jing entered Shu and became Administrator of Ba Commandery and of Guanghan, and in the 16th year of Jian'an (211) he was transferred to Shu Commandery. Xu Ci also came from Jiao Province to Shu around this time together with Xu Jing and others. In the 19th year of Jian'an (214), when Liu Bei besieged Chengdu, the Administrator of Shu Commandery Xu Jing tried to climb over the wall and surrender, but the matter was discovered and he failed; Liu Zhang, as his downfall was near, did not kill him. Records, Shu 8 §17Records, Shu 12 §26Records, Shu 7 §26

After Liu Zhang surrendered, Liu Bei looked down on Xu Jing because of this and did not want to employ him. Fa Zheng urged that although Xu Jing was a man who had gained an empty reputation without substance, his fame had spread throughout the world, and if he were not treated with courtesy people would say that their lord despised the worthy, so Liu Bei should follow the example of the King of Yan in his treatment of Guo Wei long ago. Liu Bei therefore treated Xu Jing generously and made him Chief Clerk to the General of the Left, and the Biography of the First Sovereign records that he made Xu Jing, along with Mi Zhu and Jian Yong, his guests and friends. Records, Shu 7 §26–27Records, Shu 8 §17Records, Shu 2 §33

In the autumn of the 24th year of Jian'an (219), when the ministers submitted a memorial proposing Liu Bei as King of Hanzhong, Xu Jing signed it as Chief Clerk to the General of the Left, after Ma Chao, and when Liu Bei became King of Hanzhong Xu Jing became Grand Tutor. When Cao Pi usurped the Han, the Grand Tutor Xu Jing, together with Mi Zhu, Zhuge Liang and others, asked Liu Bei to take the imperial throne. In the 1st year of Zhangwu (221) Liu Bei took the throne and issued a decree making him Minister over the Masses. Records, Shu 2 §40 · 60 · 68Records, Shu 8 §17–18

Even past the age of seventy Xu Jing loved people of quality, drew in the younger generation and never tired of pure conversation, and everyone, beginning with the Chancellor Zhuge Liang, bowed to him. When Xu Jing lost his son, Dong Yun and Fei Yi set out together for the funeral. Chen Zhi, the grandson of Xu Jing's elder brother through a daughter, lost his father young and was raised in Xu Jing's household. Xu Jing died in the 8th month, in autumn, of the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222), and his son Xu Qin had died before him. Records, Shu 8 §19Records, Shu 14 §20Records, Shu 9 §34Records, Shu 2 §72

Xu Jing had early on served Chen Ji of Yingchuan as an elder brother and was close to Yuan Huan, Hua Xin, Wang Lang and others. Hua Xin, Wang Lang and Chen Ji's son Chen Qun became high ministers early in Wei, and all of them wrote to Xu Jing reaffirming their old friendship. Records, Shu 8 §19

In his assessment Chen Shou said that Xu Jing had a reputation from early on, was praised as sincere and generous, and took an interest in people. He wrote that although his conduct was not always fitting, Jiang Ji regarded him as 'on the whole a vessel for the court'. Records, Shu 8 §59