Wang Xiu 王脩

Wang Xiu, courtesy name Shuzhi, was a man of Yingling County in Beihai State. He lost his mother at the age of seven; because she had died on the day of the sacrifice to the god of the soil, when the neighboring villages held that sacrifice the following year he thought of his mother and grieved bitterly. Hearing of this, the neighbors called off the sacrifice for his sake. At twenty he went to study in Nanyang and lodged in the house of Zhang Feng, and when Zhang Feng's whole household fell ill with no one to look after them, he cared for them himself and left only after they had recovered. Records, Wei 11 §54

In the Chuping era Kong Rong of Beihai summoned him as Registrar and made him acting Prefect of Gaomi. The retainers of the Sun family, a powerful and swaggering clan of Gaomi, had broken the law many times, and when a robber took refuge in their house, the officials could not seize him. Wang Xiu led the officials and people to surround the house and ordered that anyone who dared not attack would be punished for the same crime. The frightened Sun family handed over the robber, and from then on the powerful clans and the influential were cowed into submission. When he was recommended as Filial and Incorrupt he tried to yield the honor to Bing Yuan, but Kong Rong would not allow it, and as the realm was in turmoil he never went in the end. Records, Wei 11 §54–55

Shortly afterward, when a rebellion broke out in the commandery, Wang Xiu heard that Kong Rong was in danger and hurried to him by night. Kong Rong had just told his attendants that the only one who would brave the danger to come was Wang Xiu, when Wang Xiu arrived. He again became Officer of Merit, and because there were many bandits in Jiaodong he was made acting Prefect of Jiaodong. When Gongsha Lu of Jiaodong, relying on the strength of his clan, built camps and moats and refused to answer the levies, Wang Xiu rode in through his gate with only a few horsemen and beheaded Gongsha Lu and his brothers. Whenever Kong Rong met with danger, Wang Xiu never failed to come, even when he was home on leave, and Kong Rong always relied on him to escape harm. Records, Wei 11 §56–57

When Yuan Tan was in Qing Province he summoned Wang Xiu as Headquarters Officer, and the Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage Liu Xian repeatedly slandered him. Later, when Liu Xian was to be put to death over some matter, Wang Xiu defended him and saved him from death, and people thought all the more highly of him for this. Yuan Shao also summoned him and appointed him Prefect of Jimo, and later he again became Yuan Tan's Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage. After Yuan Shao's death, when Yuan Shang attacked Yuan Tan and Yuan Tan's army was defeated, Wang Xiu led officials and people to his rescue, and Yuan Tan rejoiced, saying that the one who had kept his army intact was Attendant Officer Wang. Records, Wei 11 §58

After Yuan Tan's defeat, when Liu Xun raised troops at Taiyin and many cities rose in support, Wang Xiu said that Guan Tong, the Administrator of Donglai, alone would not rebel and would surely come. Some ten days later Guan Tong did indeed abandon his wife and children and hurried to him, and his wife and children were killed by the rebels. When Yuan Tan wanted to attack Yuan Shang again, Wang Xiu remonstrated that brothers attacking each other was the road to ruin. Yuan Tan was displeased but recognized his loyalty. Records, Wei 11 §59–60

When Yuan Tan later asked him again for a plan, Wang Xiu said that brothers are like the left and right hands, and asked whether it could be right for a man about to fight to cut off his own right hand and claim he would surely win; slanderers were trying to sow discord between them to seek a single day's profit, so Yuan Tan should stop his ears, and if he beheaded a few flattering ministers and was reconciled with his brother, he could range freely across the realm. Yuan Tan did not listen, fought Yuan Shang and asked Cao Cao for help. After Cao Cao had taken Ji Province, Yuan Tan rebelled again, and Cao Cao attacked him at Nanpi. Wang Xiu, who was transporting grain at Le'an, heard that Yuan Tan was in danger and hurried to him with his soldiers and several dozen attendant officers, but on reaching Gaomi he heard that Yuan Tan was dead, dismounted and wailed, 'Without my lord, where shall I go?' The Annals of Emperor Wu records that Yuan Tan was beheaded in the 1st month, in spring of the 10th year of Jian'an (205). Records, Wei 11 §60–61Records, Wei 1 §88

Wang Xiu went to Cao Cao and asked to be allowed to collect and bury Yuan Tan's body. When Cao Cao, wishing to test his resolve, kept silent and did not answer, he said again that he had received great kindness from the Yuan family, and that if he could only collect and shroud the body, he would have no regrets even if he were put to death afterward. Cao Cao admired his righteousness and granted the request, and made him Superintendent of Army Provisions and sent him back to Le'an. All the cities submitted, but Guan Tong alone held Le'an and would not obey. Cao Cao ordered Wang Xiu to bring him Guan Tong's head, but Wang Xiu, regarding Guan Tong as a loyal minister of a fallen state, untied his bonds and sent him to Cao Cao, who was pleased and pardoned Guan Tong. Records, Wei 11 §62–63

Because the Yuan family's rule was lenient, those in office and power had amassed great wealth, and after taking Ye, Cao Cao confiscated the property of Shen Pei and others, which was counted in the tens of thousands. But when he inspected Wang Xiu's house after taking Nanpi, there was less than ten hu of grain and several hundred scrolls of books. Cao Cao sighed that a gentleman does not gain his reputation for nothing, summoned him with due courtesy as a clerk to the Minister of Works and made him acting General of the Household in Charge of Metals. Later he was transferred to Administrator of Wei Commandery, where he held down the strong, helped the weak and made rewards and punishments clear, and the people praised him. Records, Wei 11 §63

When the state of Wei was established, he became Minister of Agriculture and Prefect of the Palace Gentlemen. When Cao Cao discussed restoring mutilating punishments, Wang Xiu said that the time was not yet right, and Cao Cao accepted his view. After he was transferred to Minister of Ceremonies, when Yan Cai rose in revolt and attacked the side gate of the palace with several dozen followers, Wang Xiu called for his carriage and horses, and when they did not come, he led his subordinates on foot to the palace gate. Watching from the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, Cao Cao said that the man coming must be Wang Shuzhi. When the Chancellor of State Zhong Yao said that by old custom the Nine Ministers each stayed in their offices when there was trouble in the capital, Wang Xiu replied that one who eats a salary cannot avoid its troubles, and that staying in one's office was not the duty of rushing to meet danger. Shortly afterward he died of illness in office, and his son Wang Zhong rose to be Administrator of Donglai and Cavalier Regular Attendant. Records, Wei 11 §64–65

Wang Xiu recognized Gao Rou when Gao Rou was about twenty and thought Wang Ji remarkable when he was a small child, and as both eventually rose to high positions, the world praised him as a judge of men. In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Tian Chou did not bend in his integrity and that Wang Xiu was loyal and upright, enough to correct the ways of the world, explaining why he had recorded the men of this volume together. Records, Wei 11 §66 · 111