Lady Xu (Sun Quan) 徐夫人

Lady Xu, consort of Sun Quan, Lord of Wu, was a native of Fuchun in Wu Commandery. Her grandfather Xu Zhen was on close terms with Sun Quan's father Sun Jian, and Sun Jian gave his sister to Xu Zhen in marriage; she bore Xu Kun. Xu Kun served in the province and commandery when young, but when the world fell into disorder at the end of the Han he left his post, followed Sun Jian on campaign and won merit, and was appointed Lieutenant General. Records, Wu 5 §11

After Sun Jian died, Xu Kun followed Sun Ce in attacking Fan Neng, Yu Mi and others at Hengjiang and in attacking Zhang Ying at Danglikou. When there were too few boats and the army halted to seek more, Xu Kun's mother, who was then with the army, said that it would be disadvantageous if the provincial authorities sent a large naval force against them, and told him to cut reeds and make rafts to help the boats ferry the troops across. When Xu Kun reported this, Sun Ce immediately carried it out; the whole host crossed the river, defeated Zhang Ying, and attacked Ze Rong and Liu Yao and put them to flight. Records, Wu 5 §11–12

Sun Ce memorialized the throne to have Xu Kun concurrently serve as Administrator of Danyang, but just then Wu Jing abandoned Guangling and came east, so Wu Jing became Administrator of Danyang again. Xu Kun, as General of the Household Supervising the Army, led troops and followed Sun Ce in defeating Li Shu, Administrator of Lujiang; he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Guangde and transferred to General Who Pacifies the Caitiffs. Later he joined the campaign against Huang Zu and died after being struck by a stray arrow. Records, Wu 5 §12

Xu Kun fathered the Lady. She was first married to Lu Shang of the same commandery; when Lu Shang died, Sun Quan, who was then at Wu as General Who Attacks Barbarians, took her as his consort and had her raise his son Sun Deng as a mother. The biography of Lady Xie records that Lady Xie, whom Sun Quan's mother Lady Wu had taken for him, enjoyed his favour, but that when Sun Quan later took Lady Xu, the granddaughter of his paternal aunt, and wished to place Lady Xie beneath her, Lady Xie refused and so lost her standing. Records, Wu 5 §13 · 9

Later, when Sun Quan moved his residence, he deposed the Lady for jealousy and left her at Wu. More than ten years later, when Sun Quan became King of Wu and then took the imperial title, Sun Deng became Crown Prince, and the ministers asked that the Lady be made empress. But since Sun Quan's heart was set on Lady Bu, he never consented. The biography of Lady Bu records that Sun Quan wished to make Lady Bu empress, but since the ministers' opinion favoured Lady Xu, he hesitated for more than ten years. Records, Wu 5 §13 · 16

According to the Biography of Sun Deng, Sun Deng's birth mother was a concubine of low rank, and Lady Xu had shown him the kindness of raising him like a mother when he was young. After Lady Xu was deposed for jealousy and went to live at Wu, Lady Bu was the most favoured; when Lady Bu gave him anything, Sun Deng did not dare refuse and merely bowed and accepted it, but when Lady Xu's messengers came, he always bathed before putting on the clothes she had sent. When he was about to be appointed Crown Prince, Sun Deng declined, saying that to establish a crown prince one should first establish an empress; when Sun Quan asked, 'Where is your mother?' he answered, 'At Wu,' and Sun Quan fell silent. Records, Wu 14 §7

The Lady later died of illness. The Records do not give the year or the place. Her elder brother Xu Jiao inherited their father Xu Kun's marquisate, subdued the Shanyue and was appointed Lieutenant General, but he died before the Lady and had no sons. Her younger brother Xu Zuo succeeded to the fief, and he too, through merit in battle, rose to Commander of Wuhu and General Who Pacifies Wei. Records, Wu 5 §13

In his assessment in the Biographies of Consorts, Chen Shou said that Duke Huan of Qi and Sun Quan both had the clear sight to recognize men of worth and the ambition of outstanding men, but that because they did not distinguish between the sons of principal wives and those of concubines, the women's quarters and the court fell into disorder and calamity flowed down to their descendants. Lady Xu is not named separately in the assessment. Records, Wu 5 §42