RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a general of WeiWei 17 §65
NEngaged Guan Ping and was badly defeated and fled after only three boutsCh. 76 §8
Xu Shang 徐商
| Occupation | RGeneral · General NGeneral · Deputy General | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R1 |
Profile
Xu Shang was a general of Wei. He has no biography of his own in the Records, and his name appears once, in the part on Xu Huang in the Biographies of Zhang, Yue, Yu, Zhang and Xu (Records of Wei 17). In the 24th year of Jian'an (219), when Guan Yu besieged Cao Ren at Fan, Xu Huang, who went to the rescue, stationed himself at Yanglingpo because most of the troops under him were new recruits, and Taizu (Cao Cao) sent the generals Xu Shang, Lü Jian and others to Xu Huang, ordering them to wait until all the troops and horses had assembled and then advance together. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his origins or what became of him afterward. Records, Wei 1 §165 · 168Records, Wei 17 §65
In the Romance he appears only in Chapter 76, one of its 120 chapters, and no chapter has his name in its title. In the Romance he appears as Xu Huang's deputy general; he hoists Xu Huang's banners as a ruse, goes to Yancheng and fights Guan Ping, but is badly defeated in three bouts and flees, and that night, together with Lü Jian, he attacks from both sides Guan Ping, who has raided the empty Wei camp. Romance, Ch. 76 §7–8 · 13
In the Records
In the 7th month of autumn of the 24th year of Jian'an (219), Cao Cao, King of Wei, sent Yu Jin to help Cao Ren attack Guan Yu. In the 8th month the Han River overflowed and Yu Jin's army was submerged; Guan Yu captured Yu Jin and went on to besiege Cao Ren, and Cao Cao had Xu Huang go to the rescue. Records, Wei 1 §165 · 168
According to the Biography of Xu Huang, Taizu sent Xu Huang to help Cao Ren attack Guan Yu, and Xu Huang stationed himself at Wan. Guan Yu besieged Cao Ren at Fan and also besieged the general Lü Chang at Xiangyang. Judging that most of the troops under him were new recruits and that it would be hard to meet Guan Yu head-on, Xu Huang advanced and stationed himself at Yanglingpo. Records, Wei 17 §65
Taizu returned once more and sent the generals Xu Shang, Lü Jian and others to Xu Huang, ordering, "Wait until all the troops and horses have assembled, then advance together." Records, Wei 17 §65
The enemy were stationed at Yancheng. On arriving, Xu Huang deceptively dug a great trench as if to cut off their rear, and the enemy burned their camp and fled. Having taken Yancheng, Xu Huang linked his encampments on both sides and advanced little by little until he was about three zhang from the enemy's siege lines. Before he attacked, Taizu sent Yin Shu, Zhu Gai and others to Xu Huang one after another, twelve encampments in all. Records, Wei 17 §66
Xu Huang spread word that he would attack the camp at the head of the siege lines and secretly attacked Sizhong. When Guan Yu came out to fight in person at the head of 5,000 foot and horse, Xu Huang struck and drove him back, then pursued him and broke into the siege lines together with the fleeing troops, routing them. Taizu issued an order declaring that his achievement surpassed that of Sun Wu and Rangju, and when Xu Huang returned to Mopi with his army in good order, Taizu went seven li out to meet him. Records, Wei 17 §66–67
This passage in the Biography of Xu Huang is the only place in Chen Shou's main text where Xu Shang's name appears. What Xu Shang did in the fighting at Yancheng and Sizhong after he was sent to Xu Huang, as well as his courtesy name, his origins and his death, is not recorded. Records, Wei 17 §65–67
In the Romance
In Chapter 76 of the Romance, when a letter reaches Cao Cao saying that Eastern Wu intends to make a surprise attack on Jing Province and asking him to join in attacking Yunchang from both sides, the Registrar Dong Zhao proposes shooting this letter into Fancheng so that Lord Guan will withdraw his troops, and having Xu Huang fall upon him at that moment. Cao Cao sends men to urge Xu Huang to give battle quickly, and himself leads a great army to the Yangling Slope south of Luoyang and stations himself there. Romance, Ch. 76 §5–6
Xu Huang, receiving the envoy of the King of Wei, is told that Guan Ping has stationed troops at Yancheng and Liao Hua at Sizhong, with twelve camps linked one after another. Xu Huang at once has his deputy generals Xu Shang and Lü Jian hoist Xu Huang's banners as a ruse and go to Yancheng to fight Guan Ping, while he himself leads five hundred picked troops along the Mian River to strike Yancheng from the rear. Romance, Ch. 76 §7–8
Hearing that Xu Huang has come in person, Guan Ping leads out the troops under his own command, and when the two armies have drawn up their lines he engages Xu Shang. After only three bouts Xu Shang is badly defeated and flees, and Lü Jian, who comes out to fight, is also defeated and flees after five or six bouts. While Guan Ping pursues them for more than twenty li, fire breaks out inside Yancheng, and Guan Ping, heading back to Yancheng, is blocked by Xu Huang and flees to the camp at Sizhong. Romance, Ch. 76 §8–9
Guan Ping and Liao Hua go to relieve the First Camp due north, which is under attack by Xu Huang's troops, and that night Guan Ping leads a band of troops into the Wei camp but finds not a single man there. Realizing it is a trap, he hastily withdraws, but Xu Shang from the left and Lü Jian from the right attack him from both sides; badly defeated, Guan Ping and Liao Hua abandon the First Camp and head for the camp at Sizhong, but Wei banners are already standing there. In the Romance Xu Shang does not appear again after this chapter. Romance, Ch. 76 §11–13
Where the Romance differs
How he came to Xu Huang: In Chapter 76 of the Romance, Xu Shang appears as Xu Huang's deputy general from the start and goes to Yancheng on Xu Huang's orders. In the Biography of Xu Huang in the Records, while Xu Huang was stationed at Yanglingpo, Taizu returned once more and sent the generals Xu Shang, Lü Jian and others to Xu Huang, ordering them to wait until all the troops and horses had assembled and then advance together. Romance, Ch. 76 §7Records, Wei 17 §65
How Yancheng was taken: In Chapter 76 of the Romance, while Xu Shang and Lü Jian fight Guan Ping under Xu Huang's banners, Xu Huang strikes Yancheng from the rear with five hundred picked troops and fire breaks out inside the town. In the Biography of Xu Huang in the Records, when Xu Huang reached Yancheng and deceptively dug a great trench as if to cut off the enemy's rear, the enemy burned their camp and fled. Xu Shang does not appear in this passage. Romance, Ch. 76 §7–8Records, Wei 17 §66
The fight with Guan Ping: In Chapter 76 of the Romance, Xu Shang engages Guan Ping and is badly defeated in three bouts and flees. The Biography of Xu Huang in the Records mentions no one who fought Guan Ping, and Guan Ping does not appear in this battle in the Biography of Guan Yu either. Romance, Ch. 76 §8Records, Wei 17 §56–70Records, Shu 6 §1–13
The pincer attack: In Chapter 76 of the Romance, Xu Shang and Lü Jian attack from left and right Guan Ping, who has raided the empty Wei camp. In the Biography of Xu Huang in the Records, Xu Huang spread word that he would attack the camp at the head of the siege lines and secretly attacked Sizhong, and when Guan Yu came out in person at the head of 5,000 foot and horse, he struck and drove him back. Xu Shang's name does not appear in this battle. Romance, Ch. 76 §13Records, Wei 17 §66
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 total379 / 1000Rank 736 of 996 · Top 74%Romance total369 / 1000Rank 743 of 1,113 · Top 67%
Romance adaptation index−10Romance total − Records total
- LEA4852+4
- STR4535−10
- INT3838±0
- POL3331−2
- CHA3535±0
- VIR4545±0
- ADP4038−2
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3131±0
- DIS3333±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RSent as a general with Lü Jian to join Xu Huang's relief of FanchengWei 17 §65
NWent into battle under Xu Huang's banners and attacked Guan Ping from left and right with Lü JianCh. 76 §7Ch. 76 §13
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a general of WeiWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Xu Huang's deputy generalCh. 76 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a general of WeiWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Xu Huang's deputy generalCh. 76 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a general of WeiWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Xu Huang's deputy generalCh. 76 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a general of WeiWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Xu Huang's deputy generalCh. 76 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a general of WeiWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Xu Huang's deputy generalCh. 76 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a general of WeiWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Xu Huang's deputy generalCh. 76 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a general of WeiWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Xu Huang's deputy generalCh. 76 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a general of WeiWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Xu Huang's deputy generalCh. 76 §7
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 →
Related events (2)
- Xu Huang Battles on the Mian River 219 · Appears (Romance scene)
- Battle of Fancheng 219 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).