Historical Record
Xu Ci, courtesy name Rendu, was a man of Guanghan Commandery in Yi Province. He was famed for his broad learning and his mastery of the Confucian classics. After Liu Bei established the Shu Han regime, Xu Ci was given important employment. He served in such important offices as Erudite, Libationer, and Superintendent of the Imperial Household, in charge of ritual, education, and the selection of talent. Xu Ci was profoundly accomplished in scholarship, especially expert in the Book of Changes and the Three Ritual Classics. He had been a teacher of Liu Xi and exerted an important influence on the scholarly world of his time. The histories, however, also record certain traits of Xu Ci's character: he was "self-important and jealous of others" — that is, conceited and envious. He was on poor terms with his colleague Hu Qian, to the point that "they would not lend each other books" c:3363. Even so, Xu Ci remained a much-respected scholar and official within the Shu Han regime, contributing to Shu Han's cultural construction and the cultivation of talent.
In the Novel
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms gives Xu Ci no independent literary characterization. Under Luo Guanzhong's brush, Xu Ci's name does not appear and his deeds are not mentioned. This forms a sharp contrast with his standing in the Records of the Three Kingdoms as an important Shu Han official and scholar. The novel places greater emphasis on depicting scenes of war and the legendary stories of heroic figures, and for characters such as Xu Ci, who functioned chiefly in the cultural and political spheres, it often chooses to overlook them selectively or treat them in simplified fashion. Thus details such as Xu Ci's character traits, scholarly achievements, and conflict with Hu Qian are all unrecorded in the novel, and the reader can gain no sense of this Shu Han notable's image from the work.
Key Relationships
* Liu Xi (student_of): Xu Ci was Liu Xi's teacher, indicating that he played an important role in scholarly transmission. As Xu Ci's student, Liu Xi was undoubtedly steeped in and influenced by Xu Ci's profound learning; against the social backdrop of the time, which valued teacher-disciple lineage, this reflects Xu Ci's standing in the field of education c:3363.
* Shu Han (serves): Xu Ci held such important offices in the Shu Han regime as Erudite, Libationer, and Superintendent of the Imperial Household, and was an important official and scholar of Shu Han. He contributed to Shu Han's ritual system, cultural education, and selection of talent, and was an indispensable civil official during the reigns of Liu Bei and Liu Shan.
* Hu Qian (rival_of): A competitive relationship existed between Xu Ci and his colleague Hu Qian; the histories record that "they would not lend each other books," reflecting a scholarly or personal discord between them. This "self-important and jealous of others" trait made Xu Ci appear less than smooth in interpersonal dealings c:3363.
Signature Scene
* "Would not lend each other books" with Hu Qian: This event is a concentrated expression of Xu Ci's character traits, and the most vivid stroke the histories offer in depicting his personal image. It not only reveals Xu Ci's "self-important and jealous of others" nature but also indirectly reflects the scholarly factionalism and personal grudges that may have existed among the literati of the time c:3363. Though simple, this scene sketches for us a scholar of flesh and blood, by no means flawless, breaking the stereotype of ancient worthies as figures of unblemished lofty integrity. Since the novel makes no mention of Xu Ci, this scene appears only in the historical record.
Relationships
1 relationships
Teacher & student1
Chapters1 回 ▸
- 史ch.42
Relationship timeline1 条 ▸
史 ch.42
- Liu Xi§28
student_of
师事刘熙，善郑氏学
Inner monologues · AI-generated1 段 ▸
- I am Xu Ci; my courtesy name is unknown. The histories preserve my name in their pages, but record neither my courtesy n
Life events1 ▸
- 0221-01-01 · Wudan HillLiu Bei Proclaims Himself Emperor· Witness