Zhang Xiu

Historical Record

Zhang Xiu, courtesy name unknown, was a native of Zuli in Wuwei, and a clansman of the General of Agile Cavalry Zhang Ji. During the rebellion of Bian Zhang and Han Sui in Liang Province, Qu Sheng of Jincheng attacked and killed Liu Jun, the magistrate of Zuli. Zhang Xiu, then a county clerk, seized the opportunity to assassinate Qu Sheng, thereby gaining a reputation in the commandery as a righteous man, and he gathered young men around him to become a leading figure in his town.^[1] After the defeat and death of Dong Zhuo, Zhang Ji followed Li Jue and others in defeating Lü Bu to avenge Dong Zhuo. Zhang Xiu campaigned alongside Zhang Ji and, through military merit, gradually rose to General Who Establishes Loyalty and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Xuanwei. When Zhang Ji garrisoned at Hongnong, his troops grew hungry, so he attacked Rang to the south, where he was unfortunately struck and killed by a stray arrow.^[1] Zhang Xiu then took command of his troops, garrisoned at Wancheng, and allied with the Governor of Jing Province, Liu Biao.

In the spring, first month, of the second year of Jian'an (197 CE), Cao Cao campaigned southward, and his army reached the Yu River, whereupon Zhang Xiu led his men to surrender. However, Cao Cao took Zhang Ji's widow as a concubine, which made Zhang Xiu resentful. When Cao Cao learned of Zhang Xiu's displeasure, he secretly plotted to eliminate Zhang Xiu. After the plot leaked, Zhang Xiu launched a surprise attack, the Cao army was crushingly defeated, and Cao Cao's eldest son Cao Ang and his nephew Cao Anmin were killed in this battle.^[2] Cao Cao's mount, Jueying ("Shadow-Outrunner"), was also struck by an arrow and wounded. Cao Cao withdrew his troops to Wuyin, and Zhang Xiu led his cavalry in pursuit but was defeated by Cao Cao. Zhang Xiu retreated to hold Rang and joined Liu Biao. Afterward, Cao Cao summed up the lessons of his defeat, judging that he ought not to have failed to take Zhang Xiu as a hostage immediately upon his surrender, and declared that he would never make the same mistake again.^[2]

Thereafter Cao Cao attacked Zhang Xiu several times but failed to overcome him. While Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were in standoff at Guandu, Zhang Xiu adopted Jia Xu's strategy and once again led his men to surrender to Cao Cao.^[3] On seeing Zhang Xiu, Cao Cao personally took him by the hand, held a banquet to entertain him, and even had his own son Cao Jun marry Zhang Xiu's daughter, appointing Zhang Xiu General Who Displays Martial Might. At the Battle of Guandu, Zhang Xiu fought hard and rendered military merit, being promoted to General Who Crushes the Qiang. Later he followed Cao Cao in campaigning against Yuan Tan at Nanpi, and his fief was again increased, totaling two thousand households. At that time the realm's population had sharply declined, and none of the generals' fiefs reached a thousand households, yet Zhang Xiu's fief was especially large.^[3] Zhang Xiu followed Cao Cao in campaigning against the Wuhuan and died before reaching Liucheng, with the posthumous title Marquis Ding. There is a record that, because Cao Pi (the Leader of Court Gentlemen of the Five Offices) had repeatedly raged at banquets, accusing him of having killed his elder brother (Cao Ang), Zhang Xiu felt uneasy at heart and took his own life.^[3] Zhang Xiu's son Zhang Quan inherited the title but was later executed for taking part in Wei Feng's Conspiracy, and the fief was abolished.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Xiu's image is given literary embellishment on the basis of the historical facts, especially regarding his entanglement of grudges with Cao Cao and Jia Xu's strategies.^[4] In the novel, after Zhang Ji's death Zhang Xiu took command of his men, made Jia Xu his strategist, allied with Liu Biao, and garrisoned at Wancheng.^[4] When Cao Cao campaigned southward against Wancheng, Zhang Xiu surrendered. The novel describes in detail how Cao Cao, coveting the beauty of Zhang Ji's wife Lady Zou, took her into his tent for his pleasure.^[5] When Zhang Xiu learned of this, he felt deeply humiliated and conferred with Jia Xu about rebelling. Jia Xu devised a plan: Zhang Xiu would, on the pretext that many of his newly surrendered soldiers were deserting, request to move his garrison to the central army, and seize the opportunity to disperse his forces in preparation for a surprise attack.^[6]

To overcome the valor of Dian Wei, Hu Juer offered a plan: get Dian Wei drinking, and once he was drunk, steal his pair of iron halberds, thereby weakening his combat strength.^[6] These details have no clear basis in the historical records and are episodes the novel created to heighten dramatic conflict. Caught entirely off guard, Cao Cao was attacked at night by Zhang Xiu, and Dian Wei, Cao Ang, Cao Anmin, and others all died in battle. Cao Cao fled in a great defeat, and Zhang Xiu pursued until dawn before withdrawing his troops into the city.^[7]

After Cao Cao's retreat, Zhang Xiu joined Liu Biao in pursuit. Jia Xu at first dissuaded Zhang Xiu from pursuing, predicting the pursuit would surely fail. Zhang Xiu did not listen and, as predicted, returned in a great defeat.^[8] However, Jia Xu then advised Zhang Xiu to pursue again, predicting that this time he would surely win. Though doubtful, Zhang Xiu ultimately followed Jia Xu's advice and indeed won a great victory.^[8] Jia Xu's precise analysis of the outcomes of the two pursuits made Zhang Xiu wholly submit to him.

Before the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao once sent an envoy to win Zhang Xiu over to surrender, but Jia Xu tore up Yuan Shao's letter to his face and rebuked the envoy, pointing out that Yuan Shao could not even tolerate his own brother—how then could he accommodate the great men of the realm?^[9] Jia Xu then persuaded Zhang Xiu to surrender to Cao Cao, putting forward three reasons: that Cao Cao "upheld the Son of Heaven to command the realm"; that "Cao Cao, being weak, would surely rejoice to gain us"; and that "Cao Cao, having the ambition of a hegemon-king, would surely set aside private grudges."^[9] Zhang Xiu ultimately adopted Jia Xu's advice and again surrendered to Cao Cao, who gladly received him and enfeoffed him as General Who Displays Martial Might.^[10] The novel's characterization of Zhang Xiu places greater emphasis on his side of "heeding remonstrance and following counsel," especially under Jia Xu's stratagems, so that Zhang Xiu appears more passive and more influenced by Jia Xu.

Key Relationships

* Zhang Ji (kin_of): Zhang Xiu's clan uncle; after his death Zhang Xiu inherited his troops and continued his regional power base.^[1]
* Cao Cao (betrayed_by, friend_of): Zhang Xiu first surrendered to Cao Cao but rebelled because Cao Cao took his aunt Lady Zou as a concubine, leading to the deaths of Cao Cao's eldest son Cao Ang, his nephew Cao Anmin, and the fierce general Dian Wei (unique to the novel). Later, persuaded by Jia Xu, Zhang Xiu surrendered to Cao Cao again, formed a marriage alliance with him, and jointly opposed Yuan Shao.^[3]
* Liu Biao (friend_of): After rebelling against Cao Cao, Zhang Xiu allied with Liu Biao to jointly oppose Cao Cao.^[1]
* Jia Xu (advisor_of): Zhang Xiu's most important strategist; many of his key decisions—rebelling against Cao Cao, the two pursuits of Cao Cao, and the final surrender to Cao Cao—were all made on Jia Xu's counsel. Jia Xu's wisdom had a decisive influence on Zhang Xiu's fate.^[11]
* Cao Ang (killed_by): Cao Cao's eldest son, killed by Zhang Xiu in the Battle of the Yu River during Zhang Xiu's rebellion against Cao Cao.^[2]
* Cao Anmin (killed_by): Cao Cao's nephew, killed together with Cao Ang in the Battle of the Yu River.^[2]
* Dian Wei (killed_by, unique to the novel): Cao Cao's fierce general; in the novel, because of Zhang Xiu's rebellion Dian Wei died in battle protecting Cao Cao, and the theft of his pair of halberds by Hu Juer was an important cause of his death.^[6]
* Hu Juer (subordinate_of, unique to the novel): Zhang Xiu's deputy general; in the novel he devised the plan to steal Dian Wei's pair of halberds, creating favorable conditions for Zhang Xiu's night attack on Cao Cao.^[6]

Iconic Scenes

* The Battle of the Yu River: rebelling because Cao Cao took his aunt: Zhang Xiu first surrendered to Cao Cao, but Cao Cao's act of taking his aunt Lady Zou (unique to the novel) as a concubine enraged Zhang Xiu. Under Jia Xu's planning, Zhang Xiu launched a night attack on Cao Cao's camp, inflicting a great defeat on Cao Cao, with his eldest son Cao Ang and nephew Cao Anmin killed and the fierce general Dian Wei (unique to the novel) dying in battle. This battle was the most dramatic and influential event of Zhang Xiu's life and directly shaped his complex relationship with Cao Cao.^[1]
* Jia Xu's theory of the two pursuits: After the Battle of the Yu River, Cao Cao retreated, and Zhang Xiu and Liu Biao pursued. Jia Xu first dissuaded Zhang Xiu from pursuing, predicting certain defeat; Zhang Xiu did not listen and was indeed badly beaten. Jia Xu then advised Zhang Xiu to pursue again, predicting certain victory; Zhang Xiu followed and indeed won a great victory. Jia Xu's precise judgment of the situation and his insight into human nature made Zhang Xiu wholly submit to him, the best embodiment of his character of "heeding remonstrance and following counsel."^[11]
* On the eve of Guandu, Jia Xu advises surrender to Cao Cao: As Cao Cao and Yuan Shao faced off at Guandu, Yuan Shao sent an envoy to win Zhang Xiu over to surrender. Jia Xu tore up Yuan Shao's letter to his face and rebuffed the envoy with the words, "If he cannot tolerate his own brother, how can he accommodate the great men of the realm?" Then, with three reasons—"upholding the Son of Heaven," "Cao Cao, being weak, would surely rejoice to gain us," and "setting aside private grudges to make his virtue manifest throughout the realm"—Jia Xu successfully persuaded Zhang Xiu to surrender to Cao Cao again. This scene fully displays Jia Xu's wisdom and Zhang Xiu's readiness to heed remonstrance and follow counsel.^[9]
* Cao Cao takes his hand in reconciliation: After Zhang Xiu, persuaded by Jia Xu, surrendered to Cao Cao, Cao Cao personally took him by the hand, held a banquet to entertain him, and had his son Cao Jun marry Zhang Xiu's daughter. This gesture showed Cao Cao's breadth of mind in recruiting talent, and marked the resolution of the grudge between Zhang Xiu and Cao Cao, with Zhang Xiu formally joining Cao Cao's camp.^[3]