Lady Xu

Historical Record

Lady Xu, whose given name is not recorded in the histories, is known only as "Lady Xu." She was the daughter of Xu Kun, a man of Fuchun in Wu Commandery ^c:1950. Xu Kun was a general of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period, and his family held considerable influence in the Jiangdong region. Lady Xu was first married to Lu Shang, a man of the same commandery ^c:1950. After Lu Shang died, Lady Xu was widowed. Later, while Sun Quan was serving as General Who Suppresses the Caitiffs and garrisoning the Wu region, he took Lady Xu as a consort ^c:1950.

After Sun Quan united with Lady Xu, he did not have her raise his own son personally but instead had her raise Sun Deng, his eldest son by a concubine ^c:1950. Sun Deng was born of a maidservant of unknown identity and was raised in Lady Xu's stead, which, against the social background of the time, reflected Lady Xu's standing in Sun Quan's harem and the trust Sun Quan placed in her. As time passed, however, Sun Quan continued to advance politically, and his personal life changed as well. When Sun Quan moved his capital, Lady Xu was deposed on account of her "jealous" character and settled in the Wu region ^c:1950.

After being deposed, Lady Xu lived in the Wu region for more than ten years. During this time, Sun Quan was successively enfeoffed by Cao Wei as King of Wu and finally proclaimed himself emperor, establishing the Eastern Wu regime. Sun Deng, as Sun Quan's eldest son, was made heir apparent ^c:1950. The assembled officials repeatedly petitioned Sun Quan to make Lady Xu empress, but Sun Quan's heart was set on Lady Bu (Bu Lianshi), and so he never agreed to make Lady Xu empress ^c:1950. In the end, Lady Xu died of illness ^c:1950.

Lady Xu's family background was illustrious. Her elder brother Xu Jiao inherited their father Xu Kun's marquisate, pacified the Shanyue, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General ^c:1950. However, Xu Jiao died before Lady Xu and left no heir. Xu Jiao's younger brother Xu Zuo then inherited the title, and through distinguished military merit rose to be Commander of Wuhu and General Who Pacifies Wei ^c:1950. The Xu clan continued to play an important military role in the Eastern Wu regime.

In the Novel

Romance of the Three Kingdoms gives no independent literary portrayal of Lady Xu. Under Luo Guanzhong's brush, Lady Xu hardly appears at all, and her life and deeds are not mentioned in detail. This stands in sharp contrast to the relatively brief account of her in the histories. As a historical novel whose narrative focuses chiefly on male heroes, Romance of the Three Kingdoms tends to overlook those female figures who were not so active on the political stage or did not directly take part in major military and political events. Thus, Lady Xu remains in a state of being "unrecorded in the histories" within the novel; her personal experience, her character, and her complex relationships with Sun Quan and Sun Deng are not shown in the work. The novel places its weight more on Sun Quan's interactions with other important figures and on the founding and development of the Eastern Wu regime, while Lady Xu, as an early consort of Sun Quan, has her story line excluded from the novel's narrative framework.

Key Relationships

* Lu Shang (spouse_of): Lady Xu's first husband, a man of the same commandery ^c:1950. After Lu Shang died, Lady Xu was able to enter Sun Quan's harem.
* Sun Quan (spouse_of): Lady Xu was an early consort of Sun Quan, taken by him as a consort ^c:1950. However, on account of her "jealous" character, she was finally deposed and never made empress ^c:1950.
* Sun Deng (parent_of): Lady Xu raised Sun Quan's eldest son Sun Deng ^c:1950. Sun Deng was later made heir apparent, indicating an important fostering relationship between Lady Xu and Sun Deng.
* Xu Kun (father_of): Lady Xu's father, a general of Wu ^c:1950.
* Xu Jiao (brother_of): Lady Xu's elder brother, who inherited their father's title and rose to Lieutenant-General ^c:1950.
* Xu Zuo (brother_of): Lady Xu's younger brother, who inherited Xu Jiao's title and rose to Commander of Wuhu and General Who Pacifies Wei ^c:1950.

Signature Scenes

* Taken by Sun Quan as a consort: Lady Xu was first married to Lu Shang; after Lu Shang died, Sun Quan took her as a consort, marking her entry into Sun Quan's political and personal circle ^c:1950. This event also laid the groundwork for her later raising of Sun Deng and the evolution of her relationship with Sun Quan.
* Raising Sun Deng: Sun Quan entrusted his eldest son Sun Deng to Lady Xu to raise, rather than to Sun Deng's birth mother, which to a degree reflected Lady Xu's standing in Sun Quan's harem and the trust he placed in her ^c:1950. This scene also shaped Lady Xu's image as Sun Deng's foster mother.
* Deposed on account of jealousy: After moving the capital, Sun Quan deposed Lady Xu on the grounds of her "jealousy" and settled her in the Wu region ^c:1950. This was an important turning point in Lady Xu's life, marking the rupture of her relationship with Sun Quan and revealing the "jealous" side of her character noted in the histories.
* The officials' petition to make her empress, denied: After Sun Quan proclaimed himself king and then emperor, the assembled officials repeatedly petitioned to make Lady Xu empress, but Sun Quan's heart was set on Lady Bu, and in the end he did not grant it ^c:1950. This scene highlights how Lady Xu, though once an important consort of Sun Quan, ultimately failed to ascend to the empress's seat, and also reflects Sun Quan's personal preferences and will to power in harem affairs.