Xu Shu - in Fiction

In Fiction

In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Xu played an important role in recommending Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei. The account of how he switched allegiance from Liu to Cao Cao was also greatly dramatised.

In the novel, Xu first met Liu Bei near Xinye and agreed to become Liu's advisor. Not long later, Cao Cao sent Cao Ren to lead an army to attack Liu Bei. Cao Ren deployed an Eight Gates Golden Locks Formation (八門金鎖陣) during the battle against Liu's army. Liu's forces were initially unable to break the formation, until Xu pointed out the weaknesses in the formation. Liu's generals followed Xu's instructions on how to attack the formation and succeeded in breaking it, defeating Cao Ren's army.

When Cao Cao heard of how Xu broke the formation, he was impressed and wanted to Xu to serve him. Cao invited Xu's mother to meet him and requested for her to write a letter to her son, asking her son to come and serve him. Xu's mother refused and denounced Cao Cao as a traitor and attempted to hit Cao with her walking stick. Cao was furious and ordered Xu's mother to be executed, but his strategists advised him against it, and Cao eventually had her confined. He sent Cheng Yu to visit her, and Cheng lied that he was Xu's friend and wanted to help Xu. Over time, Xu's mother gradually trusted Cheng and Cheng picked up her handwriting. Cheng then wrote a letter to Xu in his mother's handwriting, luring him to Cao Cao's side.

Xu was a filial son and he wept when he heard that his mother was confined by Cao Cao. Liu Bei was reluctant to let Xu leave but Xu insisted. While leaving, Xu suddenly turned back to Liu and recommended Zhuge Liang to Liu before riding off to meet his mother. When Xu reunited with his mother, he discovered that he had been tricked. His mother was angry with him for failing to recognize the mistake and she committed suicide. Xu was devastated and swore never to give advice to Cao Cao even though he remained within Cao's army until his death.