Campaigners › Warriors
Xu Chu
Cao Cao's bodyguard commander, nicknamed the Mad Tiger, who shielded him from Ma Chao's arrows at Tongguan and later led the Wei palace guard
On a training ground at morning, a straw target stands at the left with one person beside it, turned away and empty-handed; racks hold bows and spears at rest, an armour stand holds lamellar armour and a helmet, and a saddled horse stands by a wooden mounting block at the right.
Also known as Zi Zhongkang · Hu Chi
- Roles
- Warriors
Xu Chu, courtesy name Zhongkang, came from Qiao; he stood over eight chi tall with a waist ten spans round. At the end of the Han he fortified several thousand households against bandits and once dragged an ox backward by its tail for a hundred paces, scaring off raiders. When he joined Cao Cao, Cao called him "my Fan Kuai" and put him in the bodyguard. Crossing the Yellow River during the Tongguan campaign of 211, with Ma Chao's horsemen shooting at the boat, he held up a saddle to shield Cao Cao with one hand and poled the boat with the other. When Cao later met Han Sui and Ma Chao on horseback, Xu was his only escort, and Ma Chao, who had meant to rush Cao, did not dare move; soldiers nicknamed Xu the Mad Tiger. Under Cao Pi he became General of the Martial Guard in charge of the palace troops, and under Emperor Ming he was made Marquis of Mou; his posthumous name was Zhuang.
Life and times
Dates Dates unknown; bodyguard general of Cao Cao