Xu Chu

Xu Chu
A Qing dynasty portrait of Xu Chu
General of Cao Wei
Born	(Unknown)
Died	c. 230
Names
Traditional Chinese	許褚
Simplified Chinese	许褚
Pinyin	Xǔ Chǔ
Wade–Giles	Hsu Ch'u
Courtesy name	Zhongkang (Chinese: 仲康; pinyin: Zhòngkāng; Wade–Giles: Chung-k'ang)
Posthumous name	Marquis Zhuang (simplified Chinese: 壮侯; traditional Chinese: 壯侯; pinyin: Zhuàng Hóu; Wade–Giles: Chuang Hou)
Other names	"Tiger Fool" (simplified Chinese: 虎痴; traditional Chinese: 虎癡; pinyin: hǔ chī; Wade–Giles: hu ch'ih) (nickname)

Xu Chu (died c. 230),courtesy name Zhongkang, was a military general who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. He served as a bodyguard to the warlord Cao Cao, and continued to serve as a general in the state of Cao Wei – founded by Cao Cao's son and successor, Cao Pi – in the Three Kingdoms period. He was described to be a big and strong man, yet simple minded and honest, so he was nicknamed "Tiger Fool" by his men. After his death, he was posthumously honoured with the title "Marquis Zhuang", which literally means "robust marquis".

Xu Chu was from Qiao County (譙縣) in the Pei State (沛國), which is in present-day Bozhou, Anhui. He was over eight chi tall (about 177–192 centimetres) with a waist circumference of ten wei (approximately 90–100 centimetres). He had an imposing and sturdy look and was known for his great strength and courage.

Towards the end of the Han dynasty, Xu Chu rallied thousands of his clan members and they constructed a fortress to fend off the Yellow Turban rebels. An army of rebels from Runan (汝南; present-day Runan County, Zhumadian, Henan), numbering more than 10,000, once attacked Xu Chu's fortress. The defenders were outnumbered and worn out as the battle dragged on. When the arrows were used up, Xu Chu told all the men and women within the fortress to gather stones the size of chess pieces and place them in the four corners of the fortress. He then hurled the stones at the enemies, crushing the bones of all those who were hit. The rebels then kept a distance away and did not dare to come close. When the food supply was exhausted, Xu Chu pretended to negotiate a truce with the rebels and discuss a deal to exchange an ox for food. When the rebels came to collect the ox, the animal would always run back. Then Xu Chu, holding on to the ox's tail, pulled it along for more than a hundred steps. Seeing this, the startled rebels took off without the ox. The rebels in the surrounding areas heard of this incident and became fearful of Xu Chu.