Xu Huang

Xu Huang
A Qing dynasty illustration of Xu Huang
General of Cao Wei
Born	(Unknown)
Died	227
Names
Traditional Chinese	徐晃
Simplified Chinese	徐晃
Pinyin	Xú Huǎng
Wade–Giles	Hsu Huang
Courtesy name	Gongming (Chinese: 公明; pinyin: Gōngmíng; Wade–Giles: Kung-ming)
Posthumous name	Marquis Zhuang (simplified Chinese: 壮侯; traditional Chinese: 壯侯; pinyin: Zhuàng Hóu; Wade–Giles: Chuang Hou)

Xu Huang (died 227),courtesy name Gongming, was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He later served in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period under the first two rulers, Cao Pi and Cao Rui, before his death at the start of Cao Rui's reign. Xu Huang is best noted for breaking the siege at the Battle of Fancheng in 219 by routing the enemy commander Guan Yu on the field.

Chen Shou, who wrote Xu Huang's biography in the historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), named Xu one of the Five Elite Generals of his time, alongside Zhang Liao, Yue Jin, Yu Jin and Zhang He.

Xu Huang was from Yang County (楊縣), Hedong Commandery (河東郡), which is located southeast of present-day Hongdong County, Shanxi. He served as a minor official in the commandery office in his youth. Later, he became a subordinate of Yang Feng from the White Wave Bandits – originally a sect of Yellow Turban rebels that rose up in Xu Huang's hometown in Shanxi – after the bandits raided Hedong and Taiyuan (太原) commanderies in 188. Over the years, the leaders of the White Wave Bandits had been holding different attitudes toward the Han central government. Yang Feng submitted to Dong Zhuo, a warlord who controlled the central government in the early 190s. Xu Huang later followed Yang Feng to quell some remnants of the Yellow Turban rebels, and was appointed as a Cavalry Commandant (騎都尉) by the Han imperial court.