Jia Xu (147 – 11 August 223), courtesy name Wenhe, was an official of the state of Cao Wei during the early Three Kingdoms period of China. He started his career in the late Eastern Han dynasty as a minor official. In 189, when the warlord Dong Zhuo took control of the Han central government, he assigned Jia Xu to the unit led by Niu Fu, his son-in-law. In May 192, after Dong Zhuo was assassinated by Lü Bu, Jia Xu advised Li Jue, Guo Si and Dong Zhuo's loyalists to fight back and seize control of the imperial capital, Chang'an, from a new central government headed by Lü Bu and Wang Yun. After Li Jue and the others defeated Lü Bu and occupied Chang'an, Jia Xu served under the central government led by them. During this time, he ensured the safety of the figurehead Han emperor, Emperor Xian, who was being held hostage by Li Jue. He also attempted to prevent internal conflict between Li Jue and Guo Si, but with limited success. After Emperor Xian escaped from Chang'an, Jia Xu left Li Jue and briefly joined the general Duan Wei before becoming a strategist of the warlord Zhang Xiu. While serving under Zhang Xiu, he advised his lord on how to counter invasions by the warlord Cao Cao, who had received Emperor Xian in 196 and taken control of the central government. In 200, during the Battle of Guandu between Cao Cao and his rival Yuan Shao, Jia Xu urged Zhang Xiu to reject Yuan Shao's offer to form an alliance and instead surrender to Cao Cao. Zhang Xiu heeded his advice. Jia Xu then became one of Cao Cao's strategists. While serving other warlords, Jia Xu repeatedly inflicted setbacks on Cao Cao’s forces. After later joining Cao Cao, he was still trusted and heavily employed.
During his service under Cao Cao, Jia Xu made three important contributions. First, during the Battle of Guandu, he urged Cao Cao to switch from being on the defensive to adopting an offensive stance, which ultimately led to Cao Cao's decisive victory over Yuan Shao. Second, during the Battle of Tong Pass in 211, he suggested to Cao Cao to pretend to agree to make peace with the northwestern warlords Han Sui and Ma Chao, and then sow discord between them. Cao Cao heeded his suggestion, successfully stirred up internal conflict among the warlords, and then used the opportunity to defeat them. Thirdly, in the 210s, when Cao Cao's sons Cao Pi and Cao Zhi were fighting to be their father's successor, Jia Xu indirectly helped Cao Pi by giving him advice and hinting to Cao Cao that he should choose the older son to be his heir apparent. After Cao Cao's death in 220, Cao Pi ended the Eastern Han dynasty by forcing Emperor Xian to abdicate the throne to him, and founded the state of Cao Wei with himself as the emperor. As an expression of gratitude to Jia Xu, Cao Pi appointed him as Grand Commandant – one of the top three positions in the Wei government – and promoted him to a district marquis. Between 220 and 223, Jia Xu advised Cao Pi against attacking Cao Wei's rival states, Eastern Wu and Shu Han, and focus on internal development. However, Cao Pi ignored his advice and invaded Wu, but ended up sustaining heavy losses and not making any significant gains. Jia Xu died in 223. The Sanguozhi records that after becoming Grand Commandant, Jia Xu kept his household secluded, avoided private associations with other officials, and did not arrange his children’s marriages with powerful families.
Early life and career Jia Xu was from Guzang County (姑臧縣), Wuwei Commandery (武威郡), which is in present-day Wuwei, Gansu. In his youth, he was unimpressive and unheard of. However, Yan Zhong (閻忠), an official from Hanyang Commandery (漢陽郡; around present-day Gangu County, Gansu), felt that Jia Xu was extraordinary and even remarked that Jia had the brilliance of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, two famous strategists of the early Western Han dynasty.(賈詡字文和，武威姑臧人也。少時人莫知，唯漢陽閻忠異之，謂詡有良、平之奇。) Sanguozhi vol. 10.
Jia Xu was nominated as a xiaolian to serve in the Eastern Han government as a Gentleman Cadet (郎). However, due to illness, he quit his job and went home. On the way back, he was captured by Di rebels at Qian County (汧縣; in present-day Long County, Shaanxi) along with several other travellers. He told the rebels: "I am a maternal grandson of Lord Duan. If you let me live, my family will reward you handsomely." "Lord Duan" referred to Duan Jiong (段熲), who held the position of Grand Commandant (太尉) in the Han imperial court. As Duan Jiong had served for years as a general guarding the Han Empire's western regions, he was well known among the people living in the area. Jia Xu knew that the Di rebels were afraid of Duan Jiong, so he pretended to be Duan Jiong's maternal grandson. As he expected, the rebels treated him respectfully and released him. The other travellers were all killed.(察孝廉為郎，疾病去官，西還至汧，道遇叛氐，同行數十人皆為所執。詡曰：「我段公外孫也，汝別埋我，我家必厚贖之。」時太尉段熲，昔乆為邊將，威震西土，故詡假以懼氐。氐果不敢害，與盟而送之，其餘悉死。詡實非段甥，權以濟事，咸此類也。) Sanguozhi vol. 10.
Service under Dong Zhuo In 189,Zizhi Tongjian vol. 59. the warlord Dong Zhuo entered the imperial capital, Luoyang, and took control of the central government. Jia Xu was then serving as the Commandant (都尉) of Pingjin (平津) and an assistant official in the Grand Commandant's office. He was promoted to Colonel Who Attacks Barbarians (討虜校尉) and assigned to the unit led by Dong Zhuo's son-in-law, Niu Fu.(董卓之入洛陽，詡以太尉掾為平津都尉，遷討虜校尉。卓壻中郎將牛輔屯陝，詡在輔軍。) Sanguozhi vol. 10.
In 192,Zizhi Tongjian vol. 60. Dong Zhuo was assassinated by Lü Bu in the imperial capital, Chang'an, while Niu Fu was murdered by his subordinates. The rest of Dong Zhuo's loyalists, including Li Jue, Guo Si and Zhang Ji, became fearful and wanted to disband and return to their respective home commanderies. Jia Xu told them: "I heard that the new government in Chang'an is planning to exterminate everyone from Liang Province. If all of you break up and travel alone, even a tingzhang can arrest you. Why don't you retreat to the west together? There you can gather and reorganise your forces, and then attack Chang'an to avenge Lord Dong. If you succeed, you can make use of imperial authority to conquer the rest of the Empire. If you fail, it's still not too late to escape." Dong Zhuo's loyalists agreed with Jia Xu and did as he suggested. They managed to defeat the new central government in Chang'an led by Lü Bu and Wang Yun, and then took control of the city.(卓敗，輔又死，衆恐懼，校尉李傕、郭汜、張濟等欲解散，間行歸鄉里。詡曰：「聞長安中議欲盡誅涼州人，而諸君棄衆單行，即一亭長能束君矣。不如率衆而西，所在收兵，以攻長安，為董公報仇，幸而事濟，奉國家以征天下，若不濟，走未後也。」衆以為然。傕乃西攻長安。語在卓傳。) Sanguozhi vol. 10.
Pei Songzhi, who annotated Jia Xu's biography in the Sanguozhi, strongly criticised Jia Xu for offering this suggestion. He argued that Dong Zhuo's death marked the end of his tyranny and a possible revival of the declining Eastern Han dynasty. However, due to Jia Xu's suggestion, the Han Empire became even more chaotic after Dong Zhuo's death.(臣松之以為傳稱「仁人之言，其利愽哉」！然則不仁之言，理必反是。夫仁功難著，而亂源易成，是故有禍機一發而殃流百世者矣。當是時，元惡旣梟，天地始開，致使厲階重結，大梗殷流，邦國遘殄悴之哀，黎民嬰周餘之酷，豈不由賈詡片言乎？詡之罪也，一何大哉！自古兆亂，未有如此之甚。) Pei Songzhi's annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 10.
Service under Li Jue When Jia Xu later served as Left Adjunct (左馮翊), Li Jue and Dong Zhuo's loyalists wanted to reward him by making him a marquis, but Jia Xu said, "That suggestion I made was meant to save your lives. What merit have I achieved to deserve a reward?" He declined to accept the marquis title. Later on, when he was nominated to serve as a Supervisor of the Masters of Writing (尚書僕射), he said: "The Supervisor of the Masters of Writing is like a tutor to officials. I don't have a strong reputation so I am afraid I might not be able to convince people that I am suited for this appointment. What will become of the imperial court if I accept this appointment for my personal glory?" He was then assigned to be a Master of Writing (尚書) instead, and was tasked with selecting candidates to serve in the government. Li Jue and the others regarded him highly but were also wary of him.(後詡為左馮翊，傕等欲以功侯之，詡曰：「此救命之計，何功之有！」固辭不受。又以為尚書僕射，詡曰：「尚書僕射，官之師長，天下所望，詡名不素重，非所以服人也。縱詡昧於榮利，柰國朝何！」乃更拜詡尚書，典選舉，多所匡濟，傕等親而憚之。) Sanguozhi vol. 10. The candidates Jia Xu chose tend to be officials who formerly served in the previous administration. Jia Xu was praised for this mode of selecting government officials by retaining some continuity in appointments.(魏書曰：詡典選舉，多選舊名以為令僕，論者以此多詡。) Wei Shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 10. When there were tensions between Li Jue, Guo Si and Fan Chou, with their respective subordinates urging them to go to war, Jia Xu reprimanded them for their behaviour and tried to persuade them to avoid conflict. They listened to him.(獻帝紀曰：郭汜、樊稠與傕互相違戾，欲鬬者數矣。詡輒以道理責之，頗受詡言。) Xiandi Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 10.
As a Master of Writing, Jia Xu once found out that Consort Tang, widow of Liu Bian, was captured when Li Jue and Guo Si sent their troops to pillage the lands east of Hangu Pass. Li Jue wanted to make Consort Tang his concubine but she refused and never told him that she was a former concubine of an emperor. Jia Xu then informed Emperor Xian. Emperor Xian took pity on her and summoned her to Liu Bian's tomb, where he honoured her by awarding her the title "Princess Consort of Hongnong" (弘農王妃).(唐姬，颍川人也。王薨，归乡里。父会稽太守瑁欲嫁之，姬誓不许。及李傕破长安，遣兵钞关东，略得姬。傕因欲妻之，固不听，而终不自名。尚书贾诩知之，以状白献帝。帝闻感怆，乃下诏迎姬，置园中，使侍中持节拜为弘农王妃。) Houhanshu, vol.10 (part 2; biography of Empress Lingsi)
When his mother died, Jia Xu resigned and went home for filial mourning. He was given the honorary position of a Household Counsellor (光祿大夫) by the imperial court. In 195,Zizhi Tongjian vol. 61. when conflict broke out between Li Jue and Guo Si in Chang'an, Li invited Jia Xu back to serve as General Who Upholds Righteousness (宣義將軍).(會母喪去官，拜光祿大夫。傕、汜等鬬長安中，傕復請詡為宣義將軍。) Sanguozhi vol. 10. Li Jue and his men discussed with Jia Xu their plan to bring Emperor Xian to their camp and use the emperor as a hostage to threaten Guo Si, but Jia Xu said: "No, it isn't right to hold the Emperor hostage." Li Jue refused to listen to him and went ahead. Guo Si, on the other hand, kidnapped Emperor Xian's subjects and held them hostage in his own camp. Zhang Xiu told Jia Xu, "You shouldn't stay here any longer. Why don't you leave?" Jia Xu replied, "I have received grace from the Empire, so I won't betray the Empire's trust in me. If you wish to leave, you can go. I won't leave."(獻帝紀曰：傕等與詡議，迎天子置其營中。詡曰：「不可。脅天子，非義也。」傕不聽。張繡謂詡曰：「此中不可乆處，君胡不去？」詡曰：「吾受國恩，義不可背。卿自行，我不能也。」) Xiandi Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 10.
Li Jue used material wealth to tempt thousands of Qiang tribesmen to support him in his struggle against Guo Si. He even promised to give palace women as concubines to the tribal chiefs. When the tribesmen showed up at Chang'an, they asked: "Is the Emperor inside? General Li has promised to give us palace women as concubines. Where are they?" Emperor Xian turned to Jia Xu for help. Jia Xu secretly hosted a banquet for the tribal chiefs, gave them some expensive material gifts, and succeeded in making them leave. Li Jue lost the support of the tribal chiefs.(獻帝紀曰：傕時召羌、胡數千人，先以御物繒綵與之，又許以宮人婦女，欲令攻郭汜。羌、胡數來闚省門，曰：「天子在中邪！李將軍許我宮人美女，今皆安在？」帝患之，使詡為之方計。詡乃密呼羌、胡大帥飲食之，許以封爵重寶，於是皆引去。傕由此衰弱。) Xiandi Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 10. Jia Xu played an important role in resolving the conflict between Li Jue and Guo Si, and in ensuring Emperor Xian's safety during the time.(傕等和，出天子，祐護大臣，詡有力焉。) Sanguozhi vol. 10. Later, after Emperor Xian escaped from Chang'an, Li Jue led his forces in pursuit and defeated forces led by the emperor's loyalists. He hated certain officials such as Zhao Wen (趙溫), Wang Wei (王偉), Zhou Zhong (周忠) and Rong Shao (榮邵), and wanted to execute them. Jia Xu advised him against it by saying: "They are the Emperor's subjects. How can you harm them?" Li Jue spared them.(獻帝紀曰：天子旣東，而李傕來追，王師敗績。司徒趙溫、太常王偉、衞尉周忠、司隷榮邵皆為傕所嫌，欲殺之。詡謂傕曰：「此皆天子大臣，卿柰何害之？」傕乃止。) Xiandi Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 10.
Brief service under Duan Wei