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Mr. Xu Shu's other name was Yuan-zhi. He was born in Yingquan district during the Three Kingdoms period. In his youth he practiced martial arts. Later he gave up his martial practices in preference of literary pursuits and studied under Mr. Si-ma Shui-jing. Mr. Xu had extraordinary mental skills. He was a brilliant strategist, being very erudite and knowledgeable.

At the beginning of his career, he served Liu Bei, the emperor's uncle, and was treated with deference and decorum. When the Cao army launched an attack on Liu Bei, Mr. Xu devised a plot to smash the enemy. Without exerting the slightest strength, he scored an overwhelming victory.

Cao Cao, aware of Mr. Xu's ability at superb military stratagem, used a plot to deceive Mr. Xu's mother and lured her into the Cao camp. He asked her to write a letter to summon her son. However, the elder Mrs. Xu deeply understood the principle of righteousness and refused to comply. Then Cao Cao ordered someone to forge a letter in Mrs. Xu's hand. Although Mr. Xu clearly knew that the letter was a forgery, he took shelter with the Cao camp in order to save his mother's life.

Liu Bei, the emperor's uncle, personally saw him off. In the midst of their journey, they came upon a rough thicket which blocked their vision. Liu Bei ordered his soldiers to chop down the trees, thus clearing the path for Mr. Xu. Mr. Xu was deeply moved by the act. He turned his horse around to recommend the services of Zhu-ge Liang to Liu Bei.  

When the elder Mrs. Xu saw her son at the Cao camp, she was so furious that she hung herself. Thereafter, although Mr. Xu remained in the Cao barracks, throughout his entire life he never devised a single plot on Cao's behalf.  

A verse in praise says:  
His bosom was filled with patriotic fervor,
And his heart was utmost true and sincere.
With but a tiny plot, he scared the wits out of Cao Cao.
A letter forged in his mother's hand,
Led Mr. Xu running to her rescue.
Thereafter he never uttered a word;
"Let me return to my purity."

It is rumored that he went to cultivate the Way. This is only hearsay, but some say that he went to live at Qianshan ("Thousand Mountains") in Manchuria. In Manchuria there is Guangwen ("Extensive Culture") Mountain and Thousand Mountains. There is a saying, "There are many immortals in Qian and Guang Mountains. Some old Bhikshus who live there are several hundred years old.  

When the Abbot of our temple, the elder master Chang Ren, was observing filial practice by his parents' grave, someone from the Ming dynasty came to visit him. This person carried a pole on his shoulders with two little bags suspended on it. Before this old man appeared, Master Chang Ren was toying with the thought, " After I complete my filial duties, I will go to cultivate at Qian Mountain, since that is an ideal place for applying effort." One day he heard a voice tell him, " Today a noble person will come to see you.

At that time, Master Chang Ren was observing filial practice. He did not talk to people and he had no idea who this "noble person" would be. At around 10 o'clock in the morning a monk came, carrying a pole with two bags hanging from it. Master Chang Ren asked him in his mind, "Where are you from? " The old monk answered out loud, "I came from Qian Mountain."

"Why have you come here?"  

"I came to tell you," said the old Bhikshu, "that after you complete your filial practice, it is not necessary for you to go to Qian Mountain to cultivate. The local people in the surrounding area have affinities with you, Therefore, you should cultivate here."

"Who are you?"

The old Bhikshu said, "I used to be a general during the Ming dynasty. When we lost power at the beginning of the Qing dynasty, I went up to the mountain to cultivate. Because I have affinities with you, I have come especially tell you this. Now I will go back to Qian Mountain." The old Bhikshu told Master Chang Ren his name, but since Master Chang Ren was forgetful, he probably forgot the name and did not mention it. But cultivators of old have the power to appear and disappear at will, much like spiritual dragons. They are capable of infinite changes and transformations.

Mr.Xu was called Shu (庶), which means" many" or" the populace." His other name was Yuan-zhi (元直). He was born in Yingquan district, Henan Province, during the Three Kingdoms period. In his youth he practiced martial arts. Later he gave up his martial practices in preference of literary pursuits and studied under Mr. Si-ma Shui-jing. 司馬水鏡. He became Mr. Si-ma's student. Mr. Xu had extraordinary mental skills. He was a brilliant strategist, being very erudite and knowledgeable. He could figure out military plans at a single glance. He understood all about Sun Zi's Military Strategy and so forth.

At the beginning of his career, he served Liu Bei, the emperor's uncle, and was treated with deference and decorum. Liu Bei treated him very well, and Xu Shu became his military advisor. Liu Bei was stationed at a small place called Fan Cheng, and Cao Cao wanted to overwhelm Liu Bei with his troops. At most Liu Bei had under ten thousand men, and there seemed to be no way he could combat Cao Cao's army, which was so much greater and stronger in numbers. However, because he exercised his brilliant strategy, Xu Yuan-zhi managed to defeat Cao's army of a hundred thousand men. Originally Cao Cao assumed that his hundred-thousand-strong army could smash Liu Bei's forces until not a single soldier was left. He had not expected that his own army would be vanquished and reduced to utter uselessness.

Cao Cao was also a brilliant strategist. He was as crafty as a ghost. It is said, "Cao Cao was as treacherous as a ghost. Emperor Yao had wisdom like a spirit." Cao Cao looked into the reason he lost his battle, then he found out that in Liu Bei's barracks there was Xu Shu who was a master of war, someone who understood all the intricacies of military warfare. Cao Cao then devised a method to draw Xu Shu into his own camp.  

~ To be continued