Chapter 269: Top Ten Military Strength Rankings of the Three Kingdoms, Rank Eight: Xu Chu

Top Ten Military Strength Rankings of the Three Kingdoms, Rank Eight: Xu Chu.

Period: End of the Eastern Han to the Cao Wei period.

Font size: Zhongkang.

Lifespan: AD 161 – AD 249.

Native place: Qiao State, Qiao County (present‑day Bozhou, Anhui).

Position: Personal guard of Cao Wei, nicknamed "Tiger Maniac."

Titles: Cao Wei Tiger General, Tiger Maniac, Lord Cao's Fan Kuai, Central Plains Mighty Warrior of Divine Strength.

On the left side of the plaque, light and shadow coalesce into the image of a giant man nine chi tall, waist ten chi around, with a heroic visage and a face as dark as iron.

He is naked, his muscular upper body as solid as rock, wielding a serrated flying sickle great cleaver; the warhorse at his side, though not tall, is extraordinarily swift.

His eyes, simple and sincere, reveal a fierce resolve unafraid of life and death, like a ferocious tiger ready to pounce.

In the background of chaotic troops, he holds a saddle in one hand and brandishes a weapon in the other, fiercely protecting the people behind him.

The seal script inscription bears the weight of a thousand pounds, exuding simple honesty and fearless ferocity:

"Qiao State is mighty; the clan gathers to protect itself.

Dragging a plowing ox backward, its strength can lift a cauldron.

In the Wei River, naked, it fiercely battles Ma Chao.

Tiger Maniac protects the lord, loyalty and bravery unmatched."

The voice of Heaven rises again, the scene unfolds: the chaotic end of the Han, the beacon smoke over the Qiao‑Pei region.

Xu Chu, native of Qiao County. In his early years, the world was in great turmoil, bandits roamed.

Although Xu Chu was a farmer's son, he possessed innate divine strength and surpassing bravery.

He gathered several hundred clan families, built forts, fortified walls and cleared fields, defending against marauders and remnants of the Yellow Turbans.

In the scene, a young Xu Chu, bare‑chested, stands before the fort, lifting a massive log that would require several people to embrace, as easily as a wooden stick, and placing it on the rampart.

The surrounding villagers all look up in awe.

Once, over ten thousand bandits attacked the fort.

Xu Chu's men were few, and their arrows were exhausted.

At the critical moment, he ordered the men and women inside the fort to gather large stones.

Xu Chu personally hurled stones to kill the enemy!

He strained his arms; a stone weighing dozens of jin was easily tossed, its force like a crashing thunder!

Those bandits struck suffered shattered bones and heavy casualties.

The bandits, terrified, dared not advance.

In the celestial backdrop,

Xu Chu stands on the fort wall like a war god, grabs a stone and flings it; a whoosh sound ripples through the air, and a distant bandit with horse is smashed to pieces!

After the bandits retreat, they lack food again.

Xu Chu devises a plan, pretends to negotiate peace, agreeing to exchange cattle for food.

When the bandits come to take the cattle, the cows scatter and run back.

Xu Chu strides after them, grabs the cows' tails with both hands, and drags the raging oxes back a hundred paces!

Seeing this, the bandits think a deity has descended and dare not return.

With this divine strength, Xu Chu's might shakes Huai, Ru, Chen, and Liang, securing peace for the neighboring villages.

In the scene, Xu Chu grips the cow's tail; the animal's four hooves pound the ground, it bucks wildly, yet Xu Chu drags it step by step back; after a hundred paces, the cow's tongue is torn off and it collapses, unable to rise.

The onlooking clan villagers' jaws nearly drop.

Cao Cao patrols the Huai and Ru regions, hears of Xu Chu's fame, and personally recruits him.

Xu Chu, grateful for Cao Cao's heroism and seeing his benevolent treatment of the people, leads his clan's troops and brings them under allegiance.

Cao Cao rejoices, grabs Xu Chu's hand and says, "You are my Fan Kuai!"

From then on, Xu Chu becomes Cao Cao's personal guard, never serving a second master.

In the scene, Cao Cao pats Xu Chu's sturdy back, laughing heartily, eyes full of admiration.

Xu Chu smiles naively, kneeling to bow in thanks.

Xu Chu's life, he follows Cao Cao in countless fierce battles.

When subduing Lü Bu, he charges into the fray, his body riddled with wounds, yet still fights without retreat.

At the Battle of Guandu, he thwarts the assassination attempt by Xu Ta on Cao Cao, protecting his lord completely.

During the Battle of Red Cliffs, Cao Cao retreats; Xu Chu steers a boat, amidst a hail of arrows, raises a saddle as a shield with one hand and rows with the other, risking death to escort Cao Cao across the river.

The scene cuts quickly: Xu Chu in the chaotic troops, like a human tank, wherever he passes enemy soldiers tumble and horses overturn.

At Red Cliff's raging fire, he carries Cao Cao through the encirclement; arrows rain down, and he silently uses his body to shield Cao Cao.

The most perilous battle is none other than the rescue of the lord at the Wei River.

Cao Cao fights Ma Chao at Tongguan; Cao Cao crosses the river, while Ma Chao leads the Xiliang Iron Cavalry in a sudden raid.

Cao Cao's flanks are scattered, only Xu Chu remains.

Arrows swarm like locusts; Xu Chu lifts the saddle with his left hand to block arrows, props the boat with his right, teeth clenched, an arrow lodged in his arm, blood flowing nonstop, yet he steadfastly protects the bow until Cao Cao is safe.

The scene is heart‑stopping:

The Wei River roils, arrows thud thud onto the saddle; Xu Chu, bare‑chested, muscles as tight as iron, he vigorously rows, his gaze decisive.

Cao Cao looks back toward the pursuers on the shore, his spirit still shaken.

In the Romance, Xu Chu's bravery becomes even more legendary. He once fought alongside Dian Wei from dawn till dusk, neither yielding, the two heroes clashing, shaking heaven and earth.

In the scene, Xu Chu and Dian Wei, two tiger generals, one wielding a great sword, the other twin halberds, battle fiercely before the formation, dust flying, the clash of weapons deafening.

The most widely celebrated tale is the bare‑clothed duel with Ma Chao.

Ma Chao, to avenge his father's murder, raised an army to strike Cao and called for battle before the ranks.

Xu Chu, enraged, stripped off his armor, rode bare‑chested, and fought Ma Chao for over a hundred rounds, with no clear victor!

Their horses grew weary, so they dismounted and fought on foot, battling for another thirty‑plus exchanges.

Acting on instinct, Xu Chu dropped his sword to clamp Ma Chao's spear; the two tangled together, and Xu Chu even snapped Ma Chao's spear shaft, leaving both wounded.

The Western Liang army, seeing this, was struck with dread.

The scene boiled with blood‑pumping excitement:

Xu Chu, bare‑chested with bulging muscles, fought the brocaded Ma Chao, blade against spear, killing as darkness fell.

Finally, the two discarded their weapons, rolling and grappling on the battlefield as dust billowed.

Xu Chu, throughout his life, served exclusively as bodyguard to Cao Cao and his son Cao Pi, rarely commanding troops alone, yet he stood behind his lord for years, intimidating the myriad warlords.

Whenever he was at a ruler's side, enemy generals seldom dared to act rashly.

His nature was simple and straightforward, loyalty unwavering; he knew only how to protect his lord, lacking any scheming, and people gave him the nickname "Tiger‑Fool".

In the scene, Cao Cao deliberates while Xu Chu, sword in hand, stands behind him like an unmoving iron tower.

Envoys of the enemy such as Yuan Shao and Liu Bei, seeing his presence, dared not look up.

In the year 249 AD, Xu Chu died peacefully, and the Cao Wei court posthumously honored him as "Marquis Zhuang".

His life was marked by unrivaled strength and peerless loyalty; though he never held command, his role as guard placed him on the elite war‑power list, a well‑deserved reputation.

Reason for ranking: born with divine strength, able to drag a plowing ox, his might shaking the countryside.

The Wei River rescue of his lord and the naked‑clothed duel with Ma Chao both exemplify his life‑risking bravery.

Though unskilled in scheming and ignorant of military strategy, his raw power, loyalty, and protective ability rank among the finest of the age.

Ranked eighth, it showcases his fierce courage and also highlights his "foolishness" in pure loyalty.

The sound of the Heavenly Dao fades, and the scene freezes on Xu Chu's bare‑chested, fierce clash with Ma Chao.

In the front hall of Weiyang Palace, the atmosphere shifts.

If Yan Liang brought a stifling shock and Wen Yang a peerless tragic grandeur, then Xu Chu brings a face‑to‑face, pure, wildly growing masculine force.

The scenes of dragging a plowing ox, the Wei River blocking arrows, and the naked duel set the assembled generals' blood boiling.

Huo Qubing was the first to lose restraint, praising, "Fine comrade! This strength rivals that of our Great Han's Wu Huo and Ren Bi!"

"Drag a plowing ox a hundred steps? That must be tremendous power!"

He boasted of his own surpassing strength, yet compared with Xu Chu's divine power, he still seemed a cut below.

Li Guang also nodded repeatedly, light shining in his eyes.

"Loyalty and bravery! This is pure loyalty and bravery!"

"Regardless of strategy, this devotion to protecting the lord and the hardened flesh and bone are worthy of my respect! That battle at the Wei River was no easy feat."

Wei Qing, however, observed with a broader perspective,

"This man lacks scheming, and that is a good thing."

"What a ruler lacks most is a close guard who trusts no one but himself and relies on no one else."

"With Cao Cao having this general, his sleep is three times more peaceful."