Jia Xu

Jia Xu's first appearance - adviser to Li Jue and Guo Si. Tells them flatly that running to Shanxi means death and that uniting Xiliang remnants under a 'revenge for Dong Zhuo' banner gives them a real chance. His plan succeeds and reshapes the next decade.

Counsels fortify-and-wait against the Xiliang army - vindicated when the boasters Li Meng and Wang Fang fall to Ma Chao - then suggests executing Fan Chou quietly at a banquet rather than risking open war, and keeps urging his masters toward good governance until the court begins to recover.

Pledges himself secretly to the weeping Emperor, talks the Qiang tribesmen into deserting Li Jue, and has the covetous rebel lulled with a Regent Marshal title - dismantling him from inside while restraining his witch-mania.

Tells Li Jue and Guo Si flatly that they cannot beat Cao Cao and should submit for amnesty - and gets a drawn sword for it. That night he slips out of camp alone and rides home to his native village.

Jia Xu; now adviser to Zhang Xiu; designs the Wancheng revolt that kills Dian Wei, Cao Ang, and Cao Anmin. His reputation as the era's most ruthless strategist begins here.

Watches Cao Cao ride Nanyang's walls for three days, reads the northwest-corner mound as the feint it is, and tells Zhang Xiu he can beat it with a counter-move - the cliffhanger.

Beats Cao Cao twice in one chapter: reads the northwest feint and packs the southeast houses with veterans, then - after warning against the first pursuit and being ignored - stakes his head on sending the beaten army after the victorious one, and wins. His lecture on why ('a hurried retreat means trouble at home; the rearguard laxity follows') leaves both his masters bowing.

Jia Xu; surrenders with Zhang Xiu to Cao Cao in this chapter - Cao Cao welcomes him so warmly that Jia Xu becomes one of his most-trusted advisers from here on.

Assigned with Xun You and Cao Hong to hold the main camp - with the newly-defected Xu You beside them - while Cao Cao rides for Wuchao.

Left behind as Governor of Liyang when the army feints south toward Jingzhou.

Jia Xu; designs the smudged-letter trick to break the Ma Chao / Han Sui alliance - the chapter's defining stratagem.

Advises calling in the frontier commanders Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren before choosing the next war.

Talks Cao Cao out of a real retreat at the fifty-day mark, then designs the Pang De solution: a staged rout, a camp deliberately lost and retaken by night, and an agent with a golden breastplate slipped into the city for the bribable Yang Song.

Coaches Cao Pi to weep instead of write — then decides the succession with a silence: asked who should be heir, he is 'just recalling' Yuan Shao and Liu Biao and their sons. Cao Cao laughs and names his eldest.

Hears of the coffin and worries aloud — 'he is over-bold and imprudent to fight Guan Yu to the death' — prompting the Prince's edict of caution.

Everywhere in the last days: recommends the architect Su Yue, pleads uselessly for Hua Tuo's rare skill, soothes the three-horses dream as an omen of dignity — and stands among the four at the deathbed.

Made Grand Commander of the new reign, and walks with the deputation that proposes the abdication.

Supplies the velvet: promises the weeping Emperor that 'the Prince will always take care of Your Majesty,' and designs the terrace ceremony so the abdication happens in public, by the Emperor's own hands — 'thus can you dissipate all doubts and prevent any caviling.' Heads the concourse at the terrace foot.

Zhao Zi's first door in Xuchang — and the voice that presents the Wu memorial at court.

Counsels holding back twice — wait out the Shu-Wu struggle; and after Liu Bei's death, do not attack a state Zhuge Liang holds in trust — overruled both times, vindicated both times.

His death is announced with Cao Ren's — the council that plans the Wu invasion meets without its two eldest voices.