Xu Huang

Debuts under Yang Feng's banner: a battle-ax on a fleet bay who fells Guo Si's general Cui Yong with a single blow at Xinfeng, is presented to the grateful Emperor, and holds the line again at Huaying when Guo Si's rings close.

Fells the treacherous Li Yue in a single bout at the Gu Hills, then bars Cao Cao's road at the mound crying 'Cao Cao is stealing away the Emperor!' - and trades fifty even bouts with Xu Chu. Won over in his candlelit tent by his old friend Man Chong, he refuses to murder his masters as a parting gift - 'it is very wrong for a servant to slay his master' - and crosses to Cao Cao with a handful of riders.

Takes Chen Gong prisoner at the south gate as the flooded city falls.

Xu Huang; serves under Cao Cao.

Xu Huang; in the Xuzhou assault.

Xu Huang; engages Yan Liang at Baima and is forced back after 20 bouts - only Guan Yu's strike succeeds.

Xu Huang; commander at the Yellow River frontier; engages Wen Chou before Guan Yu's strike.

Xu Huang; named in passing.

Follows up his prisoner-spy's intelligence by burning Han Meng's entire supply convoy in a defile by night - the first fire of the grain war - then rides rear guard on the Wuchao raid itself.

Xu Huang; with Cao Cao at Cangting.

Kills Yuan Tan's champion Wang Zhao at Liyang, shares the white-flag ambush and the night raid with Zhang Liao - and personally captures Shen Pei dashing out on the southeast of the fallen city.

Kills Yuan Tan's champion Peng An in a few bouts before Nanpi, and charges as one of the four points at White Wolf Hills.

Xu Huang; with Cao Cao.

Rescues Cao Cao from Ling Tong's gorge ambush, engages Zhao Zilong with Zhang He at the first laugh, swings a work-gang whip over the road-builders in the mire, and stands with Xu Chu and Zhang Liao against Zhang Fei at the second.

Ends the contest by aiming past the target: his arrow cuts the willow twig, the robe flutters down, and he rides off wearing it - until Xu Chu lifts him bodily out of the saddle.

Closes the fourth side of the trap that ends the Ma family's embassy.

Cannot curb Cao Hong through nine days of insults and is scolded for it - then supplies the campaign's master stroke: cross the Yellow River at Cattail Ferry, seize the west bank, and cut the Xiliang army's rear. He marches with four thousand men and Zhu Ling to the hidden gullies.

Xu Huang; with Cao Cao.

Shepherds Cao Cao over the hills out of the reconnaissance ambush, takes his shift against Pang De, and plays the feigned-defeat bait in the camp-trap.

Commands the right column with Pang De in the five-line attack on Ruxu.

Leads the van of the revenge march and closes the ring on Huang Zhong at Northern Mountain — but quails with Zhang He before the lone figure at the camp gate. In the closing scene he insists on crossing River Han citing Han Xin's death-ground array, waving off Wang Ping's objections.

Crosses the river against all advice and is broken by Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun's evening pincer, his men drowned in the Han — then tries to kill Wang Ping for refusing to abandon the camps, and drives Liu Bei's best guide into Shu's arms. Twice sees off Liu Feng in single combat in the later arrays.

Volunteers to face Guan Yu, takes fifty thousand veterans with Lü Qian as second, and camps at Yangling Slope to await the move from the southeast.

The campaign of the twelve stockades: masquerades his ensigns at Yencheng while leading five hundred veterans up River Mian to its rear, baits Guan Ping's night raid onto an empty camp, takes Yencheng and Sizhong both — then greets his old teacher with honeyed memories and a shout: 'a thousand ounces of gold for this Guan Yu's head... I have no inclination to let private friendship override my public duty.' Cao Cao ranks him with Zhou Yafu and makes him General Who Pacifies the South.

The ambush's other jaw — and the banner Liu Feng finds waiting at Fangling: 'General of the Right Army Xu Huang.'

Chief Commander of the expedition — and the man who carries the arrow-struck Zhang Liao out of the shore fight.

Falls in with Sima Yi's column on the road, learns what it is for, and asks for the van himself. Rides to Meng Da's moat and calls out 'Let the traitor Meng Da yield quickly!' — and is answered with an arrow in the forehead. Carried to his tent, the head extracted, he dies that night aged fifty-nine, and his body is sent to Luoyang for burial.