Xu Yushi

Who was Xu Yushi?

Xu Yushi, formally Duke Jian of Ping'en, was briefly a chancellor of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong.

Xu Yushi was a son of Xu Shao, a Sui Dynasty official who, after Tang was founded in 618, submitted to Tang, along with a substantial amount of territory in modern Hubei and Chongqing, and was rewarded for his ability to fend off attacks from two other rebel rulers who also claimed imperial titles -- Xiao Xi the Emperor of Liang and Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng and who was greatly praised by Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu for his contributions to Tang's eventual takeover of the entire realm. Xu Yushi was himself described to be capable in literature and arts, and was also said to had been a top finisher in the imperial examination, but not much is known of his early career as an imperial official.

In 659, Xu was promoted to the post of deputy head of the examination bureau of government, and was also made a chancellor de facto. Late that year, he was made acting Shizhong -- the head of the examination bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor by itself. In 662, he was formally made the head of the examination bureau. At some point, for the fact that he participated in editing imperial historical records, he was created the Duke of Ping'en.