Family background

Qiao Xuan was born in the Eastern Han dynasty during the reign of Emperor An ( 106–125 CE). He was from Suiyang County (睢陽縣) in the Liang State (梁國; south of present-day Shangqiu, Henan) and came from a scholar-gentry background. His ancestor, Qiao Ren (橋仁), who lived seven generations before him, served as a Minister Herald (大鴻臚) during the reign of Emperor Cheng ( 33–7 BCE). Qiao Ren, who was nicknamed "Scholar Qiao" (橋君學), also wrote 49 volumes of the Li Ji Zhangju (禮記章句; Verses from the Book of Rites). Qiao Xuan's grandfather, Qiao Ji (橋基), served as the Administrator (太守) of Guangling Commandery (廣陵郡), while Qiao Xuan's father, Qiao Su (橋肅), served as the Administrator of Donglai Commandery (東萊郡).

Early career

In his youth, Qiao Xuan served as an Officer of Merit (功曹) in the local county office. When Zhou Jing (周景), the Inspector (刺史) of Yu Province, visited the Liang State, Qiao Xuan reported to him the crimes of Yang Chang (羊昌), the Chancellor (相) of the Chen State (陳國; around present-day Zhoukou, Henan). Zhou Jing ordered Qiao Xuan to conduct an investigation so Qiao Xuan detained Yang Chang and wrote a thorough list of Yang Chang's offences. The general Liang Ji, an influential figure in the central government, favoured Yang Chang, so he wrote an urgent letter to Zhou Jing, asking him to release Yang Chang. Zhou Jing feared Liang Ji so he obliged and instructed Qiao Xuan to free Yang Chang. However, Qiao Xuan returned the letter and ordered his men to escort Yang Chang as a prisoner to the imperial capital, Luoyang. Qiao Xuan became famous after this incident.

Qiao Xuan was later nominated as a xiaolian and appointed as a Left Commandant (左尉) in Luoyang. His superior, the Intendant of Henan (河南尹), was Liang Ji's brother, Liang Buyi (梁不疑). Liang Buyi made life difficult for Qiao Xuan because of Yang Chang's case and often found excuses to humiliate Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan eventually resigned and returned to his hometown.

Mid career

Qiao Xuan later became the Chancellor (相) of the Qi State (齊國; around present-day Zibo, Shandong). On one occasion, he committed an offence and stripped of his post and sent to perform hard labour. After serving his sentence, he was allowed to rejoin the civil service and appointed as the Administrator (太守) of Shanggu Commandery (上谷郡; around present-day Yanqing District, Beijing) and later as the Administrator of Hanyang Commandery (漢陽郡; around present-day Tianshui, Gansu). While he was in office, Qiao Xuan heard that Huangfu Zhen (皇甫禎), the Prefect (令) of Shanggui County (上邽縣; in present-day Tianshui, Gansu), was guilty of corruption. He had Huangfu Zhen arrested, flogged, and head shaved bald. Huangfu Zhen later died in Ji County (冀縣; present-day Gangu County, Gansu). This incident shocked everyone in the region. Around the time, Qiao Xuan heard of Jiang Qi (姜岐), a famous man who lived in Shanggui County, and wanted to recruit him to join the civil service. Jiang Qi claimed that he was ill and declined. Qiao Xuan was angered, so he sent Yin Yi (尹益) to pressure Jiang Qi into agreeing. He threatened to make Jiang Qi's mother marry another man if he refused again. Yin Yi conveyed Qiao Xuan's threat to Jiang Qi but Jiang still declined and claimed that he was sick. The Counsellors (士大夫) in the commandery came to see Qiao Xuan and managed to persuade him to stop forcing Jiang Qi. This incident became the subject of jokes at the time. Qiao Xuan resigned on the grounds that he was ill. Shortly after, he joined the civil service again as a Chief Clerk (長史) to the Minister over the Masses (司徒). He was subsequently promoted to Court Architect (將作大匠).

Towards the end of the reign of Emperor Huan ( 146–168), the Xianbei, Southern Xiongnu and Goguryeo often made incursions into Liaodong. Qiao Xuan was appointed General Who Enters Liao(dong) (度遼將軍) and put in charge of defending Liaodong. He served there for three years, repelled intrusions by the invaders, and maintained peace in the area.

In the early reign of Emperor Ling ( 168–189), Qiao Xuan was summoned to the imperial capital Luoyang, where he served consecutively as the Intendant of Henan (河南尹), Minister Steward (少府) and Minister Herald (大鴻臚). In 170, he was promoted to Minister of Works (司空) and later to Minister over the Masses (司徒). He could not get along well with Chen Qiu (陳球), the Administrator of Nanyang Commandery (南陽郡; around present-day Nanyang, Henan), but when he was in the two top ministerial positions, he recommended Chen to serve as the Minister of Justice (廷尉). Qiao Xuan saw that the Han dynasty was too weak because the government was plagued by corruption. He despaired as he felt that he could not do anything, so he claimed to be ill and resigned.

Later life and death

In his later years, Qiao Xuan entered office again as the Prefect of the Masters of Writing (尚書令). Around the time, he discovered that Gai Sheng (蓋升), to whom Emperor Huan was indebted, had abused his power when he was serving as the Administrator of Nanyang Commandery (南陽郡; around present-day Nanyang, Henan), and had amassed a large fortune from corrupt dealings. Qiao Xuan wrote a memorial to Emperor Ling, requesting the emperor to remove Gai Sheng from office and confiscate his property, but Emperor Ling refused. Qiao Xuan was subsequently reassigned to be a Palace Attendant (侍中), but he delayed the process as he was ill. Emperor Ling then ordered him to be a Household Counsellor (光祿大夫) instead. In 178, he was appointed Grand Commandant (太尉) but he rejected the position because he was sick. He remained as a Household Counsellor while receiving medical treatment.

Qiao Xuan died in 184 at the age of 75 (by East Asian age reckoning).

Kidnap of Qiao Xuans son

When Qiao Xuan's youngest son was ten years old, he ventured out alone and was kidnapped by three robbers. The robbers, holding the boy hostage, broke into Qiao Xuan's house and demanded a ransom but Qiao Xuan refused to pay them. Yang Qiu (陽球), the Colonel-Director of Retainers (司隷校尉), along with the Intendant of Henan (河南尹) and the Prefect of Luoyang (洛陽令), led several soldiers to surround Qiao Xuan's house. Yang Qiu did not order his men to advance further because he was worried that the robbers would harm Qiao Xuan's son. However, Qiao Xuan shouted, "Such criminals have no humanity! I'll not let these criminals have their way just for the sake of my son!" He then instructed the soldiers to force their way in and attack the robbers. The robbers were killed but Qiao Xuan's son also died in the struggle. Qiao Xuan later wrote a memorial to the imperial court, requesting for the following law to be implemented: "Any person who takes another person hostage should be killed. No ransom is to be paid, so as to deny an opportunity for criminals to make pecuniary gains." The imperial court approved. Since after the reign of Emperor An ( 106–125), law enforcement had weakened. Many kidnapping and hostage-taking incidents occurred in the imperial capital and even the family members of government officials and influential persons became victims. However, after the case of Qiao Xuan's son, such incidents never happened again.

Relationship with Cao Cao

When Cao Cao, a warlord who rose to power towards the end of the Han dynasty, was still a relative nobody in his early years, he visited Qiao Xuan on one occasion. Qiao Xuan was surprised to see Cao Cao and he told him, "The world is about to enter a state of chaos. You're the person who will restore peace and order!" At the time, Qiao Xuan and He Yong were the only two persons who recognised Cao Cao's extraordinary talents. Cao Cao later often said that Qiao Xuan was someone who really understood him. The Wei Shu (魏書) recorded that Qiao Xuan told Cao Cao, "I've seen many famous persons but I've never seen someone like you before! You should work hard. I'm old already! I hope to be able to entrust my family to you." Cao Cao's fame increased after his meeting with Qiao Xuan. The Shishuo Xinyu recorded that when Qiao Xuan met Cao Cao, who was still a youth then, he told him, "The world is in chaos and warlords are fighting for supremacy. Aren't you the person who will eliminate all of them and restore order? You're actually a hero in chaotic times but a villain in times of peace. It's a pity that I'm old already because I won't be able to see you become wealthy and powerful. I entrust my descendants to you." Qiao Xuan also recommended Cao Cao to see Xu Shao, a well-known commentator and character evaluator.

After Qiao Xuan's death, whenever Cao Cao passed by Qiao Xuan's tomb, he would mourn Qiao Xuan and pay his respects. He wrote a eulogy for Qiao Xuan:

Family

One of Qiao Xuan's sons, Qiao Yu (橋羽), served as the Chancellor (相) of the Rencheng State (任城國; around present-day Zoucheng, Shandong).

Appraisal

Qiao Xuan was known to be an impatient and impulsive person who did not take the big picture into consideration. However, he led a humble and simple life, and treated people with respect. He did not abuse his status and power by helping any of his family members and relatives gain high-ranking positions in the civil service. When he died, his family did not own much property and no funeral was held for him. His humility earned him praise at the time.

The historian Fan Ye, who wrote Qiao Xuan's biography, commented on him as follows: "Qiao Xuan established his authority and was known for his sternness, but he was lacking in his personal relations with others." When commenting on Qiao Xuan spotting Cao Cao's talent, Fan Ye wrote: "Qiao Xuan had the privilege of being the first to recognise a hero."

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Qiao Xuan is said to be the father of the two Qiao sisters, and is referred to as "Qiao Guolao" (喬國老; literally "State Elder Qiao"). He appears in chapter 54 in the events leading to the marriage between Liu Bei and Sun Shangxiang.

The 3rd-century historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms did not state the name of the Qiao sisters' father, who was simply referred to as "Qiao Gong" (橋公; literally "Elder Qiao"). Historically, Qiao Xuan died in 183 while the Qiao sisters married Sun Ce and Zhou Yu in 200, so it was not possible that Qiao Xuan was still living when the marriages took place. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that Qiao Xuan was the "Qiao Gong" mentioned in the Records of the Three Kingdoms.

The marriage between Liu Bei and Lady Sun took place sometime in 209 or 210, so Qiao Xuan's role in the events leading to the marriage is fictitious as he was already dead for over 20 years then.

生平

橋玄年輕曾擔任縣功曹。《後漢書》記載，當時豫州刺史周景到梁國視察，橋玄跪地向周景陳述當時陳國相（封國首長，位階相當于郡太守）羊昌罪惡。周景覺得他有壯志，任命他辦理此案。橋玄上任立即收押羊昌門客，徹查罪行。受大將軍梁冀庇護，梁冀發檄文給周景讓他收回任命，橋玄收到檄文直接退回，羊昌押解進京。從此橋玄聞名。

舉孝廉，擔任洛陽左尉。四次升遷到齊國相，因過失受罰。曾任上谷太守和漢陽太守。桓帝末年橋玄被推舉為度遼將軍，平定了胡虜及伯固等邊境之亂。靈帝初年又召回他先後任河南尹、少府、大鴻臚等職。建寧三年（170年）升為司空，後改任司徒。翌年擔任尚書令。光和元年（178年），升為太尉，數月後託病辭官。

曹操初出曾拜會橋玄，當時曹操尚未出名，橋玄對他評價頗高，稱「天下將亂」，而曹操是能夠安定天下的「命世之才」。將他引薦給許劭。後來曹操途經橋玄墓時親自為他撰文緬懷。

家族

父族

• 橋仁：七世祖，人稱「橋君學」，漢成帝時任大鴻臚。

• 橋基：祖父，廣陵太守。

• 橋肅：父親，東萊太守。

子嗣

• 橋羽：長子，官至任城相。

• 橋某：少子，在洛陽被綁匪所殺，得年十歲

• 橋瑁：族子，東郡太守。

登場作品

• 蒼天航路（王欣太）

評價

• 劉志：「邊谷不得妄動。玄擅出于是，玄有汲黯憂民之心，後不以為常。」（《太尉喬玄碑陰》引）

• 蔡邕：「光祿大夫橋玄，聰達方直。……宜為謀主，數見訪問。」「光光列考，伊漢元公。克明克哲，實睿實聰。如淵之浚，如岳之嵩。威壯虓虎，文繁雕龍。撫柔疆垂，戎狄率從。敷教中夏，五教攸通。帝謂我後，朕嘉君功。命君三事，時亮天功。公拜稽首，翼翼惟恭。左右天子，祗厥勛庸。庶績既熙，黎民時雍。上下謐寧，八方和同。否顯伊德，作憲萬邦。」（《太尉喬玄碑陰》）「公秉性貞純，幼有弘姿，剛而不虐，威而不猛，聞仁必行，睹義斯居，文以典術，守以純固。」（《故太尉橋公廟碑》）「帝命將軍，執茲黃鉞。威靈振耀，如火之烈。公之蒞止，群狄斯柔。齊斧罔設，介士斯休。」（《黃鉞銘》）

• 崔烈：「赫矣喬父，秉文握武。內為宗幹，出為藩輔。在憲彈枉，竟由厥矩。允牧于涼，刈彼裔土。爰能將度遼，亦用齊斧。敷教四畿，旋統京宇。敦茲五服，眾庶是與。膺踐七命，翼我哲聖。登空補袞，陟徒訓敬。尹尉清宸，熙帝之政。終始為貞，典章以定。遺愛在民，皇哀其命。立石刊銘，莫逸斯聽。魂而有靈，萬億其盛。」

• 曹操：「故太尉橋公，懿德高軌，泛愛博容。國念明訓，士思令謨。」（《祀故太尉橋玄文》）

• 司馬彪：嚴明有才略，長於人物。（《續漢書》）

• 張璠：玄歷位中外，以剛斷稱，謙儉下士，不以王爵私親。（《漢紀》）

• 范曄：「龐參躬求賢之禮，故民悅其政；橋玄厲邦君之威，而觽失其情。夫豈力不足歟？將有道在焉。如令其道可忘，則強梁勝矣。語曰：『三軍可奪帥，匹夫不可奪志。』子貢曰：『寧喪千金，不失士心。』昔段幹木逾牆而避文侯之命，洩柳閉門不納穆公之請。貴必有所屈，賤亦有所申矣。」「橋公識運，先覺時雄。」（《後漢書》）