生平

许劭「少峻名节，好人伦，多所赏识」，和堂兄许靖在年轻时，每个月都会举办月旦评的人物品评会，影响力之强，甚至是受其评论就能成名的地步。但许劭与许靖常有争执。有人问荀靖与荀爽孰贤？许劭说：「二人皆玉也，慈明外朗，叔慈内润。」刘繇进军讨伐笮融，许劭告诉刘繇：「笮融出军，不顾名义者也。朱文明（朱符表字）善推诚以信人，宜使密防之。」笮融果然杀死太守朱皓。袁绍、刘表等人皆接受过他们品评，曹操也在桥玄的引荐之下，得到著名的「治世之能臣，乱世之奸雄」的评价。

汝南太守徐璆曾聘其为功曹，之后许劭为了避中原战乱，移居江南。195年病逝于豫章郡，享年46岁。

轶事

曹操没有得志显名的时候，曾经置办厚礼，很谦逊地求许劭为他品评一番。许劭原本看不起他，于是曹操威胁许劭，许劭唯有退让。历史记载，评语有两个版本。《三国志》注引孙盛《异同杂语》作「子治世之能臣，乱世之奸雄」；《后汉书》则作「君清平之奸贼，乱世之英雄」。当时曹操听后，大笑而去。后来罗贯中的《三国演义》据此事改编：曹操去拜见许劭，问道：「我是甚么人？」许劭不答。曹操再问，许劭才说：「你是治世的能臣，乱世的奸雄啊！」曹操听到后相当开心。其中许劭形象与正史相似，有鉴察人的品行、才能的名声。

亲属

• 兄许虔，字子政，兄弟二人被合称为平舆二龙，官至郡功曹，年三十五岁卒。

• 堂兄许靖，字文休，同样为评论人物的名士，两人关系非常差。

• 儿子许混，清醇有鉴识，魏明帝时为尚书，显名魏世。

评价

• 蒋济：「许子将褒贬不平，以拔樊子昭而抑许文休。」（《三国志·庞统传》注引 蒋济《万机论》）

• 诸葛亮：「许子将长于明臧否，不可以养人物。」（《诸葛亮文集》）

• 诸葛恪：「自汉末以来，中国士大夫如许子将辈，所以更相谤讪，或至于祸，原其本起，非为大雠。惟坐克己不能尽如礼，而责人专以正义。」（《三国志·诸葛恪传》注引 诸葛恪《与丞相陆逊书》）

• 汝南人：「平舆渊有二龙（指许劭与许虔）。」（《后汉书·卷六十八·郭符许列传第五十八》）

• 山简：「是以郭泰、许劭之伦，明清议于草野；陈蕃、李固之徒，守忠节于朝廷。」（《晋书·卷四十三·列传第十三》）

• 葛洪：「许子将之徒，以口舌取戒，争讼论议，门宗成雠，故汝南人士无复定价，而有月旦之评。魏武帝深亦疾之，欲取其首，尔乃奔波亡走，殆至屠灭。」（《抱朴子外篇．自敍》）

• 范晔《后汉书》：「符融鉴真，子将人伦。守节好耻，并不逡巡。」（《后汉书·卷六十八·郭符许列传第五十八》）

• 司马光：「自三代既亡，风化之美，未有若东汉之盛者也。及孝和以降，贵戚擅权，嬖幸用事，赏罚无章，贿赂公行，贤愚浑肴，是非颠倒，可谓乱矣。然犹绵绵不至于亡者，上则有公卿、大夫袁安、杨震、李固、杜乔、陈蕃、李膺之徒面引廷争，用公义以扶其危，下则有布衣之士符融、郭泰、范滂、许邵之流，立私论以救其败。是以政治虽浊而风俗不衰，至有触冒斧钺，僵仆于前，而忠义奋发，继起于后，随踵就戮，视死如归。」（《资治通鉴·卷第六十八·汉纪六十》）

• 王相：「东汉名士许劭好评人，时人称之『月旦评』。」

• 郝经：「处士尽矣，汉已亡矣，劭犹硜硜以吻颊为能，揭揭焉为月旦评，奔走夺命，幸而获免，岂尚德之士哉。」（《郝氏续后汉书》）

注释

参考书目

• 《后汉书》卷六八《许劭传》

Early life and career

Xu Shao was from Pingyu County (平舆县), Runan Commandery (汝南郡), which is present-day Pingyu County, Henan. As a youth, he maintained a good reputation and had a keen interest in the study of human relations. He was known for appraising people. His fame put him on par with others such as Fan Zizhao (樊子昭) and He Yangshi (和阳士). Xu Shao and Guo Tai (郭泰) were famous character evaluators at the time and their appraisals were highly valued among scholar-officials.

Xu Shao started his civil career as an Officer of Merit (功曹) in his home commandery. Xu Qiu (徐璆), the commandery administrator, treated him very respectfully. The other officials in the commandery office became more cautious and conservative in their manners when they heard that Xu Shao was going to be their colleague. When Yuan Shao was on his way home to Runan County after resigning from his post of Prefect (令) of Puyang County, he rode in a carriage and was surrounded by many guards and attendants. Before entering Runan, he ordered his men to leave, saying, "How can I let Xu Zijiang see me like this?" He then travelled home in a single carriage.

Appraisals of Chen Shi and Chen Fan

When Xu Shao went to Yingchuan Commandery (颍川郡; covering present-day southern and central Henan), he visited and mingled with many reputable men in the region, except for Chen Shi. Later, when Chen Fan's wife died, many people attended her funeral but Xu Shao did not show up. When asked, Xu Shao replied, "Taiqiu (Chen Shi) is too well-acquainted, it's difficult for him to be thorough; Zhongju (Chen Fan) is a serious person who hardly makes compromises. These are the reasons why I didn't visit them."

Appraisal of Cao Cao

When Cao Cao was still relatively unknown, he prepared expensive gifts and behaved humbly when he visited Xu Shao in the hope of receiving an appraisal. Xu Shao viewed Cao Cao with contempt and refused to evaluate him, but Cao later found an opportunity to threaten and coerce Xu into giving comments about him. Xu Shao said, "You're a treacherous villain in times of peace and a hero in times of chaos." Cao Cao was very pleased and he left.

However, Sun Sheng's Yitong Zayu (异同杂语) recorded a different quote from Xu Shao. It mentioned that when Cao Cao asked Xu Shao to give him an appraisal, Xu initially refused but eventually relented and said, "You'll be a capable minister in times of peace, and a jianxiong in times of chaos." Cao Cao laughed when he heard that.

Relationships with others

Xu Shao's granduncle was Xu Jing (许敬). Xu Jing's son was Xu Xun (许训). Xu Xun's son, Xu Xiang (许相), became one of the Three Ducal Ministers by flattering the court eunuchs. Xu Xiang invited Xu Shao to meet him numerous times, but Xu Shao despised him for being a sycophant and refused to see him.

Xu Shao was initially on good terms with Li Kui (李逵), who was from the same hometown as him and was known for his good moral conduct, but relations between them soured later. Xu Shao also could not get along with his cousin Xu Jing (许靖). These two incidents caused some damage to Xu Shao's reputation. Before falling out with each other, Xu Shao and his cousin Xu Jing were famous commentators and they would give comments on certain persons or topics on the first day of every month.

Later life and death

Yang Biao (杨彪), the Excellency of Works (司空; one of the Three Ducal Ministers), once attempted to recruit Xu Shao to serve in his office but the latter refused. Later, when the Han imperial court wanted to recruit Xu Shao again, he declined, "Villains are rampant. The political scene is about to become chaotic. I intend to seek refuge in Huaihai (淮海) and keep my family safe." He then moved south to Guangling (广陵; around present-day Yangzhou, Jiangsu). Tao Qian, the Inspector (刺史) of Xu Province, treated Xu Shao generously, but Xu felt uneasy and he told others, "Tao Gongzu (Tao Qian) appears to enjoy a good reputation but he is actually not sincere and faithful on the inside. He may treat me very well but his attitude towards me will worsen later. I'd better leave." He then headed further south to Qu'e County (曲阿县; present-day Danyang, Jiangsu), where he joined Liu Yao, the Inspector of Yang Province. Later, as Xu Shao predicted, Tao Qian arrested all his reputable guests.

When Sun Ce was on a series of conquests in the Wu region, Xu Shao and Liu Yao fled south to Yuzhang Commandery (豫章郡; around present-day Nanchang, Jiangxi). Xu Shao died there at the age of 46 (by East Asian age reckoning).