Qiao Xuan

Not to be confused with Qian Xuan.

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Qiao.

Qiao Xuan
Traditional Chinese	橋玄
Simplified Chinese	桥玄
Transcriptions

Qiao Xuan (109 – 183), style name Gongzu (公祖), was an official who lived during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.

Biography

Qiao was a native of Suiyang, Liang (south of present-day Shangqiu, Henan). He came from a gentry, scholarly background. In his youth, he served as an Officer of Merit (功曹) in Liang. When Zhou Jing (周景), the Inspector of Yu Province, passed by Liang, Qiao reported to him the crimes of Yang Chang (羊昌), Chancellor of Chen. Zhou ordered Qiao to conduct an investigation and Qiao thoroughly listed Yang's crimes. However, as Yang was closely related to Commander-in-Chief Liang Ji, Liang sent an urgent letter, asked Zhou to release Yang. Zhou was afraid of Liang Ji so he called off Qiao. However, Qiao returned the letter, locked up Yang and had him sent to the capital city Luoyang in a prison cart. He became famous because of that incident.

Qiao was later appointed as a minor official in Luoyang. Qiao's superior, Liang Buyi (梁不疑), was Liang Ji's brother, and he often humiliated Qiao. Qiao eventually resigned.

Qiao was appointed Chancellor of Qi (present-day Shandong) later. Once, he committed an offense and was stripped off his post and sent to perform hard labour. After finishing serving his sentence, he was appointed Administrator of Shanggu (上谷) and later Administrator of Hanyang (漢陽). Qiao executed Huangfu Zhen (皇甫禎), the corrupt Prefect of Shanggui (上邽).

In 170, Qiao was appointed Excellency of Works (司空) and became Minister over the Masses a year later.

Qiao was generous and supportive of Cao Cao, when the latter was in his youth. For that, Cao remembered Qiao even when he reached the pinnacle of his achievements.

In fiction

In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Qiao was the father of the two Qiao sisters, and was 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.

Historical inaccuracy

Qiao Xuan died in 183 while the Qiao sisters married Sun Ce and Zhou Yu in 200, so Qiao Xuan could not have possibly been present at the time of the marriages. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the Qiao sisters were the daughters of Qiao Xuan. Besides, if the Qiao sisters were indeed the daughters of Qiao Xuan, the Chinese character for "Qiao" in their names should be "橋" instead of "喬".

The marriage between Liu Bei and Lady Sun took place in the 12th lunar month of 209, so Qiao Xuan's role in the events leading to the marriage is purely fiction as he was already dead for 26 years then.

See also

• List of people of the Three Kingdoms