Xu Hao

Life

His father is given as Xu Qiao or Xu Qiaozhi; his son was Xu Shu, and his son-in-law was Luo Xiang. In the fifth year of the Kaiyuan era (717), he passed the Mingjing examination and was appointed registrar of Lushan. Zhang Yue recognized his talent and recommended him; early posts included 麗正殿校理 and 集賢校理, and he was also appointed 太子校書 before becoming 右拾遺.

In 733, he entered the Youzhou military governor’s staff as 節度使判官 and was promoted to 監察御史; he later became magistrate of Heyang and entered the Eastern Palace as 太子司議郎, a title also written 太子司儀郎. During the Tianbao era, he served as 刑部郎中 and 司農少卿; other appointments included 從事, 金部員外郎, and 都官郎中.

During the An–Shi upheaval, Xu Hao followed Xuanzong to Shu, was appointed 中書舍人, and rose successively to 尚書右丞 and 國子祭酒. After Suzong’s accession, many of the edicts issued throughout the empire came from his hand, and he took part in the formal documents of the retired emperor; when Xuanzong transferred the throne, Xu Hao drafted all the formal proclamations, participated in the literary work of both courts, and enjoyed exceptional favor.

His other appointments included the county commandant of Longqiu, an inspector at Leizhou Prefecture, the Mingzhou subprefect, the Gongzhou county commandant, the Xiangyang defense commissioner, and posts as 集賢殿待詔 and 集賢殿學士. His cishi postings also included Lujiang, Xiangyang, Nanhai, and Xiangzhou, along with another 州刺史 appointment; he was also 嶺南道選補使 and 御史大夫. The title 尚書右丞 is also written 尚書右丞相.

In the second year of the Shangyuan era (761), Li Fuguo’s slander led to his demotion to governor’s aide of Luzhou. Under Daizong, he was recalled as 中書舍人, served as 工部侍郎, and was made the Duke of Kuaiji County; in 767 he went out as Guangzhou cishi and 嶺南節度使, and in 768 he returned as 吏部侍郎, sharing responsibility for appointments with Xue Yong.

While serving in Guangzhou and overseeing the selection office, he accumulated much wealth and favored his concubine Hou Mochen, who interfered in government; contemporary opinion consequently censured him. After an offense, he was demoted to Mingzhou 別駕; a Mingzhou 郡別駕 appointment is also dated to 773.

In 781, the second year of the Jianzhong era, Dezong summoned him to serve as tutor to Prince Peng; he was first made the Duke of Kuaiji County and later advanced to the Duke of Kuaiji Commandery. In 782, the third year of Jianzhong, he died of illness at the age of eighty, and was posthumously granted Junior Preceptor of the Crown Prince and the posthumous name Ding.

Calligraphy, prose, and associations

Xu Hao excelled in calligraphy, particularly in cursive and clerical scripts. He once wrote on forty-two screens, mastered all eight script forms, and was especially accomplished in cursive and clerical writing; he also wrote prose, with rich and rapid diction, and his calligraphy was regarded as exceptionally refined. A treatise on calligraphy survives; the *Complete Tang Poems* preserves two of his poems, and the *Supplement to the Complete Tang Poems* adds one more.

Xu Hao received poems and prose presented by Chang Gun, Gao Shi, Dugu Ji, Lu Lun, Bao Ji, and Sikong Shu; he also received such gifts from Su Huan, Qian Qi, Chu Guangxi, Mou Rong, Huangfu Hui, and Jiang Huan.