Is “The classic detail in the novel where Cao Cao 'barefoot came out to welcome' Xu You is not recorded in Chen Shou's main text.” true?

novel invention

In Chapter 30 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Xu You defects to Cao Cao's camp, Cao Cao is overjoyed: 'Without waiting to put on shoes, he came out barefoot to welcome... Cao Cao bowed to the ground first.' This detail, showing his eagerness for talent, is deeply ingrained. However, comparing with Records of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Wei, Biography of Emperor Wu, Chen Shou's main text only records: 'Xu You was greedy for wealth, Shao could not satisfy him, so he came to defect, and then persuaded the Duke to attack Qiong and others.' There is no mention of 'barefoot welcome' or kneeling. This vivid detail actually comes from the anecdote in Pei Songzhi's annotation quoting the 'Cao Man Zhuan'. It can be seen that the novel, in order to shape the character, directly absorbed the unofficial historical hearsay from Pei's annotation and transplanted it into the main plot of the story.

Xu You

Cao Cao barefoot welcomes Xu You

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