魏書十八 · 許褚傳
許褚字仲康，譙國譙人也。長八尺餘，腰大十圍，容貌雄毅，勇力絕人。漢末，聚少年及宗族數千家，共堅壁以禦寇。
Xu Chu, courtesy name Zhongkang, was from Qiao. He stood over eight chi tall, with a waist ten spans around. His bearing was imposing and formidable, and his courage and strength surpassed those of all others. At the end of the Han, he gathered several thousand households of young men and clansmen, and together they built a fortified stronghold to defend against bandits.
時汝南葛陂賊萬餘人攻褚壁，褚衆少不敵，力戰疲極。兵矢盡，乃令壁中男女，聚治石如杅斗者置四隅。褚飛石擲之，所值皆摧碎。賊不敢進。糧乏，偽與賊和，以牛與賊易食，賊來取牛，牛輒奔還。褚乃出陳前，一手逆曳牛尾，行百餘步。賊衆驚，遂不敢取牛而走。由是淮、汝、陳、梁閒，聞皆畏憚之。
At the time, over ten thousand bandits from near Ge Lake, Runan attacked Xu Chu's stronghold. Xu Chu's followers were too few to withstand them, but fought with all their strength until they were utterly exhausted. When their weapons and arrows were spent, Xu Chu had the men and women within the fortress gather stones the size of grain measures and pile them at the four corners. He then hurled the stones at the enemy, shattering whatever he struck. The bandits dared not advance. When provisions ran low, Xu Chu feigned peace with the bandits and offered cattle in exchange for food. When the bandits came to take the cattle, the animals kept bolting back. Xu Chu then stepped out before the lines, seized them by the tail with one hand, and dragged it back out for over a hundred paces. The bandits were astonished, and dared not take the cattle, and fled. Because of this, throughout the region between the Huai River, Ru River, and the states of Chen and Liang, all who heard of him regarded him with fear and awe.
太祖徇淮、汝，褚以衆歸太祖。太祖見而壯之曰：「此吾樊噲也。」即日拜都尉，引入宿衞。諸從褚俠客，皆以為虎士。從征張繡，先登，斬首萬計，遷校尉。
When Cao Cao (posthumously honoured as Taizu, the Grand Progenitor) advanced along the Huai and Ru rivers, Xu Chu led his followers in joining Cao Cao. Upon seeing him, Cao Cao was impressed and said, "This is my Fan Kuai!" That same day he appointed him Commandant, and had him serve as a personal guard. Those who had followed Xu Chu were all made Tiger Warriors (elite guards). Xu Chu joined Cao Cao's campaign against Zhang Xiu, where he was among the first to break through the enemy lines and killed enemies by the tens of thousands. For this, he was promoted to Colonel.
從討袁紹於官渡。時常從士徐他等謀為逆，以褚常侍左右，憚之不敢發。伺褚休下日，他等懷刀入。褚至下舍心動，即還侍。他等不知，入帳見褚，大驚愕。他色變，褚覺之，即擊殺他等。太祖益親信之，出入同行，不離左右。
Later, Xu Chu followed Cao Cao in the campaign against Yuan Shao at Guandu. At the time, Xu Ta and several others among Cao Cao's personal attendants plotted treason. But because Xu Chu was constantly at Cao Cao's side, they feared him and dared not act. Waiting until a day when Xu Chu was off duty, Xu Ta and the others concealed knives and entered Cao Cao's tent. Xu Chu had already returned to his quarters when he suddenly felt uneasy, and immediately went back to attend Cao Cao. Unaware that Xu Chu had returned, Xu Ta and the others entered the tent and were greatly startled to see him there. Xu Ta's expression changed, which Xu Chu noticed. He immediately struck down and killed Xu Ta and the others. Cao Cao trusted and favoured him all the more, and thereafter kept him constantly at his side wherever he went.
從圍鄴，力戰有功，賜爵關內侯。從討韓遂、馬超於潼關。太祖將北渡，臨濟河，先渡兵，獨與褚及虎士百餘人留南岸斷後。超將步騎萬餘人，來奔太祖軍，矢下如雨。褚白太祖，賊來多，今兵渡以盡，宜去，乃扶太祖上船。賊戰急，軍爭濟，船重欲沒。褚斬攀船者，左手舉馬鞍鞌太祖。船工為流矢所中死，褚右手並泝船，僅乃得渡。是日，微褚幾危。
Afterwards, Xu Chu joined the siege of Ye, fought hard and for his merits, granted the rank of Marquis Within the Pass. He also followed Cao Cao in the campaign against Han Sui and Ma Chao at Tongguan. When Cao Cao was about to go northward and cross the river, he sent his troops across first. Cao Cao remained on the southern bank with only Xu Chu and over a hundred Tiger Warriors to guard the rear. Ma Chao led over ten thousand infantry and cavalry in a charge against Cao Cao's forces, with arrows falling like rain. Xu Chu told Cao Cao that the enemy had come in great numbers and that the troops had all finished crossing, so it was time to leave. He then helped Cao Cao aboard the boat. As the fighting grew intense, the troops scrambled to cross, overloading the boat until it was on the verge of sinking. Xu Chu cut down those clinging to its sides and held up a saddle with his left hand to shield Cao Cao. The boatman was struck by a stray arrow and killed. With his right hand, Xu Chu poled the boat against the current to reach the opposite bank. Had it not been for Xu Chu that day, Cao Cao would have come close to disaster.
其後太祖與遂、超等單馬會語，左右皆不得從，唯將褚。超負其力，陰欲前突太祖，素聞褚勇，疑從騎是褚。乃問太祖曰：「公有虎侯者安在？」太祖顧指褚，褚瞋目盼之。超不敢動，乃各罷。後數日會戰，大破超等，褚身斬首級，遷武衞中郎將。武衞之號，自此始也。軍中以褚力如虎而癡，故號曰虎癡；是以超問虎侯，至今天下稱焉，皆謂其姓名也。
When Cao Cao later held a parley on horseback with Han Sui, Ma Chao, and the others, none of his attendants were allowed to follow, with only Xu Chu accompanying him. Ma Chao, relying on his own strength, secretly intended to charge forward and strike Cao Cao. Having long heard of Xu Chu's valour, however, he suspected that the mounted attendant beside Cao Cao was Xu Chu. He therefore asked Cao Cao, "Where is the one they call your Tiger Marquis?" Cao Cao turned and pointed to Xu Chu, who glared fiercely at Ma Chao. Ma Chao dared not move, and the two sides then withdrew. Several days later, battle was joined, and Ma Chao and the others were utterly defeated. Xu Chu personally killed and beheaded many of the enemy, and was promoted to Getleman-General of the Martial Guards. The title "Martial Guard" began from this point. WWithin the army, because Xu Chu had the strength of a tiger but was guileless and simple, he was nicknamed the "Tiger Fool". This was why Ma Chao had asked about the "Tiger Marquis". Even to this day, people throughout the realm still call him the "Tiger Marquis," taking it to be his actual name.
褚性謹慎奉法，質重少言。曹仁自荊州來朝謁，太祖未出，入與褚相見於殿外。仁呼褚入便坐語，褚曰：「王將出。」便還入殿，仁意恨之。或以責褚曰：「征南宗室重臣，降意呼君，君何故辭？」褚曰：「彼雖親重，外藩也。褚備內臣，衆談足矣，入室何私乎？」太祖聞，愈愛待之，遷中堅將軍。
Xu Chu was by nature cautious and law-abiding, plain and reserved, and a man of few words. When Cao Ren came from Jing province to pay court, Cao Cao had not yet come out, and Cao Ren, having entered, encountered Xu Chu outside the hall. Cao Ren invited Xu Chu to sit and talk, but Xu Chu replied, "The King is about to come out," and returned inside. Cao Ren took offence at this. Someone rebuked Xu Chu over it, saying, "The General Who Conquers the South is an eminent minister of His Majesty's clan. He lowered himself to invite you, why did you refuse?" Xu Chu replied, "Though he is a close and honoured kinsman, he is still an outer vassal, whereas I serve as an inner attendant. Speaking together in public would have sufficed, so what need was there to speak in private chambers?" When Cao Cao heard of this, he valued Xu Chu all the more and treated him with even greater favour, promoting him to General of the Central Vanguard.
太祖崩，褚號泣歐血。文帝踐阼，進封萬歲亭侯，遷武衞將軍，都督中軍宿衞禁兵，甚親近焉。初，褚所將為虎士者從征伐，太祖以為皆壯士也，同日拜為將，其後以功為將軍封侯者數十人，都尉、校尉百餘人，皆劒客也。
When Cao Cao died, Xu Chu wailed and wept until he vomited blood. When Cao Pi (posthumously honoured as Emperor Wen, the Civil Emperor) ascended the throne, Xu Chu was further enfeoffed as Wansui Neighbourhood Marquis, and promoted to General of the Martial Guards, as Commander of the Central Army's palace guards. He was held in great favour and treated with great intimacy. Originally, Cao Cao regarded all the Tiger Warriors whom Xu Chu had led on campaigns as stalwart men and appointed them all as officers on the same day. Afterwards, several dozen earned merit and rose to become generals and enfeoffed marquises, while over a hundred became Commandants and Colonels. All of them were skilled swordsmen.
明帝即位，進牟鄉侯，邑七百戶，賜子爵一人關內侯。褚薨，謚曰壯侯。子儀嗣。褚兄定，亦以軍功封為振威將軍，都督徼道虎賁。太和中，帝思褚忠孝，下詔襃贊，復賜褚子孫二人爵關內侯。儀為鍾會所殺。泰始初，子綜嗣。
When Cao Rui (posthumously honoured as Emperor Ming, the Illustrious Emperor) ascended the throne, Xu Chu was advanced to Mu Township Marquis, with a fief of seven hundred households. One of his sons was also granted the rank of Marquis Within the Pass. When Xu Chu died, he was posthumously honoured as Marquis Zhuang, the Valiant Marquis. His son Xu Yi succeeded him. Xu Chu's elder brother Xu Ding, also for military merit, was appointed General Who Rallies Might, commanding the Rapid Tigers on patrol. During the Taihe Era, the Emperor, recalling Xu Chu's loyalty, issued an edict of praise and commendation, and again granted two of Xu Chu's descendants the rank of Marquis Within the Pass. Xu Yi was killed by Zhong Hui. At the beginning of the Taishi Era, Xu Yi's son Xu Zong succeeded him.