Xu Decheng

Overview

Xu Decheng was a bannerman of the Plain Yellow Banner during the Qing Dynasty. His family had lived in Shenyang for generations, but the year of their submission is unknown. The *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, Volume 77, under the entry for the Xu family, records that his grandson Xu Yangxiu served as a county magistrate, while Xu Yanghao was a student at the time of compilation. His great-grandsons Xu Ping, Xu Zi, and Xu Ren all served as scribes.

A county magistrate was a local official in charge of county-level governance, typically ranked seventh grade, with responsibilities including litigation, taxation, and local civil administration. A student, on the other hand, was a student and held a qualification for the imperial examinations, not an official position. Therefore, Xu Yanghao cannot be listed as a county magistrate or a successful candidate in the imperial examinations based on this. The original entry does not record Xu Yangxiu's county postings or achievements, nor does it specify which imperial examination Xu Yanghao participated in.

A scribe, usually transcribing the Manchu word *bithesi*, can be interpreted as an official responsible for handling documents, with duties including copying, registering, organizing, and handling Manchu-Chinese language matters. The term "Ju" indicates that three great-grandsons held positions simultaneously, not that one person held three names; their specific government offices and terms of office are still unrecorded, so it cannot be inferred that they jointly handled the same affairs.

"QiGu" is a term used within the bondservants' organization, and cannot be interpreted as modern musicians, nor should it be directly equated with ordinary Han Chinese bannermen. The Plain Yellow Banner was one of the Upper Three Banners, and bondservants had a background serving in the Imperial Household Department. Xu's materials simultaneously preserve his local administrative, educational, and clerical positions; these should be introduced separately for each individual and cannot form a complete official record of Xu Decheng.