Gu Shao (c. 188–218),[a] courtesy name Xiaoze, was an official serving under the warlord Sun Quan in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.
[4][c] Due to his fame and popularity, he attracted many visitors from throughout Wu Commandery and Yang Province who wanted to befriend him or build connections with him.
Pang Tong described Lu Ji as "a horse that cannot run fast but has strong willpower", and Gu Shao as "an ox that is physically weak but capable of bearing burdens over great distances".
Before Pang Tong left, Lu Ji and Gu Shao told him: "When peace is restored in the Empire, we want to have a good discussion with you about famous people.
"[10][11] Gu Shao started his career at the age of 26 after Sun Quan appointed him as the Administrator (太守) of Yuzhang Commandery (豫章郡; around present-day Nanchang, Jiangxi).
During his tenure, he identified talents among the junior staff in his administration and sent them for education, in addition to promoting his subordinates to higher positions for good performance.
[13] Among the various talents he identified and promoted, the more notable ones were Ding Xu (丁諝), Zhang Bing (張秉), Wu Can and Yin Li, all of whom came from humble and lowly backgrounds.
[14] Gu Shao earned praise for his good judgment of character when these men later achieved success in their careers: Ding Xu became a high-ranking military officer; Zhang Bing and Yin Li became commandery administrators; Wu Can became a tutor to the crown prince.