He studied at Yiyang Primary School, and met Mao Zedong in August 1917 when he enrolled into the Hunan First Normal University.

[citation needed] Xia was sent the Hunan-Hubei Soviet in March 1931 to take over from Deng Zhongxia and was also appointed political commissar of the Second Red Army.

Although Xia held the role of Political Commissar for only 2 years, he had purged tens and thousands of Red Army soldiers and party cadres.

[citation needed] In June 1935, Xia admitted his error of intensifying purges during the Hunan-Hubei Branch Meeting and rendezvoused with Red Sixth Army's Ren Bishi in October.

[citation needed] On 28 February 1936, Xia Xi fell into the water due to fatigue on the way of crossing the Bijie river.