[3] He had served as director of the Ministry of Revenue Shaanxi Bureau (戶部陝西司郎中), staff of Huiling Mausoleum construction office (惠陵工程處隨同辦事), Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud (太僕寺卿), Assistant Commissioner of Transmission (通政使司參議), associate director of the Court of the Imperial Clan (宗人府府丞) and other positions.
[5] When Beijing fell to the Eight-Nation Alliance in 1900, Xu Chengyu persuaded his father to commit suicide with him.
He buried his father's body in the backyard and tried to fled from the capital[4] however, was captured by Japanese soldiers.
In the next year, the victorious Eight-Nation Alliance named him as one of the masterminds behind the rebellion and demanded that he be executed.
[6] Zhang Zhidong suggested to the Empress Dowager Cixi that Xu Chengyu should be returned to the Qing court for trial, and then force him commit suicide.