At the same time, Xu served as director-general of the commission appointed to compile the Comprehensive Geography of the Empire (大明一統志).

[1][2] Xu resigned from office after he was accused to taking bribes from Zhang Qian, who was then governor of Huguang.

[1] After his opponents accused one of his sons of, among other offences, obtaining his jinshi degree fraudulently, Xu resigned from these literary duties in the capital and returned home in 1690 to work on the Comprehensive Geography of the Empire with other leading scholars.

[1] Accusations of bribery, oppression of the common people, and misdemeanours committed by his family and servants followed Xu into retirement.

According to Qizhi Zhang, Xu had developed an infamous reputation for abuse of power and taking bribes.