[1] Xu contributed to the modernization of the judicial system in China and for initiating prison reform during the presidency of Yuan Shikai.

Xu followed his mentor, Shen Jiaben to Taiwan during the Qing government in exile.

In 1900, they went back to China where Xu was tasked to head an Outer Beijing city police supervision of infrastructure projects.

[3] In 1908, he was promoted as the associate chief of the high court of justice in the province of Fengtian.

He also led the first formal Qing delegation that attended the Eighth International Prison Congress in Washington, D.C.[3] As part of the government's drive to build a modern judicial system, he was appointed Minister of Justice in 1912.