Zhou Yu

Zhou Yu
A Qing dynasty illustration of Zhou Yu
General of Sun Quan
Born	175
Died	210 (aged 35)
Names
Traditional Chinese	周瑜
Simplified Chinese	周瑜
Pinyin	Zhōu Yú
Wade–Giles	Chou1 Yü2
Courtesy name	Gongjin (Chinese: 公瑾; pinyin: Gōngjǐn; Wade–Giles: Kung-chin)
Other names	"Mei Zhou Lang" (Chinese: 美周郎; pinyin: Měi Zhōu Láng; Wade–Giles: Mei Chou Lang; literally: "Zhou the Handsome Youth")

Zhou Yu (175–210),courtesy name Gongjin, was a military general and strategist serving under the warlord Sun Ce in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He continued serving under Sun Quan, Sun Ce's younger brother and successor, after Sun Ce died in 200 CE. Around late 208, the northern warlord Cao Cao led his forces south with the intention of conquering the Jiangdong region, where Sun Quan's territories were based. Zhou Yu, as the frontline commander of Sun Quan's forces, defeated Cao Cao at the decisive Battle of Red Cliffs. He then led Sun Quan's forces at the follow-up Battle of Jiangling and defeated Cao Cao's forces again. Zhou Yu's victories helped to solidify the survivability of Sun Quan's regime, which served as the foundation of the state of Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280). He died in 210 at a relatively young age of 35 while preparing for a conquest of the Bashu region (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing).

Zhou Yu was from Shu County (舒縣), Lujiang Commandery (廬江郡), which is in present-day Shucheng County, Anhui. Two of his relatives – his granduncle, Zhou Jing (周景), and Zhou Jing's son, Zhou Zhong (周忠) – served as the Grand Commandant (太尉) in the Han imperial court. Zhou Yu's father, Zhou Yi (周異), was a former Prefect (令) of the imperial capital, Luoyang.

Around 190, when Sun Jian raised an army to join the campaign against Dong Zhuo, he relocated his family from Changsha Commandery (長沙郡; covering present-day Changsha and parts of Hunan) to Shu County. In Shu County, Zhou Yu met and befriended Sun Jian's eldest son, Sun Ce, who was about the same age as he. Zhou Yu offered to let Sun Ce and his family stay with him, and he paid respects to Sun Ce's mother Lady Wu as though she was his real mother. Zhou Yu and Sun Ce became very close friends.