Zhou Yu (175-2 10), a native of Shucheng, Lujiang, Gong Jin, was the first of the four great British generals in Soochow. I have known Sun Ce since I was a child, and I have become a friend of life and death. After Sun Ce became independent from Yuan Shu, Zhou Yu took the initiative to go to Sun Ce. In Sun Ce's war to pacify Jiangdong, he played the dual role of counselor and military commander, and conquered Taishi Ci by stratagem. After Sun Ce pacified Jiangdong, Zhou Yu was appointed commander-in-chief of the water army. In 200, Sun Ce died young. Before he died, he said to Sun Quan, "Ask Zhou Yu about diplomacy." . After Sun Quan succeeded to the throne, he also trusted Zhou Yu very much. In 2008, Sun Quan made a westward expedition to Huang Zu, and Zhou Yu played an important role. In 208, Cao Cao went south, aiming at Jiangdong, and Sun Quan went to war, which was undecided. Zhou Yu rushed back from Poyang Lake in time, correctly analyzed the disadvantages of Cao Cao's long journey, and made Sun Quan decide to fight Cao Cao. As the commander-in-chief of the water army, Zhou Yu defeated Cao Cao with fire, which is the famous Battle of Red Cliffs. After Battle of Red Cliffs, Zhou Yu was poisoned by an arrow when he attacked Nanjun, but he still took Nanjun desperately. Later, Zhou Yu cut the south bank of the Yangtze River to Liu Bei, but Liu Bei went to Jingkou to see Sun Quan and asked for the consent of the whole Jingzhou. Therefore, Zhou Yu had to retreat to Chaisang County to recuperate. During Zhou Yu's illness, remind Sun Quan to beware of Liu Bei. In 2 10, Zhou Yu led the troops to attack Xichuan. Arriving in Baqiu City, he was wounded by an arrow and died young at the age of 36. After hearing the news, Sun Quan immediately welcomed Zhou Yu's coffin back to Chai Sang in plain clothes.
Zhou Yu in history was charming and broad-minded. Cheng Pu, a veteran of Wu Dong, followed Sun Jian in his early years and thought highly of his achievements, looking down on the young Zhou Yu. However, Zhou Yu didn't care about Cheng Pu, and finally persuaded Cheng Pu himself. Cheng Pu said, "You and Zhou Jin's bus friends won't get drunk." In the Song Dynasty, the world still liked Zhou Yu very much, as can be seen from Su Shi's Niannujiao. However, after the Yuan Dynasty, people gradually vilified Zhou Yu, and by the time the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was published, Zhou Yu had completely changed. One of the most important reasons is the relationship between Zhou Yu and Liu Bei. On the one hand, Zhou Yu took the initiative to cut the land on the south bank of the Yangtze River to Liu Bei, but this was largely a diplomatic act. On the other hand, Zhou Yu saw Liu Bei's lean nature and didn't want Liu Bei to grow stronger day by day, so he wrote to Sun Quan, asking Sun Quan to put Liu Bei under house arrest in Jingkou (this is the origin of the honey trap in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but Zhou Yu didn't do it himself, and Sun Shangxiang was also Sun Quan's initiative to marry Liu Bei), but Sun Quan didn't want to. Zhou Yu and Lu Su took completely different approaches to Liu Bei. Zhou Yu is a radical, while Lu Su sees further. Regrettably, thousands of years later, both of them became subordinates of Zhuge Liang, who was still unknown at that time. Zhou Yu became synonymous with narrow-mindedness, while Lu Su became an incredible honest man.