Zhou Yu, style name

Chinese style name

A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...

 Renming (仁明), was an official during the late Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...

 period of Chinese history

History of China

Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...

. He was a native of Kuaiji, and a younger brother of Zhou Ang

Zhou Ang

Zhou Ang was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a native of Kuaiji and brother of Zhou Yu and Zhou Xin. He was granted the post of Administrator of Jiujiang by Yuan Shao...

 and Zhou Xin.

When Cao Cao

Cao Cao

Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...

 was rallying troops to join the campaign against Dong Zhuo

Campaign against Dong Zhuo

The Campaign against Dong Zhuo was a punitive expedition initiated by a coalition of regional officials and warlords against Dong Zhuo, Chancellor of State, in 190 during the late Han Dynasty of Chinese history...

 in 189, Zhou Yu raised 2000 men to go to him and became Cao Cao's advisor. He later transferred to Yuan Shao

Yuan Shao

Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...

's camp and was named the Inspector of Yu Province (豫州).

In the Battle of Yangcheng

Battle of Yangcheng

The Battle of Yangcheng was a battle fought between the warlords Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu as the coalition against Dong Zhuo fell apart in 191 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...

 in 191, caused by a feud between the cousins Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu

Yuan Shu

Yuan Shu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the imperial court in 189. He was said to be a younger cousin of the warlord Yuan Shao, but was actually Yuan Shao's younger half-brother...

, Zhou Yu was commanded by Yuan Shao to attack Yuan Shu's general Sun Jian

Sun Jian

Sun Jian was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian in his power...

 in Yangcheng

Dengfeng

Dengfeng is a county-level city in Zhengzhou, Henan province. In ancient times, it was known as Yangcheng .Dengfeng has an area of 1220 square kilometers and a population of 630,000....

. In the beginning, Zhou had the upper hand, routing Sun Jian, but Sun Jian counterattacked and defeated Zhou Yu. This venture is often mistakenly ascribed to Zhou Ang instead.

In the next year, Zhou Yu went to aid his brother Zhou Ang against an attack by Yuan Shu in Jiujiang (九江), but they were defeated. Zhou Yu returned to Kuaiji after the battle, where he was killed by Xu Gong

Xu Gong

Xu Gong was the governor of Wu Commandery during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.Xu Gong had opposed Sun Ce as an ally of Wang Lang, Yan Baihu, and Liu Yao. He eventually was forced to surrender to Sun's forces, but he was a disloyal officer, even attempting to write a secret memo...

.