Zhou Yu (周瑜) (175 - 210) was a famous militarist and strategist of the Three Kingdoms of China. He was said to be a master of naval battles.
As a general of Kingdom of Wu, he commanded the allied army of Kingdom of Wu and Kingdom of Shu to defeat the invasion from Kingdom of Wei led by Cao Cao in the battle of Red Cliff. He died at the age of 35 from a spray arrow from one of Cao Ren's soldiers while traveling to Ba Qiu in preparation for a major battle.
It was said that he grew up to be a very handsome man and earned the nickname "The Gentleman Zhou". Sun Ce, a ruler of Kingdom of Wu, and Zhou Yu had developed a friendship since childhood. When Sun Ce first started his campaign, Zhou Yu was quick to join. The two friends would later marry the daughters of Qiao Xuan.
In the Chinese epic Romance of Three Kingdoms, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu are brother-in-laws. Lu Su, another established diplomat and advisor of Kingdom of Wu, was also an acquaintance of Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu was also portrayed as a jealous man who relentlessly tried to beat his adversary Zhuge Liang, but Zhuge Liang, the best strategist in the novel, always foiled his plans. Zhou Yu was the mastermind behind the victorious Shu and Wu in the Battle of Red Cliff, but his role was deliberately overshadowed by Zhuge Liang in the novel, for example, the arrow-stealing ploy employed by Zhuge Liang proir to Red Cliffs is attributed to Zhou Yu in many other texts.
