Zhou Yu (Renming)

For the general and strategist under Sun Quan, see Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu (birth and death dates unknown), courtesy name Renming, was an official who lived in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He was a native of Kuaiji, and a younger brother of Zhou Ang and Zhou Xin.

When Cao Cao was rallying troops to join the campaign against Dong Zhuo in 189, Zhou Yu raised 2000 men to go to him and became Cao Cao's advisor. He later transferred to Yuan Shao's camp and was named the Inspector of Yu Province (豫州).

In the Battle of Yangcheng in 191, caused by a feud between the cousins Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, Zhou Yu was commanded by Yuan Shao to attack Yuan Shu's general Sun Jian in Yangcheng. 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.

See also

• List of people of the Three Kingdoms

References

• Chen Shou. Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 46.
• Rafe de Crespigny (2007), A biographical dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220 AD), Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.