Monday, September 8, 2008
Zheng Ji (Han Dynasty general)
Zheng Ji , born in , was a general during Han Dynasty, and served the first Protector General of the Western Regions in the 60 BC.
Zhou Yafu
Zhou Yafu was a renowned Han Dynasty general who put down the Rebellion of the Seven States, but whose honesty and integrity eventually cost him the favor of and his life. Zhou is viewed in Chinese history as the epitome of proper military discipline.
Zhou's father, Zhou Bo was one of the key generals for Liu Bang during the Chu Han Contention who would continue to play important roles in government and who was instrumental in the ascension to the throne by Emperor Jing's father . For his accomplishments, Zhou Bo was created the Marquess of Jiang. After Zhou Bo died in 169 BC, his son and Zhou Yafu's older brother Zhou Shengzhi inherited the , but after one year he was accused of murder and executed. In his stead, Zhou Yafu was created a marquess, but of a different march . Later made the governor of the Commandery of Taiyuan , Zhou quickly gained the reputation of being a capable administrator and military commander.
In 158 BC, when Xiongnu made a major incursion into the Commanderies of Shang and Yunzhong , Emperor Wen made a visit to the camps of armies preparing to defend the capital Chang'an against a potential Xiongnu attack. It was on this occasion when he became impressed with Zhou as a military commander -- compared to the other generals, who, upon the emperor's arrival, dropped all things and did what they could to make the emperor feel welcome, Zhou remained on military alert and required the imperial guards to submit to proper military order before he would allow the imperial train to enter. Later, Emperor Wen would leave instructions for Crown Prince Liu Qi that if military emergencies arose, he should make Zhou his commander of armed forces.
After Crown Prince Qi became emperor in 157 BC, a military emergency would in fact arise. Afraid of the princes of collateral lines of the imperial clan becoming overly powerful, Emperor Jing, under the advice of Chao Cuo , attempted to reduce the size of the principalities, and seven principalities, led by the powerful Principalities of Wu and Chu rebelled in a war later known as the Rebellion of the Seven States. In accordance with Emperor Wen's instructions, Emperor Jing made Zhou the commander of the armed forces. At that time, the Wu and Chu forces were fiercely attacking the Principality of Liang , whose prince Liu Wu was Emperor Jing's beloved younger brother, and Emperor Jing ordered Zhou to immediately head to Liang to save it. Zhou refused, reasoning that the proper strategy would involve first cutting off the Wu and Chu supply lines, thus starving them, so he headed to the northeast side of Liang and around the Wu and Chu forces to cut off their supplies. The strategy was effective. Wu and Chu, unable to capture Liang quickly and realizing that their supplies were dwindling, headed northeast to attack Zhou. After being unable to get a decisive victory against Zhou, the Wu and Chu forces collapsed from starvation. Liu Pi fled to Donghai, which killed him and sought peace with Han. Liu Wu, the Prince of Chu, committed suicide. The other principalities involved were all eventually defeated as well. Zhou's effective strategy was praised and admired by the other generals, but not by Prince Wu of Liang, who would bear a grudge against Zhou for the rest of their lives for Zhou's refusal to save him first. His cause was also taken up by his and Emperor Jing's mother, , who favored her young son greatly.
In the aftermaths of the war, Zhou was made prime minister and became well-trusted by Emperor Jing. After Zhou unsuccessfully tried to persuade Emperor Jing not to Liu Rong in 150 BC, however, Zhou lost the favor of the emperor. Prince Wu and Empress Dowager Dou, still bearing grudges, also attacked him incessantly whenever they could. Soon, joining their side would be Emperor Jing's empress and her brother Wang Xin, whom Empress Dowager Dou wanted to create a marquess but whose candidacy was repeatedly rebuffed by Zhou. After a further disagreement over policy with Xiongnu defectors -- Emperor Jing wanted to bestow them with honors to encourage future Xiongnu defectors while Zhou, opining that they were traitors, wanted to simply let them live in obscurity -- Emperor Jing removed Zhou as prime minister in 147 BC.
In 143 BC, on one occasion, Zhou was summoned to dinner with the emperor, when the emperor had a large piece of meat placed before him, but not cut into small pieces, and no chopsticks were provided to him. Zhou requested chopsticks from the imperial attendants. Emperor Jing looked at him and smiled and said, "Are you not satisfied?" Zhou saw that this was a setup, and immediately apologized and withdrew. After he left, Emperor Jing made the comment, "This complainer is no subject for my son when he becomes emperor!"
Later that year, when Zhou's son, in anticipation of his death, purchased retired armor and weapons from the imperial armory to serve as burial decorations. Zhou's son refused to pay the delivery workers, and the delivery workers, in retaliation, accused the Zhous of treason because at the time unauthorized purchase of weapons was treated as treason and punishable by death. Emperor Jing sent investigators to interrogate Zhou, who refused to talk to them. Offended, Emperor Jing had Zhou Yafu arrested and interrogated in prison, and the interrogator, when told by Zhou that the armor and weapons were for burial purposes, accused him of "underground treason" -- i.e., ready to commit treason against the spirits of the emperors after he himself dies. Zhou, who initially wanted to commit suicide when he was arrested but was persuaded not to by his wife, eventually committed suicide in prison by starvation.
Zhou's legacy in history is mixed. He is greatly admired for his military strategies, but even more so for his style of military discipline. He also is admired for his honesty and integrity. Those same characteristics, however, would eventually lead to his terrible fate, for they caused him to offend powerful individuals that he could not afford to offend -- including, eventually, the emperor himself. His death was also one black mark on the otherwise highly regarded reign of Emperor Jing.
Early career
Zhou's father, Zhou Bo was one of the key generals for Liu Bang during the Chu Han Contention who would continue to play important roles in government and who was instrumental in the ascension to the throne by Emperor Jing's father . For his accomplishments, Zhou Bo was created the Marquess of Jiang. After Zhou Bo died in 169 BC, his son and Zhou Yafu's older brother Zhou Shengzhi inherited the , but after one year he was accused of murder and executed. In his stead, Zhou Yafu was created a marquess, but of a different march . Later made the governor of the Commandery of Taiyuan , Zhou quickly gained the reputation of being a capable administrator and military commander.
In 158 BC, when Xiongnu made a major incursion into the Commanderies of Shang and Yunzhong , Emperor Wen made a visit to the camps of armies preparing to defend the capital Chang'an against a potential Xiongnu attack. It was on this occasion when he became impressed with Zhou as a military commander -- compared to the other generals, who, upon the emperor's arrival, dropped all things and did what they could to make the emperor feel welcome, Zhou remained on military alert and required the imperial guards to submit to proper military order before he would allow the imperial train to enter. Later, Emperor Wen would leave instructions for Crown Prince Liu Qi that if military emergencies arose, he should make Zhou his commander of armed forces.
Actions during the Rebellion of the Seven States
After Crown Prince Qi became emperor in 157 BC, a military emergency would in fact arise. Afraid of the princes of collateral lines of the imperial clan becoming overly powerful, Emperor Jing, under the advice of Chao Cuo , attempted to reduce the size of the principalities, and seven principalities, led by the powerful Principalities of Wu and Chu rebelled in a war later known as the Rebellion of the Seven States. In accordance with Emperor Wen's instructions, Emperor Jing made Zhou the commander of the armed forces. At that time, the Wu and Chu forces were fiercely attacking the Principality of Liang , whose prince Liu Wu was Emperor Jing's beloved younger brother, and Emperor Jing ordered Zhou to immediately head to Liang to save it. Zhou refused, reasoning that the proper strategy would involve first cutting off the Wu and Chu supply lines, thus starving them, so he headed to the northeast side of Liang and around the Wu and Chu forces to cut off their supplies. The strategy was effective. Wu and Chu, unable to capture Liang quickly and realizing that their supplies were dwindling, headed northeast to attack Zhou. After being unable to get a decisive victory against Zhou, the Wu and Chu forces collapsed from starvation. Liu Pi fled to Donghai, which killed him and sought peace with Han. Liu Wu, the Prince of Chu, committed suicide. The other principalities involved were all eventually defeated as well. Zhou's effective strategy was praised and admired by the other generals, but not by Prince Wu of Liang, who would bear a grudge against Zhou for the rest of their lives for Zhou's refusal to save him first. His cause was also taken up by his and Emperor Jing's mother, , who favored her young son greatly.
Post-Rebellion career
In the aftermaths of the war, Zhou was made prime minister and became well-trusted by Emperor Jing. After Zhou unsuccessfully tried to persuade Emperor Jing not to Liu Rong in 150 BC, however, Zhou lost the favor of the emperor. Prince Wu and Empress Dowager Dou, still bearing grudges, also attacked him incessantly whenever they could. Soon, joining their side would be Emperor Jing's empress and her brother Wang Xin, whom Empress Dowager Dou wanted to create a marquess but whose candidacy was repeatedly rebuffed by Zhou. After a further disagreement over policy with Xiongnu defectors -- Emperor Jing wanted to bestow them with honors to encourage future Xiongnu defectors while Zhou, opining that they were traitors, wanted to simply let them live in obscurity -- Emperor Jing removed Zhou as prime minister in 147 BC.
Death
In 143 BC, on one occasion, Zhou was summoned to dinner with the emperor, when the emperor had a large piece of meat placed before him, but not cut into small pieces, and no chopsticks were provided to him. Zhou requested chopsticks from the imperial attendants. Emperor Jing looked at him and smiled and said, "Are you not satisfied?" Zhou saw that this was a setup, and immediately apologized and withdrew. After he left, Emperor Jing made the comment, "This complainer is no subject for my son when he becomes emperor!"
Later that year, when Zhou's son, in anticipation of his death, purchased retired armor and weapons from the imperial armory to serve as burial decorations. Zhou's son refused to pay the delivery workers, and the delivery workers, in retaliation, accused the Zhous of treason because at the time unauthorized purchase of weapons was treated as treason and punishable by death. Emperor Jing sent investigators to interrogate Zhou, who refused to talk to them. Offended, Emperor Jing had Zhou Yafu arrested and interrogated in prison, and the interrogator, when told by Zhou that the armor and weapons were for burial purposes, accused him of "underground treason" -- i.e., ready to commit treason against the spirits of the emperors after he himself dies. Zhou, who initially wanted to commit suicide when he was arrested but was persuaded not to by his wife, eventually committed suicide in prison by starvation.
Impact on Chinese history
Zhou's legacy in history is mixed. He is greatly admired for his military strategies, but even more so for his style of military discipline. He also is admired for his honesty and integrity. Those same characteristics, however, would eventually lead to his terrible fate, for they caused him to offend powerful individuals that he could not afford to offend -- including, eventually, the emperor himself. His death was also one black mark on the otherwise highly regarded reign of Emperor Jing.
Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu was a famous and one of the most capable military strategists for Sun Ce and his successor Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms era; the turbulent years leading to the end of Han Dynasty in China.
Zhou Yu was born in . Zhou Yu was born into a cultured family that produced many officials, and when Sun Jian was attacking Dong Zhuo, he moved his family to live together with Zhou Yu's family. Sun Jian's son Sun Ce and Zhou Yu studied together and became lifelong friends. Soon, Zhou Yu's uncle became the governor of Danyang, and the whole family relocated to Danyang, where they served Yuan Shu.
Sun Ce, under a commission from Yuan Shu, entered Yangzhou in order to aid his relatives, Wu Jing and Sun Ben, who were attacked by . Zhou Yu and his uncle, Zhou Shang, were among the first to join Sun Ce's army, superseded only by a fellow officer of Yuan Shu, Lü Fan, and the former retainers of Sun Jian. After Sun Ce defeated Liu Yao and his allies, Zhou Yu and his uncle were summoned to return to Yuan Shu while Sun Ce continued his conquests.
In 197, confident that he had Sun Ce's support, Yuan Shu declared himself Emperor. Sun Ce, citing loyalty to , declared independence and allied with Lü Bu, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei to oppose his former master. It was at this time that Zhou Yu returned to Sun Ce's army, this time bringing a wealthy merchant named Lu Su, who would go on to serve the Sun family as Zhou Yu's successor.
It was around this time that Zhou Yu and Sun Ce wed the Two Qiaos, daughters of Qiao Xuan, a famed scholar and critic. Very soon afterwards, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu pacified most of Yangzhou Province south of Yangtze and extended their power both south into the native Yue area and north into the Huai River region, defeating Liu Xun and the remnant forces of Yuan Shu in the north as well as Huang Zu and the forces of Liu Biao to the west.
In 200, Sun Ce was assassinated and he passed down his power to his brother, Sun Quan. Zhou Yu took over the military affairs while Zhang Zhao was given the domestic affairs. Around this time, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao and he demanded that Sun Quan send a family member hostage. Zhou Yu advised against sending a hostage. This raised Zhou Yu's respect within the Sun family, and he was treated as an elder brother by Sun Quan. In 206, Zhou Yu attacked the local bandits and captured over ten thousand people and resettled them. Then he repelled an attack by Liu Biao and captured enemy general Deng Long.
In 208, Sun Quan ordered an attack on Jiangxia, which was protected by the Sun family's nemesis, Huang Zu. Zhou Yu led the navy, and along with Gan Ning, Lü Meng, Dong Xi and Xu Sheng, defeated Huang Zu at Xiakou, killing him. It was not shortly thereafter that Cao Cao began a general campaign aimed at wiping out all opposition in southern China and reunify the empire. As his army conquered Jingzhou and was closing in on Sun Quan, Sun Quan's court was divided on the issue of whether to surrender or resist. Sun Quan consulted Zhou Yu, who replied: "Although Cao Cao pretends to be a minister of Han, he is actually a thief who is attempting to steal the empire from Han. Your majesty, with your brilliant talent and your father and brother's military prowess, have ruled and pacified Eastern Wu. The territory stretches thousand of '''', the soldier are well trained, brilliant advisors of great talents are at your disposal. It is the time to get rid Cao Cao and help the Han dynasty to reunify China. Cao Cao came down south and presented himself as an opportunity for you, your majesty. Now I will analyse for you the dire situation Cao Cao has placed himself into: Even if the north has been completely unified, can Cao Cao's ground based army fight against our superior navy and marines? The truth is that the north has not been completely pacified. Ma Chao will remain a thorn in Cao Cao's flesh. Cao Cao's superior cavalry is useless against the mountainous and watery terrain of the south. Winter is upon us, and yet Cao Cao's large army has to depend on a long supply line halfway across China. Cao Cao's army are mainly composed of northerners, and they are not used to the environment of the south, thus they will easily become sick. With all of these problems, I promise you that with thirty thousand men, I can easily break him." Greatly relieved, Sun Quan decided to fight.
The famous Battle of Red Cliffs ensued. Contrary to popular belief, Zhuge Liang did not contribute much and Zhou Yu was the supreme commander of the united forces against Cao Cao. In this battle, a series of stratagems were employed by Zhou Yu to destroy Cao Cao's giant fleet. Huang Gai proposed a plan in which he pretended to surrender to Cao Cao and infiltrated Cao Cao's camp. There, he set his own ships on fire and rammed them into Cao Cao's ships before jumping into the river. Much of Cao Cao's ships were destroyed and Cao Cao was forced to flee back to Xuchang.
Afterwards, Zhou Yu led his army in pursue and laid siege to the strategic town of Nanjun . While on the front lines, Zhou Yu was struck by a stray arrow and seriously wounded. He withdrew from the frontlines, leaving Cheng Pu, who had shared command responsibilities with Zhou Yu, to command the siege. Cao Ren, the defending general, heard of Zhou Yu's wounds and attempted to launch a counterattack, but Zhou Yu personally inspected his troops and sent them into battle, nearly slaying Cao Ren's officer, Niu Jin. After a year of siege, Nanjun was taken and Zhou Yu was named Governor of Nanjun.
In 210, Zhou Yu proposed to Sun Quan his plan to attack Liu Zhang of Yizhou and unify all of southern China under Sun Quan against northern China under Cao Cao. Further, he proposed an alliance with Zhang Lu of Hanzhong and Ma Chao of Xiliang, whom Zhou Yu correctly predicted would soon oppose Cao Cao . While preparing for the long expedition, he died at age thirty-five in Baqiu .
He was buried in his ancestral home in Lujiang. He was succeeded in his military command by Lu Su and in his nobility rank by his eldest son, .
Zhou Yu was intelligent and young, and he was also considered a very handsome man by his contemporaries. He was very open and made friends with his humbleness. Cheng Pu was an elder general of Sun Jian and he made fun of Zhou Yu's youth. Yet Zhou Yu took all of the abuse stoically and they eventually became great friends. He was a man of many talents, who was also well versed in music and poems. There was a saying at that time: "Should the tune be in error, Zhou Yu takes note."
He was also famous for his loyalty. Even though Sun Quan saw Zhou Yu as an older brother, Zhou Yu never crossed the line, and he always served Sun Quan with humility and care.
In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', Zhou Yu was portrayed as a jealous man who relentlessly tried—and failed—to outwit Zhuge Liang. Furthermore, his role was deliberately overshadowed by Zhuge Liang, especially in the Battle of Red Cliffs. For example, the arrow-stealing ploy employed by Zhuge Liang is attributed to Sun Quan in many other texts. Zhuge Liang even causes Zhou Yu's death: having been poisoned by in a previous ambush, Zhou Yu is thrice provoked by Zhuge Liang and dies a bitter man, his last words being: "Having born Yu, whyfore also Liang?"
On the Kunqu stage, Zhou Yu appears as a zhiweisheng, as in the scene "The Swaying Reeds", where he is captured and ultimately set free by Zhang Fei.
In Chinese opera, Zhou Yu is played by the ''xiaosheng'' or ''wusheng'' , even when sharing the stage with Zhuge Liang, who was actually the younger of the two.
*In the anime series ''Ikki Tousen'', the character of ''Shuuyu Koukin'' is roughly based upon Zhou Yu. His cousin and ward, , is based on Zhou Yu's close friend Sun Ce. Like his counterpart in ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', Shuuyu Koukin resents Zhuge Liang, though for a different reason.
*In the anime series ''Koutetsu Sangokushi'', Zhou Yu was not able to prevent Sun Ce's assassination, but serves as Sun Quan's level-headed advisor and admiral, as well as something of a story foil to the more impulsive and brash Taishi Ci .
*In the Koei video game series ''Dynasty Warriors'' , Zhou Yu is portrayed as a powerful, highly intelligent and handsome man. He wears a red gown with gold decorations and wields a very long, lavishly decorated called the "Elder's Sword." In ''Dynasty Warriors 6'' he has a ponytail and wields a bo staff.
*In Warriors Orochi, he was a prisoner of Orochi but was freed by his best friend Sun Ce. He fought alongside him and helped him search for his father Sun Jian. In the Shu storyline, Zhou Yu fought alongside Sun Ce against Sima Yi. They were in danger of being captured but Zhao Yun, Yukimura Sanada and their allies came to their aid. In the Wei storyline he is seen on a ship alongside Sun Ce after Cao Pi allows them to escape. He also aided Nobunaga in the battle against Orochi by orders of Sun Ce, but Zhou Yu said it was Nobunaga that inspired him to fight Orochi.
*A film currently showing in theatre titled '''', directed by John Woo featured Tony Leung Chiu Wai as Zhou Yu.
*Great grandfather
**Zhou Rong - the Imperial Secretary in charge of reading and interpreting reports to the emperor.
*Grandfather
**Zhou Jing - first the governor of Yuzhou , and then became Imperial Secretary and finally Imperial Minister of Defence .
*Father
**Zhou Yi - Mayor of the capital city Luoyang.
*Uncle
**Zhou Shang - the Grand Administrator of Danyang
*Wife
**Xiao Qiao
*Children
**Zhou Xun - succeeded Zhou Yu's rank of nobility and was said to possess his father's talents, and he was married to Sun Quan's eldest daughter Sun Dahu . He died suddenly and was succeeded by his younger brother.
**Zhou Yin - succeeded Zhou Xun
**A daughter, Zhou Ying, was married to Sun Deng, Sun Quan's eldest son.
*Nephew
**Zhou Jun - served Wu as a notable military officer and participated in numerous battles under the command of Lu Xun .
*Sworn Brother and brother in law
**Sun Ce
Life
Early life
Zhou Yu was born in . Zhou Yu was born into a cultured family that produced many officials, and when Sun Jian was attacking Dong Zhuo, he moved his family to live together with Zhou Yu's family. Sun Jian's son Sun Ce and Zhou Yu studied together and became lifelong friends. Soon, Zhou Yu's uncle became the governor of Danyang, and the whole family relocated to Danyang, where they served Yuan Shu.
Sun Ce, under a commission from Yuan Shu, entered Yangzhou in order to aid his relatives, Wu Jing and Sun Ben, who were attacked by . Zhou Yu and his uncle, Zhou Shang, were among the first to join Sun Ce's army, superseded only by a fellow officer of Yuan Shu, Lü Fan, and the former retainers of Sun Jian. After Sun Ce defeated Liu Yao and his allies, Zhou Yu and his uncle were summoned to return to Yuan Shu while Sun Ce continued his conquests.
In 197, confident that he had Sun Ce's support, Yuan Shu declared himself Emperor. Sun Ce, citing loyalty to , declared independence and allied with Lü Bu, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei to oppose his former master. It was at this time that Zhou Yu returned to Sun Ce's army, this time bringing a wealthy merchant named Lu Su, who would go on to serve the Sun family as Zhou Yu's successor.
It was around this time that Zhou Yu and Sun Ce wed the Two Qiaos, daughters of Qiao Xuan, a famed scholar and critic. Very soon afterwards, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu pacified most of Yangzhou Province south of Yangtze and extended their power both south into the native Yue area and north into the Huai River region, defeating Liu Xun and the remnant forces of Yuan Shu in the north as well as Huang Zu and the forces of Liu Biao to the west.
Campaigns against Huang Zu and Cao Cao
In 200, Sun Ce was assassinated and he passed down his power to his brother, Sun Quan. Zhou Yu took over the military affairs while Zhang Zhao was given the domestic affairs. Around this time, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao and he demanded that Sun Quan send a family member hostage. Zhou Yu advised against sending a hostage. This raised Zhou Yu's respect within the Sun family, and he was treated as an elder brother by Sun Quan. In 206, Zhou Yu attacked the local bandits and captured over ten thousand people and resettled them. Then he repelled an attack by Liu Biao and captured enemy general Deng Long.
In 208, Sun Quan ordered an attack on Jiangxia, which was protected by the Sun family's nemesis, Huang Zu. Zhou Yu led the navy, and along with Gan Ning, Lü Meng, Dong Xi and Xu Sheng, defeated Huang Zu at Xiakou, killing him. It was not shortly thereafter that Cao Cao began a general campaign aimed at wiping out all opposition in southern China and reunify the empire. As his army conquered Jingzhou and was closing in on Sun Quan, Sun Quan's court was divided on the issue of whether to surrender or resist. Sun Quan consulted Zhou Yu, who replied: "Although Cao Cao pretends to be a minister of Han, he is actually a thief who is attempting to steal the empire from Han. Your majesty, with your brilliant talent and your father and brother's military prowess, have ruled and pacified Eastern Wu. The territory stretches thousand of '''', the soldier are well trained, brilliant advisors of great talents are at your disposal. It is the time to get rid Cao Cao and help the Han dynasty to reunify China. Cao Cao came down south and presented himself as an opportunity for you, your majesty. Now I will analyse for you the dire situation Cao Cao has placed himself into: Even if the north has been completely unified, can Cao Cao's ground based army fight against our superior navy and marines? The truth is that the north has not been completely pacified. Ma Chao will remain a thorn in Cao Cao's flesh. Cao Cao's superior cavalry is useless against the mountainous and watery terrain of the south. Winter is upon us, and yet Cao Cao's large army has to depend on a long supply line halfway across China. Cao Cao's army are mainly composed of northerners, and they are not used to the environment of the south, thus they will easily become sick. With all of these problems, I promise you that with thirty thousand men, I can easily break him." Greatly relieved, Sun Quan decided to fight.
The famous Battle of Red Cliffs ensued. Contrary to popular belief, Zhuge Liang did not contribute much and Zhou Yu was the supreme commander of the united forces against Cao Cao. In this battle, a series of stratagems were employed by Zhou Yu to destroy Cao Cao's giant fleet. Huang Gai proposed a plan in which he pretended to surrender to Cao Cao and infiltrated Cao Cao's camp. There, he set his own ships on fire and rammed them into Cao Cao's ships before jumping into the river. Much of Cao Cao's ships were destroyed and Cao Cao was forced to flee back to Xuchang.
Afterwards, Zhou Yu led his army in pursue and laid siege to the strategic town of Nanjun . While on the front lines, Zhou Yu was struck by a stray arrow and seriously wounded. He withdrew from the frontlines, leaving Cheng Pu, who had shared command responsibilities with Zhou Yu, to command the siege. Cao Ren, the defending general, heard of Zhou Yu's wounds and attempted to launch a counterattack, but Zhou Yu personally inspected his troops and sent them into battle, nearly slaying Cao Ren's officer, Niu Jin. After a year of siege, Nanjun was taken and Zhou Yu was named Governor of Nanjun.
Death
In 210, Zhou Yu proposed to Sun Quan his plan to attack Liu Zhang of Yizhou and unify all of southern China under Sun Quan against northern China under Cao Cao. Further, he proposed an alliance with Zhang Lu of Hanzhong and Ma Chao of Xiliang, whom Zhou Yu correctly predicted would soon oppose Cao Cao . While preparing for the long expedition, he died at age thirty-five in Baqiu .
He was buried in his ancestral home in Lujiang. He was succeeded in his military command by Lu Su and in his nobility rank by his eldest son, .
Qualities
Zhou Yu was intelligent and young, and he was also considered a very handsome man by his contemporaries. He was very open and made friends with his humbleness. Cheng Pu was an elder general of Sun Jian and he made fun of Zhou Yu's youth. Yet Zhou Yu took all of the abuse stoically and they eventually became great friends. He was a man of many talents, who was also well versed in music and poems. There was a saying at that time: "Should the tune be in error, Zhou Yu takes note."
He was also famous for his loyalty. Even though Sun Quan saw Zhou Yu as an older brother, Zhou Yu never crossed the line, and he always served Sun Quan with humility and care.
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms and classical culture
In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', Zhou Yu was portrayed as a jealous man who relentlessly tried—and failed—to outwit Zhuge Liang. Furthermore, his role was deliberately overshadowed by Zhuge Liang, especially in the Battle of Red Cliffs. For example, the arrow-stealing ploy employed by Zhuge Liang is attributed to Sun Quan in many other texts. Zhuge Liang even causes Zhou Yu's death: having been poisoned by in a previous ambush, Zhou Yu is thrice provoked by Zhuge Liang and dies a bitter man, his last words being: "Having born Yu, whyfore also Liang?"
On the Kunqu stage, Zhou Yu appears as a zhiweisheng, as in the scene "The Swaying Reeds", where he is captured and ultimately set free by Zhang Fei.
In Chinese opera, Zhou Yu is played by the ''xiaosheng'' or ''wusheng'' , even when sharing the stage with Zhuge Liang, who was actually the younger of the two.
Modern references
*In the anime series ''Ikki Tousen'', the character of ''Shuuyu Koukin'' is roughly based upon Zhou Yu. His cousin and ward, , is based on Zhou Yu's close friend Sun Ce. Like his counterpart in ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', Shuuyu Koukin resents Zhuge Liang, though for a different reason.
*In the anime series ''Koutetsu Sangokushi'', Zhou Yu was not able to prevent Sun Ce's assassination, but serves as Sun Quan's level-headed advisor and admiral, as well as something of a story foil to the more impulsive and brash Taishi Ci .
*In the Koei video game series ''Dynasty Warriors'' , Zhou Yu is portrayed as a powerful, highly intelligent and handsome man. He wears a red gown with gold decorations and wields a very long, lavishly decorated called the "Elder's Sword." In ''Dynasty Warriors 6'' he has a ponytail and wields a bo staff.
*In Warriors Orochi, he was a prisoner of Orochi but was freed by his best friend Sun Ce. He fought alongside him and helped him search for his father Sun Jian. In the Shu storyline, Zhou Yu fought alongside Sun Ce against Sima Yi. They were in danger of being captured but Zhao Yun, Yukimura Sanada and their allies came to their aid. In the Wei storyline he is seen on a ship alongside Sun Ce after Cao Pi allows them to escape. He also aided Nobunaga in the battle against Orochi by orders of Sun Ce, but Zhou Yu said it was Nobunaga that inspired him to fight Orochi.
*A film currently showing in theatre titled '''', directed by John Woo featured Tony Leung Chiu Wai as Zhou Yu.
Family
*Great grandfather
**Zhou Rong - the Imperial Secretary in charge of reading and interpreting reports to the emperor.
*Grandfather
**Zhou Jing - first the governor of Yuzhou , and then became Imperial Secretary and finally Imperial Minister of Defence .
*Father
**Zhou Yi - Mayor of the capital city Luoyang.
*Uncle
**Zhou Shang - the Grand Administrator of Danyang
*Wife
**Xiao Qiao
*Children
**Zhou Xun - succeeded Zhou Yu's rank of nobility and was said to possess his father's talents, and he was married to Sun Quan's eldest daughter Sun Dahu . He died suddenly and was succeeded by his younger brother.
**Zhou Yin - succeeded Zhou Xun
**A daughter, Zhou Ying, was married to Sun Deng, Sun Quan's eldest son.
*Nephew
**Zhou Jun - served Wu as a notable military officer and participated in numerous battles under the command of Lu Xun .
*Sworn Brother and brother in law
**Sun Ce
Qiao Xuan
Qiao Xuan (108-183, styled Gongzu , of Suiyang , Liang Kingdom . He was a high official near the end of Eastern Han.
Qiao Xuan was of gentry, scholarly background. In his youth, as minor official , when Inspector of Yu Province Zhou Jing was passing by Liang, Qiao Xuan reported to him the crimes of Chancellor of Chen Yang Chang . Zhou Jing sent Qiao Xuan to investigate. Xuan thoroughly listed Yang Chang's crimes. Because Chang was an intimate of Commander-in-Chief Liang Ji, Liang Ji sent an urgent letter to release Yang Chang. Scared, Zhou Jing called off Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan returned to letter, he locked up Yang Chang and sent him back to Luoyang on a prison cart. Because of that, he became famous.
After that, he was nominated as suitable for office and was appointed to a minor post in Luoyang. Liang Buyi , Liang Ji's brother, was Xuan superior and humiliated him. Xuan gave up his office.
Later on, he was appointed Chancellor of Qi . He committed a fault, and was sent to do hard labor. Punishment completed, he was appointed Administrator of Shanggu , then Administrator of Hanyang . Prefect of Shanggui Huangfu Zhen was corrupted and enriched himself excessively. Qiao Xuan had him executed.
In 170, he was appoint Minister of Works . A year after, he was made Minister over the Masses .
Qiao Xuan was generous and supportive of Cao Cao in his youth -- a gratitude Cao Cao didn't forget when he was at the peak of his power .
Biography
Qiao Xuan was of gentry, scholarly background. In his youth, as minor official , when Inspector of Yu Province Zhou Jing was passing by Liang, Qiao Xuan reported to him the crimes of Chancellor of Chen Yang Chang . Zhou Jing sent Qiao Xuan to investigate. Xuan thoroughly listed Yang Chang's crimes. Because Chang was an intimate of Commander-in-Chief Liang Ji, Liang Ji sent an urgent letter to release Yang Chang. Scared, Zhou Jing called off Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan returned to letter, he locked up Yang Chang and sent him back to Luoyang on a prison cart. Because of that, he became famous.
After that, he was nominated as suitable for office and was appointed to a minor post in Luoyang. Liang Buyi , Liang Ji's brother, was Xuan superior and humiliated him. Xuan gave up his office.
Later on, he was appointed Chancellor of Qi . He committed a fault, and was sent to do hard labor. Punishment completed, he was appointed Administrator of Shanggu , then Administrator of Hanyang . Prefect of Shanggui Huangfu Zhen was corrupted and enriched himself excessively. Qiao Xuan had him executed.
In 170, he was appoint Minister of Works . A year after, he was made Minister over the Masses .
Qiao Xuan was generous and supportive of Cao Cao in his youth -- a gratitude Cao Cao didn't forget when he was at the peak of his power .
Ren Shang
Ren Shang , was the Protector General of the Western Regions under Eastern Han between 102-106. In February, 91, he and Geng Kui defeated the unnamed shortly after the Battle of Ikh Bayan, on commission by Dou Xian. In 93, he killed the last northern chanyu, Yuchujian Chanyu during a pursuit with . A Chinese inscription stele of him, 汉任尚纪功铭 was excavated in 1957 from Kumul, Xinjiang, which inscribed the event in 93.
Shi Xie
Shi Xie , Weiyan, was a man from Guangxin. Shi Xie served as Imperial Secretariat Cadet, from which he later resigned. After his father's death, Shi Xie was removed from prefect of Wu and became the Grand Administrator of Jiao Zhi province during the Later Han. Shi Xie was a scholar who would often enjoy reading the ''Spring and Autumn Annals.'' In the year 210 AD, Shi Xie submitted to Sun Quan. Shi Xie regularly sent an envoy to Sun Quan of the Wu Kingdom. Shi Xie had been in office for over forty years. He died at the age of 90 sui, or 89 years in Western recognition, in the fifth year of Huang Wu . After Shi Xie's death, Sun Quan thought the region was too far away and cut the province. Jiaozhi was then its own province. Lu Dai was named inspector of the Jiaozhi province and Chen Shi the new Grand Administrator. In response to this Shi Xie's son, Shi Hui, took his father's position of Grand Administrator. Shi Hui refused Lu Dai and Chen Shi to enter the province. Nevertheless Lu Dai had an imperial decree that allowed the execution of Shi Hui. Shi Kuang was sent to persuade Shi Hui to allow Lu Dai to enter. The next day, Shi Hui and his accomplices were murdered. Later, the rest of the Shi family was reduced to common status.
Sun Ce
Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He was the eldest of five sons and one daughter of Sun Jian, who was killed in battle when Sun Ce was only sixteen. Sun Ce then broke away from his father's former overlord Yuan Shu and headed into Southeastern China to establish his own power base there. With the help of several capable men, including Zhang Zhao and Zhou Yu, Sun Ce managed to lay down the foundation of the later Eastern Wu, of which his younger brother Sun Quan eventually became the first . After Sun Quan declared himself emperor, he posthumously honored Sun Ce with the title Prince Huan of Changsha .
In 200, when the rising warlord Cao Cao was away battling Yuan Shao in the decisive Battle of Guandu, Sun Ce was rumored to be plotting an attack against Cao Cao's capital of Xuchang. However, he was assassinated before he could carry out the plan.
The '''' describes Sun Ce as handsome and full of laughter. He was also a generous and receptive man who could employ people according to their abilities. Thus his subjects were willing to risk their lives for him. One detractor named Xu Gong, in a letter to , likened Sun Ce to Xiang Yu, the general renowned for overthrowing Qin Dynasty . As Xiang Yu was often referred to as the Conqueror of Chu, Sun Ce henceforth became known as the Little Conqueror in popular culture.
Born in 175, Sun Ce was the eldest among five sons and one daughter of Sun Jian, a military general loyal to the of the Han Dynasty. In 190, a year after died, the warlord Dong Zhuo usurped power, placing in the throne the puppet . Regional warlords in eastern China then formed a coalition against Dong Zhuo. Sun Jian rendered his service to Yuan Shu, one of the leaders of the coalition. The attempt to oust Dong Zhuo soon failed and China slid into a series of massive civil wars. In the next year, Sun Jian was sent by Yuan Shu to attack Liu Biao, governor of , but he was killed in an ambush.
Sun Ce brought his father's body to Qu'e for burial and settled his mother down before heading for Danyang , where his uncle Wu Jing was the governor. There he raised a small militia a few hundred in strength. This small force was far from sufficient for him to establish his own power so in 194 Sun Ce went to Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu was very impressed with Sun Ce and often lamented that he had no son like him. He also returned Sun Jian's former division of troops to Sun Ce.
Initially, Yuan Shu promised to appoint Sun Ce the governor of Jiujiang but eventually gave the governorship to Chen Ji. Later, when Yuan Shu was denied a large loan of grains from the governor of , he sent Sun Ce to attack the latter, promising to make Sun Ce the governor of Lujiang should he succeed. When Sun Ce did, however, Yuan Shu again went back on his words and appointed someone else instead. The disappointed Sun Ce then began to contemplate leaving.
Meanwhile, , who was by imperial decree the governor of , occupied Qu'e as the regional seat Shouchun was already occupied by Yuan Shu. He then forced Wu Jing back west across the Yangtze River to However, Yuan Shu claimed to be the rightful governor and sent Wu Jing and Sun Ce's elder cousin Sun Ben to attack Liu Yao. After they were unable to break down the defense for more than a year, Sun Ce requested to lead a force to assist the effort.
Though Yuan Shu knew Sun Ce intended to leave, he believed the latter would not be able to defeat Liu Yao. Thus he deployed the young general off with merely a thousand odd troops and a tiny cavalry force. Along with a few hundred more willing followers, Sun Ce proceeded to Liyang, where he boosted his strength to more than 5,000. He then launched an offensive across the Yangtze River and successfully occupied the strategic position of Niuzhu in 195.
Two of Liu Yao's allies then came south from Pengcheng and Xiapi respectively to aid him. Sun Ce chose to first attack one of them, Ze Rong, who made camp south of Moling. After suffering initial defeat in the hands of the aggressor, Ze Rong fell back in defense and refused to engage in battle. Sun Ce then marched further north and attacked Xue Li in Moling. Although Xue Li soon gave up the city and escaped, Liu Yao's subject Fan Neng and others had regrouped their forces and launched a renewed attack on Niuzhu. Turning back, Sun Ce defeated Fan Neng and secured Niuzhu. He then began a second offensive against Ze Rong. However, he was struck by a stray arrow in the thigh. Returning to Niuzhu, he sent out false words that he was killed in battle. The exalted Ze Rong then sent a force to attack. Sun Ce led the enemies into an ambush and annihilated them. When Ze Rong heard that Sun Ce was still alive, he further reinforced his defense works.
Sun Ce then temporarily gave up attacking Ze Rong and focused his forces on Qu'e. After all the surrounding areas were taken over by Sun Ce, Liu Yao gave up the city and escaped south to Yuzhang , where he would later die. As Sun Ce implemented strict discipline among his troops, he won the instant support of the local people and gathered many talented men, such as , Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Qin Song, and Lü Fan. He then pushed his force deeper into Yangzhou and conquered Kuaiji , whose governor Wang Lang surrendered. Sun Ce made Kuaiji his base city and struck out at the wandering bandit army led by Yan Baihu. Yan Baihu sent his younger brother Yan Yu to offer Sun Ce a position alongside Yan Baihu, but Sun Ce showed no mercy and personally slew the emissary. As Yan Yu was known among Yan Baihu's men as a fierce warrior, his death struck fear into their hearts and they were soon defeated. Sun Ce then appointed his relatives and a trusted subject to govern Danyang and Yuzhang, from which he divided a new commandery named . His campaign, from the occupation of Niuzhu to the conquest of the entire region southeast of the Long River, took less than a year. He then defeated and received the services of Zu Lang , the Chief of Danyang, and Taishi Ci, the leader of the remnants of Liu Yao's forces; he then urged the surrender of Hua Xin, another one of the remnants of Liu Yao's forces. Thus, with the exception of the scattered but still numerous army of Yan Baihu, the lands south of the Yangtze were mostly pacified.
The barbarians of Shanyue tribe, however, were not easily dealt with. To counter the frequent rebellions of the Shanyue , Sun Ce appointed a certain He Qi to a military rank with orders to subdue the Shanyue. He Qi would go on to become a highly successful general; truly, his appointment by Sun Ce was the first important step to Wu's eventual subjugation of the Shanyue.
In 195, Yuan Shu declared himself the unrecognised "Zhongjia" Emperor. In a letter to Yuan Shu, Sun Ce denounced the move and broke ties with the former. In an effort to garner support from Sun Ce, the rising warlord Cao Cao then recommended him to be appointed the Rebellions-Suppressing General and enfeoffed as Marquis of Wu . In 199 Yuan Shu died of sickness along with his short-lived dynasty. His cousin Yuan Yin feared Cao Cao and gave up Shouchun. Bringing along Yuan Shu's coffin and his former troops, he headed to Huancheng to seek refuge under Liu Xun . As Liu Xun had insufficient food supplies in his realm to support the additional troops, he led a force south to pillage Haihun .
Sun Ce was en route to attack Huang Zu, who was Sun Jian's killer, in Xiakou when he received the news. He then turned back and captured the poorly defended Huancheng, taking over all of Yuan Shu's 30,000 former troops. Hearing that his base city had been taken, Liu Xun headed west and sought help from Huang Zu, who sent a 5,000-strong naval force to assist him. Sun Ce pressed forward and defeated Liu Xun, who escaped north to Cao Cao. Sun Ce annexed more than 2,000 former troops and 1,000 ships of his enemy and came upon Huang Zu. Despite reinforcements from Liu Biao, Huang Zu was utterly defeated. During the battle, Sun Ce slew Liu Biao's officer, Han Xi , and completely routed Huang Zu's son, Huang She .
The victorious Sun Ce in 199 looked poised to take over the entire southern China. As he was threatened by rival Yuan Shao in the north and could not divide his attention, Cao Cao attempted to further reinforce the alliance with Sun Ce by marrying the daughter of his relative Cao Ren to Sun Ce's youngest brother Sun Kuang. Sun Ce in turn agreed to marry Sun Ben's daughter to Cao Cao's son Cao Zhang.
The former governor of Wu Commandery Xu Gong, had long opposed Sun Ce. Xu Gong wrote to Emperor Xian, recommending the emperor to summon Sun Ce to the capital as he deemed Sun Ce to be a hero comparable to Xiang Yu and too dangerous to be allowed to occupy a territory. However, the letter was intercepted by an official loyal to Sun Ce, who attacked and then had Xu Gong executed. Xu Gong's former servants then kept a low profile and waited for chance to revenge.
In the year 200, Cao Cao engaged in the decisive Battle of Guandu with Yuan Shao along the shores of the Yellow River, leaving the capital and his base city Xuchang poorly guarded. Sun Ce is said to have then plotted to attack Xuchang under the banner of rescuing Emperor Xian, who was a figurehead held under Cao Cao's control. Preparations were underway for the military excursion when Sun Ce ran into three former servants of Xu Gong during a solo hunting trip. One of them managed to plant an arrow into Sun Ce's cheek before Sun Ce's men arrived and slew the assassins. Many differing accounts of Sun Ce's death exist . One generally accepted scenario is that he died that same night.
Another possible scenario has Sun Ce living for quite some time. The physician told Sun Ce to rest still for a hundred days to allow the wound to heal, but Sun Ce looked into the mirror one day and, seeing his scar, became so enraged that he slammed his table. The large movement caused the wound to break and he died in the same night. Although he was survived by one son, Sun Ce passed his legacy to his younger brother Sun Quan. When Sun Quan declared himself the first of the Kingdom of Wu in 222, he bestowed upon Sun Ce the posthumous title of Prince Huan of Changsha .
Sun Ce was succeeded by a posthumous son, , as well as at least two daughters, married to Gu Shao and later Zhu Ji , and respectively. Sun Shao bore one son, Sun Feng , who was executed by Sun Hao for alleged treason due to his popularity.
Sun Sheng in his ''Exposition on Disparities and Similarities'' discounted the theory that Sun Ce made plans to attack Xuchang. He believed that although Sun Ce was a rising power, he was threatened in the west by Huang Zu, who was defeated but not eliminated, in the north by Chen Deng, governor of , and in the south by indigenous tribes yet to be assimilated. These prevented Sun Ce from striking far out at Xuchang and moving the emperor to southeastern China. He further argued that Sun Ce died in the fourth month of 200, before the Battle of Guandu even took place.
The annotator of the ''Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms'' Pei Songzhi rebutted Sun Sheng, arguing that Huang Zu was newly broken and had yet to recollect his forces while the indigenous tribes were scattered and not much of a threat. Pei Songzhi believed that the first objective of Sun Ce's planned northward excursion was to attack Chen Deng, which would provide a platform for capturing Xuchang. On the other hand, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao had been engaging in skirmishes and small-scale battles before Sun Ce's death. Thus there was in fact no discrepancy in timing.
A historically implausible legend regarding Sun Ce's death involves a popular priest of his time named Gan Ji , whom he regarded as a sorcerer. Despite petitions from his subjects and his own mother, Sun Ce ordered Gan Ji's execution. According to ''In Search of the Supernatural'' by Gan Bao , a compilation largely based on legends and hearsay, Sun Ce began to see apparitions of Gan Ji ever since the execution of the latter. After he was injured by assassins, Sun Ce was told by the physician to rest still to allow the wound to heal. However, he looked into the mirror one day and saw Gan Ji's face, whereupon he let out a cry and slammed the mirror. His wound broke and he died shortly. This version was adopted and further dramatized by Luo Guanzhong in his historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', in which Gan Ji's name was taken to be "Yu Ji" .
In Peking opera, Sun Ce's role is usually that of a hero or tragic hero, while his brother, Sun Quan is usually portrayed as a villain at worst or self-seeking at best. Several operas even toy with the idea that Quan had Cè assassinated so that he could take control of the warlord state, though there is no historical evidence to support this view. In the opera ''Fenghuang Er Qiao'', Sun Ce borrows 3,000 troops from Yuan Shu and allies with the Qiao army, which is led by the Two Qiaos. Sun Ce, the protagonist of the opera, eventually gains the Elder Qiao's hand in marriage through a martial arts contest with the help of Zhou Yu and the Younger Qiao.
In the anime ''Yokoyama Mitsuteru Sangokushi'', Sun Ce fights alongside his father against Dong Zhuo and is befriended by Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, with whom he trains to become a hero. When Sun Jian finds the Imperial Seal and decides to keep it for himself, Sun Ce is troubled by his father's actions and leaves him, seeking advice from Liu Bei. Liu Bei convinces him that his father likely has a good reason for holding onto the Imperial Seal, and Sun Ce returns just in time to save his father from an attack made by Yuan Shao and help him escape. The rest of Sun Ce's actions, including his passing, are mentioned only in passing.
The character in ''Ikki Tousen'' is loosely based on the historical figure Sun Ce . Her guardian, , bears the same name and personality as Zhou Yu.
In the anime ''Kōtetsu Sangokushi'', Sun Ce is portrayed as a once kind-hearted and virtuous hero who was corrupted by the power of the Imperial Seal, causing him to kill its protector. It is later revealed that Zhuge Liang was the mastermind behind Sun Ce's assassination and later events in the series.
In the Chinese manhua ''Ravages of Time'', Sun Ce is a cunning, ruthless, and manipulative character. He hires Zhao Yun to assist him in retrieving the Imperial Seal from Yuan Shu, but a last minute ambush by Gan Ning supposedly kills Sun Ce right in front of Zhao Yun, who is surrounded and barely escapes. It is later revealed that Sun Ce is alive and well, having posed as a relative, and that the man slain was his double, Ling Cao. In addition, Sun Ce had foreseen the ambush and saw it as a way to be rid of any sort of commitment to pay Zhao Yun. He is also very talented in martial art as he easily kills two generals of Liu Yao and then fights to a tie with Taishi Ci, who makes a good impression to him. Later, he asks one of his loyal men to desecrate Ling Cao's grave and pretends as if it was a revenge of their enemy, therefore, the spirits of his troops greatly rises and they easily broke the enemy force although they were outnumbered. He frankly admits his ruthless action to Ling Cao's son and swears that if there is justice, he will be killed painfully as he deserves.
Sun Ce also appears as a playable character in the popular ''Dynasty Warriors'' video game series by Koei. In the third, fourth, and fifth installments of the game, he wields a pair of bamboo tonfa called the "Overlords," and is portrayed as energetic, outgoing, brash, and informal. Although charismatic and well-liked by his troops, he relies on the wisdom and responsibility of his friend, Zhou Yu, to keep him focused and on track. In ''Dynasty Warriors 5'', Sun Ce meets his death due to a curse placed on him by the sorcerer Yu Ji, after Sūn orders his execution. He is succeeded by his brother, Quan, who in stark contrast to Ce, is stolid and detached. Sūn Quan often calls on the strength of his late father and brother during combat, attributing his ability and skill to the spirits of his fallen family guiding his hand.
In ''Dynasty Warriors 6'', Sun Ce's weapon is a single-hooked spear and dons armor similar to that of the ancient Greek muscle cuirass. Although not having a storyline, he is one of the key characters to almost all the Wu storylines, as well as apprearing often in cutscenes. His death in the game was commonly due to ambush with arrow shots at the back, at the exact moment Sun Ce claimed victory.
Sun Ce also makes an appearance in the spin off game, "Warriors Orochi", a combination of the Dynasty and Samurai Warriors series. In the game, Orochi uses the captive Sun Jian to blackmail the Sun family into servitude. Sun Ce is the first to rebel against Orochi, under the guidance of , and much to the disapproval of his siblings, Quan and Shang Xiang, but he would eventually get them back on his side and save their father. He also has an important role in the other storylines, thus making him one of the main protagonists in the game along with Zhao Yun, Cao Pi, and Oda Nobunaga.
* Father
** Sun Jian
* Mother
** Lady Wu
* Brothers
** Sun Quan
** Sun Kuang
** Sun Yi
** Sun Lang
* Sister
** Sun Shangxiang
* Wife
** Elder Qiao
* Children
** Posthumous son Sun Shao
** Elder daughter wed to Zhu Ji
** Second daughter wed to Gu Shao and later
* Brother in Law and sworn brother
** Zhou Yu
In 200, when the rising warlord Cao Cao was away battling Yuan Shao in the decisive Battle of Guandu, Sun Ce was rumored to be plotting an attack against Cao Cao's capital of Xuchang. However, he was assassinated before he could carry out the plan.
The '''' describes Sun Ce as handsome and full of laughter. He was also a generous and receptive man who could employ people according to their abilities. Thus his subjects were willing to risk their lives for him. One detractor named Xu Gong, in a letter to , likened Sun Ce to Xiang Yu, the general renowned for overthrowing Qin Dynasty . As Xiang Yu was often referred to as the Conqueror of Chu, Sun Ce henceforth became known as the Little Conqueror in popular culture.
Life
Early life and career
Born in 175, Sun Ce was the eldest among five sons and one daughter of Sun Jian, a military general loyal to the of the Han Dynasty. In 190, a year after died, the warlord Dong Zhuo usurped power, placing in the throne the puppet . Regional warlords in eastern China then formed a coalition against Dong Zhuo. Sun Jian rendered his service to Yuan Shu, one of the leaders of the coalition. The attempt to oust Dong Zhuo soon failed and China slid into a series of massive civil wars. In the next year, Sun Jian was sent by Yuan Shu to attack Liu Biao, governor of , but he was killed in an ambush.
Sun Ce brought his father's body to Qu'e for burial and settled his mother down before heading for Danyang , where his uncle Wu Jing was the governor. There he raised a small militia a few hundred in strength. This small force was far from sufficient for him to establish his own power so in 194 Sun Ce went to Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu was very impressed with Sun Ce and often lamented that he had no son like him. He also returned Sun Jian's former division of troops to Sun Ce.
Initially, Yuan Shu promised to appoint Sun Ce the governor of Jiujiang but eventually gave the governorship to Chen Ji. Later, when Yuan Shu was denied a large loan of grains from the governor of , he sent Sun Ce to attack the latter, promising to make Sun Ce the governor of Lujiang should he succeed. When Sun Ce did, however, Yuan Shu again went back on his words and appointed someone else instead. The disappointed Sun Ce then began to contemplate leaving.
Meanwhile, , who was by imperial decree the governor of , occupied Qu'e as the regional seat Shouchun was already occupied by Yuan Shu. He then forced Wu Jing back west across the Yangtze River to However, Yuan Shu claimed to be the rightful governor and sent Wu Jing and Sun Ce's elder cousin Sun Ben to attack Liu Yao. After they were unable to break down the defense for more than a year, Sun Ce requested to lead a force to assist the effort.
A kingdom's beginning
Though Yuan Shu knew Sun Ce intended to leave, he believed the latter would not be able to defeat Liu Yao. Thus he deployed the young general off with merely a thousand odd troops and a tiny cavalry force. Along with a few hundred more willing followers, Sun Ce proceeded to Liyang, where he boosted his strength to more than 5,000. He then launched an offensive across the Yangtze River and successfully occupied the strategic position of Niuzhu in 195.
Two of Liu Yao's allies then came south from Pengcheng and Xiapi respectively to aid him. Sun Ce chose to first attack one of them, Ze Rong, who made camp south of Moling. After suffering initial defeat in the hands of the aggressor, Ze Rong fell back in defense and refused to engage in battle. Sun Ce then marched further north and attacked Xue Li in Moling. Although Xue Li soon gave up the city and escaped, Liu Yao's subject Fan Neng and others had regrouped their forces and launched a renewed attack on Niuzhu. Turning back, Sun Ce defeated Fan Neng and secured Niuzhu. He then began a second offensive against Ze Rong. However, he was struck by a stray arrow in the thigh. Returning to Niuzhu, he sent out false words that he was killed in battle. The exalted Ze Rong then sent a force to attack. Sun Ce led the enemies into an ambush and annihilated them. When Ze Rong heard that Sun Ce was still alive, he further reinforced his defense works.
Sun Ce then temporarily gave up attacking Ze Rong and focused his forces on Qu'e. After all the surrounding areas were taken over by Sun Ce, Liu Yao gave up the city and escaped south to Yuzhang , where he would later die. As Sun Ce implemented strict discipline among his troops, he won the instant support of the local people and gathered many talented men, such as , Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Qin Song, and Lü Fan. He then pushed his force deeper into Yangzhou and conquered Kuaiji , whose governor Wang Lang surrendered. Sun Ce made Kuaiji his base city and struck out at the wandering bandit army led by Yan Baihu. Yan Baihu sent his younger brother Yan Yu to offer Sun Ce a position alongside Yan Baihu, but Sun Ce showed no mercy and personally slew the emissary. As Yan Yu was known among Yan Baihu's men as a fierce warrior, his death struck fear into their hearts and they were soon defeated. Sun Ce then appointed his relatives and a trusted subject to govern Danyang and Yuzhang, from which he divided a new commandery named . His campaign, from the occupation of Niuzhu to the conquest of the entire region southeast of the Long River, took less than a year. He then defeated and received the services of Zu Lang , the Chief of Danyang, and Taishi Ci, the leader of the remnants of Liu Yao's forces; he then urged the surrender of Hua Xin, another one of the remnants of Liu Yao's forces. Thus, with the exception of the scattered but still numerous army of Yan Baihu, the lands south of the Yangtze were mostly pacified.
The barbarians of Shanyue tribe, however, were not easily dealt with. To counter the frequent rebellions of the Shanyue , Sun Ce appointed a certain He Qi to a military rank with orders to subdue the Shanyue. He Qi would go on to become a highly successful general; truly, his appointment by Sun Ce was the first important step to Wu's eventual subjugation of the Shanyue.
Late life
In 195, Yuan Shu declared himself the unrecognised "Zhongjia" Emperor. In a letter to Yuan Shu, Sun Ce denounced the move and broke ties with the former. In an effort to garner support from Sun Ce, the rising warlord Cao Cao then recommended him to be appointed the Rebellions-Suppressing General and enfeoffed as Marquis of Wu . In 199 Yuan Shu died of sickness along with his short-lived dynasty. His cousin Yuan Yin feared Cao Cao and gave up Shouchun. Bringing along Yuan Shu's coffin and his former troops, he headed to Huancheng to seek refuge under Liu Xun . As Liu Xun had insufficient food supplies in his realm to support the additional troops, he led a force south to pillage Haihun .
Sun Ce was en route to attack Huang Zu, who was Sun Jian's killer, in Xiakou when he received the news. He then turned back and captured the poorly defended Huancheng, taking over all of Yuan Shu's 30,000 former troops. Hearing that his base city had been taken, Liu Xun headed west and sought help from Huang Zu, who sent a 5,000-strong naval force to assist him. Sun Ce pressed forward and defeated Liu Xun, who escaped north to Cao Cao. Sun Ce annexed more than 2,000 former troops and 1,000 ships of his enemy and came upon Huang Zu. Despite reinforcements from Liu Biao, Huang Zu was utterly defeated. During the battle, Sun Ce slew Liu Biao's officer, Han Xi , and completely routed Huang Zu's son, Huang She .
The victorious Sun Ce in 199 looked poised to take over the entire southern China. As he was threatened by rival Yuan Shao in the north and could not divide his attention, Cao Cao attempted to further reinforce the alliance with Sun Ce by marrying the daughter of his relative Cao Ren to Sun Ce's youngest brother Sun Kuang. Sun Ce in turn agreed to marry Sun Ben's daughter to Cao Cao's son Cao Zhang.
The former governor of Wu Commandery Xu Gong, had long opposed Sun Ce. Xu Gong wrote to Emperor Xian, recommending the emperor to summon Sun Ce to the capital as he deemed Sun Ce to be a hero comparable to Xiang Yu and too dangerous to be allowed to occupy a territory. However, the letter was intercepted by an official loyal to Sun Ce, who attacked and then had Xu Gong executed. Xu Gong's former servants then kept a low profile and waited for chance to revenge.
In the year 200, Cao Cao engaged in the decisive Battle of Guandu with Yuan Shao along the shores of the Yellow River, leaving the capital and his base city Xuchang poorly guarded. Sun Ce is said to have then plotted to attack Xuchang under the banner of rescuing Emperor Xian, who was a figurehead held under Cao Cao's control. Preparations were underway for the military excursion when Sun Ce ran into three former servants of Xu Gong during a solo hunting trip. One of them managed to plant an arrow into Sun Ce's cheek before Sun Ce's men arrived and slew the assassins. Many differing accounts of Sun Ce's death exist . One generally accepted scenario is that he died that same night.
Another possible scenario has Sun Ce living for quite some time. The physician told Sun Ce to rest still for a hundred days to allow the wound to heal, but Sun Ce looked into the mirror one day and, seeing his scar, became so enraged that he slammed his table. The large movement caused the wound to break and he died in the same night. Although he was survived by one son, Sun Ce passed his legacy to his younger brother Sun Quan. When Sun Quan declared himself the first of the Kingdom of Wu in 222, he bestowed upon Sun Ce the posthumous title of Prince Huan of Changsha .
Sun Ce was succeeded by a posthumous son, , as well as at least two daughters, married to Gu Shao and later Zhu Ji , and respectively. Sun Shao bore one son, Sun Feng , who was executed by Sun Hao for alleged treason due to his popularity.
Dispute over cause of death
Sun Sheng in his ''Exposition on Disparities and Similarities'' discounted the theory that Sun Ce made plans to attack Xuchang. He believed that although Sun Ce was a rising power, he was threatened in the west by Huang Zu, who was defeated but not eliminated, in the north by Chen Deng, governor of , and in the south by indigenous tribes yet to be assimilated. These prevented Sun Ce from striking far out at Xuchang and moving the emperor to southeastern China. He further argued that Sun Ce died in the fourth month of 200, before the Battle of Guandu even took place.
The annotator of the ''Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms'' Pei Songzhi rebutted Sun Sheng, arguing that Huang Zu was newly broken and had yet to recollect his forces while the indigenous tribes were scattered and not much of a threat. Pei Songzhi believed that the first objective of Sun Ce's planned northward excursion was to attack Chen Deng, which would provide a platform for capturing Xuchang. On the other hand, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao had been engaging in skirmishes and small-scale battles before Sun Ce's death. Thus there was in fact no discrepancy in timing.
A historically implausible legend regarding Sun Ce's death involves a popular priest of his time named Gan Ji , whom he regarded as a sorcerer. Despite petitions from his subjects and his own mother, Sun Ce ordered Gan Ji's execution. According to ''In Search of the Supernatural'' by Gan Bao , a compilation largely based on legends and hearsay, Sun Ce began to see apparitions of Gan Ji ever since the execution of the latter. After he was injured by assassins, Sun Ce was told by the physician to rest still to allow the wound to heal. However, he looked into the mirror one day and saw Gan Ji's face, whereupon he let out a cry and slammed the mirror. His wound broke and he died shortly. This version was adopted and further dramatized by Luo Guanzhong in his historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', in which Gan Ji's name was taken to be "Yu Ji" .
Sun Ce in art
Chinese opera
In Peking opera, Sun Ce's role is usually that of a hero or tragic hero, while his brother, Sun Quan is usually portrayed as a villain at worst or self-seeking at best. Several operas even toy with the idea that Quan had Cè assassinated so that he could take control of the warlord state, though there is no historical evidence to support this view. In the opera ''Fenghuang Er Qiao'', Sun Ce borrows 3,000 troops from Yuan Shu and allies with the Qiao army, which is led by the Two Qiaos. Sun Ce, the protagonist of the opera, eventually gains the Elder Qiao's hand in marriage through a martial arts contest with the help of Zhou Yu and the Younger Qiao.
Comics and anime
In the anime ''Yokoyama Mitsuteru Sangokushi'', Sun Ce fights alongside his father against Dong Zhuo and is befriended by Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, with whom he trains to become a hero. When Sun Jian finds the Imperial Seal and decides to keep it for himself, Sun Ce is troubled by his father's actions and leaves him, seeking advice from Liu Bei. Liu Bei convinces him that his father likely has a good reason for holding onto the Imperial Seal, and Sun Ce returns just in time to save his father from an attack made by Yuan Shao and help him escape. The rest of Sun Ce's actions, including his passing, are mentioned only in passing.
The character in ''Ikki Tousen'' is loosely based on the historical figure Sun Ce . Her guardian, , bears the same name and personality as Zhou Yu.
In the anime ''Kōtetsu Sangokushi'', Sun Ce is portrayed as a once kind-hearted and virtuous hero who was corrupted by the power of the Imperial Seal, causing him to kill its protector. It is later revealed that Zhuge Liang was the mastermind behind Sun Ce's assassination and later events in the series.
In the Chinese manhua ''Ravages of Time'', Sun Ce is a cunning, ruthless, and manipulative character. He hires Zhao Yun to assist him in retrieving the Imperial Seal from Yuan Shu, but a last minute ambush by Gan Ning supposedly kills Sun Ce right in front of Zhao Yun, who is surrounded and barely escapes. It is later revealed that Sun Ce is alive and well, having posed as a relative, and that the man slain was his double, Ling Cao. In addition, Sun Ce had foreseen the ambush and saw it as a way to be rid of any sort of commitment to pay Zhao Yun. He is also very talented in martial art as he easily kills two generals of Liu Yao and then fights to a tie with Taishi Ci, who makes a good impression to him. Later, he asks one of his loyal men to desecrate Ling Cao's grave and pretends as if it was a revenge of their enemy, therefore, the spirits of his troops greatly rises and they easily broke the enemy force although they were outnumbered. He frankly admits his ruthless action to Ling Cao's son and swears that if there is justice, he will be killed painfully as he deserves.
Video games
Sun Ce also appears as a playable character in the popular ''Dynasty Warriors'' video game series by Koei. In the third, fourth, and fifth installments of the game, he wields a pair of bamboo tonfa called the "Overlords," and is portrayed as energetic, outgoing, brash, and informal. Although charismatic and well-liked by his troops, he relies on the wisdom and responsibility of his friend, Zhou Yu, to keep him focused and on track. In ''Dynasty Warriors 5'', Sun Ce meets his death due to a curse placed on him by the sorcerer Yu Ji, after Sūn orders his execution. He is succeeded by his brother, Quan, who in stark contrast to Ce, is stolid and detached. Sūn Quan often calls on the strength of his late father and brother during combat, attributing his ability and skill to the spirits of his fallen family guiding his hand.
In ''Dynasty Warriors 6'', Sun Ce's weapon is a single-hooked spear and dons armor similar to that of the ancient Greek muscle cuirass. Although not having a storyline, he is one of the key characters to almost all the Wu storylines, as well as apprearing often in cutscenes. His death in the game was commonly due to ambush with arrow shots at the back, at the exact moment Sun Ce claimed victory.
Sun Ce also makes an appearance in the spin off game, "Warriors Orochi", a combination of the Dynasty and Samurai Warriors series. In the game, Orochi uses the captive Sun Jian to blackmail the Sun family into servitude. Sun Ce is the first to rebel against Orochi, under the guidance of , and much to the disapproval of his siblings, Quan and Shang Xiang, but he would eventually get them back on his side and save their father. He also has an important role in the other storylines, thus making him one of the main protagonists in the game along with Zhao Yun, Cao Pi, and Oda Nobunaga.
Family
* Father
** Sun Jian
* Mother
** Lady Wu
* Brothers
** Sun Quan
** Sun Kuang
** Sun Yi
** Sun Lang
* Sister
** Sun Shangxiang
* Wife
** Elder Qiao
* Children
** Posthumous son Sun Shao
** Elder daughter wed to Zhu Ji
** Second daughter wed to Gu Shao and later
* Brother in Law and sworn brother
** Zhou Yu
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