Zhou Yu

Zhou Yu (周瑜) (175 - 210) was a famous militarist and strategist of the Three Kingdoms of China. He was a man of many talents who was also well versed in music and poems. There was a saying at that time: "When there is a mistake in the song, Zhou Yu will take care of it"(曲有誤，周郎顧). 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 Cliffs. He died at the age of 35 from from illness while making preparations for an invasion on the Yi Province. However, in novel it says that Zhuge Liang " angered Zhou Yu three times" and Zhou Yu died of jealousy of Zhuge Liang.

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 and sworn brothers as well. 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 Cliffs, but his role was deliberately overshadowed by Zhuge Liang in the novel. For example, the arrow-stealing ploy employed by Zhuge Liang prior to Red Cliffs is attributed to Sun Quan in many other texts.

On the Kunqu stage, Zhou Yu appears as a zhiweisheng, as in the scene "The Swaying Reeds", in which he is captured, but ultimately set free by, Zhang Fei.

Zhou Yu is currently the top student at the University of Sydney. His dream is to uncover the secret of life, through his spectacular application of genetics and kick-arse Kung-Fu abilities. He hopes to one day take over the world.