The bloody secret behind the contest of Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu

Three Kingdoms was one of the greatest wars and upheavals in Chinese history, after the Eastern Han weakened and collapsed. Amid the chaos, warlords rose all over, seizing land and plundering the people. As the ancients said, times make heroes. Many brilliant men, fierce generals, and talented strategists were born in this era. The most famous were Cao Cao, Lu Bei, and Sun Quan. Their struggle was the main reason China was divided into three rival powers for For years, the fights never stopped, sharp clashes of wit and brutal battles across diplomacy, politics, and war. With overwhelming strength and control of the Eastern Han court, in the seventh lunar month of 208, Cao Cao led 260,000 troops south to pacify the south, where Lu Bei and Sun Quan held their ground. That was the start of one of the most famous contests of wit, psychology, and quick thinking in Three Kingdoms history, between two legends everyone knows. The Sleeping Dragon, Zhuge Liang, and Eastern Wu's handsome strategist, Zhou Yu. Welcome to Chinese History. Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu, both born into scholarly families, grew up on the same path. Raised in privilege, Zhuge Liang received a full education and inherited the best of Han learning. Yet Zhuge Liang proved himself a true genius, standing far above his peers in character, insight, and mind. When Zhuge Liang read, he only took in the broad outline, unlike most students who studied every detail. That is real reading, grasp the essence, not get trapped by every phrase and sentence. That is why Zhuge Liang's intellect had already reached a level of rare depth, far beyond most strategists of his time. Historical records describe Zhuge Liang like this. A rare man indeed, over 8 feet tall, with a striking face unlike any ordinary person. Zhuge Liang was over 8 feet tall, and in life he often compared himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi, two brilliant figures from the spring and autumn period, famed for their talent and loyalty. He also told his friends, such as Cui Zhoping, Su Shu, Shiguang Yuan, and Meng Gongwei, that they might one day govern a commandery or a county, while he himself only smiled and said nothing. In fact, the answer was already clear, Zhuge Liang did not want to be an emperor, nor a local official. He wanted to be a great minister, helping a ruler build a grand cause. Just like Guan Zhong and Yue Yi in ancient times. By taking those two men as his models, Zhuge Liang made his ambition and talent plain. Later, the sleeping dragon was won over by Lu Bei's righteousness, and chose Lu Bei as his lord, devoting himself to the Shuhan cause. As for Zhou Yu, who always saw Zhuge Liang as the greatest rival of his life. Zhou Yu's style name was Gong Jin, and in his day, he was known as Zhou Lang. Zhou Yu came from a distinguished family of officials. His father, Zhou Yi, once served as magistrate of Wuyang. His uncle, Zhou Shang, was once governor of Danyang. His grandfather, Zhou Jing, and his great-uncle, Zhou Zhong, both rose as high as grand commandant. Zhou Yu was born and raised in Shu County, Lujiang Commandery, and he also came from a wealthy family. So Zhou Yu stood out in looks, learning, and talent, and excelled at music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He was said to be tall, strong, handsome, and skilled in music from a young age. Even when drunk, Zhou Yu could still spot a wrong note. That is why people said, when a tune goes wrong, Zhou Lang turns back. With such elegance and talent, Zhou Yu truly had no equal. Zhou Yu was already on the battlefield at just 16. Fate brought Zhou Yu and Sun Ce together. Zhou Yu was a gifted strategist. Seeing Sun Ce's ambition, he gave him his full support. Sun Ce said with delight, with you by my side, my great cause is all but one. At just 20, Zhou Yu fought beside Sun Ce through battle after battle, striking east and north. Wherever Sun Ce and Zhou Yu went, they won. They gathered tens of thousands of men, built a new power in Jiangdong, and Sun Ce called himself the overlord of Jiangdong, laying the foundation for Eastern Wu. That alone shows how brilliant Zhou Yu already was in strategy, battle, and leadership, even in his early 20s. Not long after, Zhou Yu returned to Danyang with his family. Seeing his talent, Yuan Shu invited him to serve as a general. But Zhou Yu knew Yuan Shu was no man for great things. He also wanted to return to Jiangdong and stand with his sworn friend, Sun Ce. So Zhou Yu politely turned Yuan Shu down. From this, you can see Zhou Yu was truly a man with sharp judgment. A rare talent, loyal, farsighted, and deeply devoted to friendship and duty. Later, after Sun Ce's death, Zhou Yu went into mourning. Then he was entrusted with great power and became a pillar of state, shouldering Eastern Wu's major affairs. At that time, Sun Quan was still very young. If Zhou Yu had ambition, he could have used that chance to his advantage. He could have crushed the Sun clan and built a kingdom of his own. But Zhou Yu was not that kind of man. He was a righteous gentleman who helped steady Eastern Wu after Sun Ce's sudden death. At the time, Zhou Yu was one of the two most famous and important figures in Jiangdong. That was enough to show how exceptional Zhou Yu was, and how much influence he held over Eastern Wu. As if it had been fate. Zhuge Liang, the most learned man of the time, would soon face Zhou Yu, the greatest talent of his generation, in the war against the formidable Chao Chao. Their first contest was one of wit, rank, and power. In the seventh lunar month of 208, Chao Chao led 260,000 troops south. Some records say 830,000 men, marching south to crush anything in their path. Lu Bei scraped together only 20,000 men, while Eastern Wu had about 30,000 under Zhou Yu. Even a schoolchild could see Chao Chao outnumbered Lu Bei and Sun Quan's forces by more than 5 to 1. An alliance was a necessary evil, but in that alliance, Zhou Yu wanted the balance to favor Sun Quan. So when Zhou Yu met Zhuge Liang, he pretended to be friendly with Chao Chao, hoping to put Zhuge Liang on the back foot and make him beg Zhou Yu and Eastern Wu for help. That would secure Eastern Wu's leading role in the alliance. But Lu Su, another Wu advisor, had not been briefed and argued with Zhou Yu at the meeting. Zhuge Liang heard a few words and saw at once that Zhou Yu was testing him. Zhuge Liang smiled. Zhou Yu didn't see the joke and asked why he was laughing. Zhuge Liang replied, I was laughing because brother Zijing is out of step with the times. Then he told Zhou Yu, Chao Chao is a master of war, and now he commands 830,000 men. No one in the world can stand against him. Only my lord Lu Bei refuses to yield and stands against Chao Chao. You're isolated in Jiangxia, with your fate hanging by a thread. If you submit to Chao Chao, you can keep your wife, children, rank, and wealth. Do you think my lord would ever accept such humiliation? At that, Kong Ming said, I have a plan, no effort, no force, no crossing the river, just one boat to carry two men. If Chao Chao gets them, even a million troops will turn back. Zhou Yu was stunned. He couldn't imagine where Zhuge Liang would find two men like that. Which two men? He asked. Zhou Yu didn't realize he had already fallen for Zhuge Liang's fate. Seeing that, Zhuge Liang replied. For Jiang Dong, losing those two would be like a great tree losing two leaves. For Chao Chao, it would be no more than losing a few grains of rice. But if Chao Chao got them, he would be delighted enough to pull back his troops. Zhou Yu grew even more curious and asked, who are those two women, exactly? Seeing that, Zhuge Liang knew he had hit Zhou Yu's sore spot. So he was in no hurry, and kept talking casually. When I was still at the Thatched Cottage, I heard Chao Chao had built a terrace at Jiang River, called the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, and it was said to be magnificent. Chao Chao gathered beauties from all under heaven and sent them there. Chao Chao has always been a lustful man. I had long heard that in Jiang Dong. The Chao family had two daughters known as the Two Chaos. So beautiful that fish sink, geese fall, flowers blush, and the moon hides. Chao Chao once swore that. First, he would unite the world and build his imperial power. Second, he would have Jiang Dong's Two Chaos brought to the Great Bronze Sparrow Terrace. So he could spend his life with those two beauties. If he could do that, he would die without regret. Right now, Chao Chao's massive army threatens Jiang Nan. In truth, he wants the Two Chaos. General, why not ask Lord Chao and offer a thousand gold for his two daughters? Then present them to Chao Chao. With the Two Chaos, he will be satisfied and surely withdraw. Zhou Yu was curious because the Two Chaos were already part of Jiang Dong. But he stayed calm and said, What proof do you have that Chao Chao wants the Two Chaos? Zhuge Liang took the chance to recite the Bronze Sparrow Terrace Rhapsody. It says, Raise twin towers left and right, with jade halls and phoenix chambers. Bring the Two Chaos from the southeast to enjoy them day and night. In other words, build two towers, keep the Two Chaos apart, and spend the day with one and the night with the other. At Zhuge Liang's clear, forceful words, Zhou Yu could no longer hold back his anger. He was furious and resolved to ally with Lu Bei against Chao Chao. And thanks to Zhou Yu's words, Sun Quan agreed to ally with Lu Bei. Setting the stage for the Battle of Red Cliffs, one of the most famous battles in the Three Kingdoms. And so, the first clash of wits between the two strategists came to an end. The slight edge, of course, went to Zhuge Liang. It is clear that Zhuge Liang chose a clever approach. Instead of directly urging Zhou Yu to resist Chao Chao, he knew Zhou Yu already understood Chao Chao's strength. Only an alliance could win, so Zhuge Liang still pretended to surrender, forcing Zhou Yu to speak first. That left the Wu forces at a disadvantage in this seemingly simple battle of wits. But Zhuge Liang had skillfully used a soft trap to bind his opponent. First, he flattered Zhou Yu, so Zhou Yu thought everything was under control. Then he provoked Zhou Yu by pretending not to know who the two Chaos were. He went on to suggest offering the two women to Chao Chao, even twisting the meaning of the Bronze Sparrow Terrace poem. That sent Zhou Yu into a rage, and he openly revealed his burning wish to fight Chao Chao. In the end, Zhuge Liang had achieved his real aim. He had made his mark without lowering Lu Bei's dignity. In this round, Zhuge Liang's move against Zhou Yu was fairly simple. Direct argument was not Zhou Yu's strong suit. But Zhou Yu's many past victories also made him overconfident. He badly underestimated Zhuge Liang's sharp mind. In the end, Zhou Yu failed, and Zhuge Liang baited him into a humiliating loss. The second contest was borrowing arrows with straw boats. Since the main force resisting Chao Chao was Wu's army, Zhou Yu wanted Lu Bei's side to contribute too. So Zhou Yu ordered Zhuge Liang to deliver 100,000 arrows in 10 days. It was impossible. Not 10 days, not even a month. Yet Zhuge Liang said he would do it in just 3. No one understood what he was planning, only that Kong Ming secretly borrowed 20 warboats from Lu Su, each manned by 30 skilled sailors. The boats were covered with green cloth, and more than a thousand bundles of straw were piled along the sides. Most important of all, Zhou Yu was not to know. Not until the last day, around the third and fourth watch, did Kong Ming secretly have the boats rowed out to collect arrows. Lu Su did not understand and feared Kong Ming was bluffing. Kong Ming only smiled and said they were really going to get arrows. That night, fog covered the sky, and the river was so thick with mist they could barely see each other. Kong Ming urged the men to row faster. The fog was truly perfect, like a blessing from heaven. The straw boats moved in close to Chao Chao's water camp. Zhuge Liang ordered the boats turned west and lined up in a row, then beat drums and shouted. In the camp, hearing the drums and shouts, the officers rushed to report to Chao Chao. As expected, Chao Chao was suspicious and only ordered the archers to fire wildly back. Then called his officers to confer. Each led 3,000 crossbowmen and rushed to the riverbank to fight. When the order arrived, the garrison panicked, fearing the southern army would flood into the water camp. So they ordered their men to shoot in volleys. Soon after, Qin Song's troops also opened fire, with more than 10,000 men, shooting toward the sound of the drums and raining arrows down like rain. Zhuge Liang, meanwhile, ordered the boat crews to turn the bows west and press against the camp to catch the arrows. At the same time, he kept beating the drums and shouting. By sunrise, as the fog cleared, Zhuge Liang ordered the boats pulled back. The straw bundles on more than 20 warboats were each packed with arrows. When they returned, each boat held an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 arrows. In all, they borrowed about 100,000 to 120,000 arrows. From this story, Zhuge Liang explained to Lu Siu. Why he had set the three-day deadline with one immortal line. A general who does not know the classics or study geography. Who does not understand tactics or grasping in young. If he can't read a collapsing battle or handle a crisis, he's a poor general. Three days ago, I already knew today's east wind would blow. That's why I dared to promise three days. Zhou Yu gave me 10 days, but the shipyard wasn't nearly ready. He framed me with a minor charge, but heaven protects my fate. How could he harm me? Third contest of wits, the zither, the altar, and the east wind prayer. A quick recap of the events before that, the zither, the altar, and the wind prayer. In terms of strength, Chao Chao had a clear advantage over Sun Quan's forces. He commanded about 830,000 troops and thousands of large warships. Eastern Wu, however, had the upper hand at sea, where they were strongest. The two sides stalemated at Red Cliffs. Seeing the gap in strength, Zhou Yu knew fire was the only way to beat such a huge army. He kept laying false traps, tricking Chao Chao into killing two old Jingzhou generals, Zhang Yuan and Cai Mao. Skilled in naval warfare, he then advised Chao Chao to link the warships together. The iron chains would steady the northern troops, who weren't used to the water and waves. But in truth, it was all to make Zhou Yu's later fire attack easier, a false surrender that led to a joint strike on the fleet. Then, while he was watching from a warship, a battle flag suddenly whipped straight at him. Zhou Yu was stunned, and in his panic he coughed up blood and collapsed unconscious. Hearing of it, Zhuge Liang came to visit on a pretext and wrote a 16-character secret note. To break Chao Chao's attack, use fire. Everything is ready, only the east wind is missing. That meant fire was the way to beat Chao Chao. Everything was ready, just waiting for the east wind. Zhou Yu was pleased that Zhuge Liang understood his worry. Zhou Yu asked Zhuge Liang if he had a good plan. Zhuge Liang confidently said he could command the wind and borrow the east wind for three days and three nights to help Wu defeat Chao Chao. At Zhuge Liang's request, Zhou Yu had the seven-star altar built south of Star Mountain and had Zhuge Liang pray there every day. Meanwhile, Zhou Yu also ordered Huang Gai to prepare 20 warships, loaded with flammable materials, for the attack on Chao Chao. Several days passed, but the weather showed no sign of change, and Zhou Yu grew anxious. But on the appointed night, a strong southeast wind suddenly rose, and Zhou Yu immediately raised the flag to attack. Huang Gai led the fire ships toward Chao Chao's fleet, then suddenly set them alight, burning the enemy warships. As the east wind grew stronger, the fire spread fast. In no time, thousands of warships were lost in a sea of flames. Taking advantage of the chaos, the allied forces of Liu Bei and Sun Quan pursued Chao Chao's defeated troops. On their retreat, heavy rain struck, and many of Chao Chao's soldiers died. Chao Chao then had to leave part of his army to garrison Jiangling and Xiangyang, while he withdrew north. In truth, Zhuge Liang was no god or ghost who could summon wind and rain as he claimed. He simply knew astronomy, geography, and the book of changes, and could predict the weather from terrain and climate. After studying the geography and weather changes around Red Cliffs, and knowing a major battle was inevitable, Zhuge Liang calculated and knew for sure that this area and that time would bring a strong southeast wind. That was crucial information. It had a huge impact on the course of this battle. So why did Zhuge Liang build the Seven Stars Altar and pray for an east wind for seven days and nights? We'll come back to that. First, let's look at why. In the dead of winter, the fierce northwest wind blew. Then suddenly, at Red Cliffs, a southeast wind rose, helping Zhou Yu and the Sun-Liu alliance use fire attack to crush Chao Chao's army. Scientifically, Red Cliffs lies to the east, in the Yangtze River Basin. In winter, the land cools faster than the river, creating high-pressure air that brings southeast winds at certain times. Chinese scholars say Zhuge Liang could predict the southeast wind thanks to his mastery of geography and astronomy. He could spot unusual signs and know when the weather was changing. At the time, predicting the weather exactly, even down to the day and hour, was nearly impossible. So Zhuge Liang's predictions of events like the river fog and borrowing arrows with straw boats, or the southeast wind and Zhuge Liang praying for the east wind are seen as mystical legends, with divine help. Later, after studying the I Ching, Chao Chao realized his defeat was due to the weather, and could only laugh. I had already predicted the change, the southeast wind would blow hard that night. So why did Zhuge Liang set up the Seven Stars Altar and pray for the east wind for seven days and nights? What was the point of all that mystery? In truth, before Zhuge Liang went alone to Jiangdong and joined Sun Quan, he had already known that, to defeat Chao Chao's numerically superior army, fire attack was the only way. But to use fire, he needed a light southeast wind. Otherwise, in winter, the strong northwest wind would burn the Sun Mu alliance to ashes. So Zhuge Liang studied the weather and calculated the exact day and hour the southeast wind would rise. But he did not tell Zhou Yu right away, because if he gave away such vital information so easily, his value would be worthless to Zhou Yu's army. And Zhou Yu might well try to kill Zhuge Liang at once. Remember, when the two sides were at a standoff, Zhuge Liang was sent to Jiangdong to work with Zhou Yu, and Zhou Yu tried over and over to destroy him. But Zhuge Liang always slipped through, leaving Zhou Yu increasingly furious and determined to wipe out this threat. In the decisive hour of battle, the southeast wind was Zhuge Liang's talisman against Zhou Yu. He was certain he could summon the wind. Zhou Yu half believed him, but in a crisis, had to keep Zhuge Liang alive, hoping the southeast wind would indeed come as promised. At the same time, he secretly ordered Ding Feng and Su Xing into ambush. Once the southeast wind rose, they were to move in at once and kill Zhuge Liang to remove future trouble. Do not forget, when Lu Bei and Guan Yu crossed into Jiangdong and reached the camp, Zhuge Liang secretly sent word that that very night, Zhao Yun had to bring a boat and wait by the river. It was a critical task, and he could not miss the appointment. In the end, with Zhao Yun's rescue, Zhuge Liang returned safely to Jiangxia. Then he joined Lu Bei to press the retreating Chaochao forces. Zhuge Liang did everything only after weighing the outcome, carefully planning every task. That is why he always stayed calm in danger, and won many great victories. In the fourth contest, the struggle for Nan Commandery followed Lu Bei and Sun Quan's victory at Red Cliffs over Chaochao. Zhou Yu worried that Lu Bei might seize Nan Commandery. With the instinct of a veteran who had seen many battles, Zhou Yu saw that it was a strategic stronghold, right next to Wu. If Nan Commandery fell into Lu Bei's hands, it would become a future threat to Wu. At this time, Nan Commandery was still in Chaochao's hands, but Zhou Yu believed. Chaochao had just been defeated at Red Cliffs, and the local forces had not yet recovered. So taking Nan Commandery now would be easy. Knowing Lu Bei was camped at Yujiang, Zhou Yu guessed that, given Zhuge Liang's skill, Lu Bei would surely want to seize Nan Commandery as well. So Zhou Yu went to see Lu Bei, and proposed attacking Nan Commandery first, then incorporating it into Eastern Wu. But Zhuge Liang had already seen through Zhou Yu's plan, so he set a trap to go Zhou Yu into action. When Zhou Yu pressed Lu Bei, whether he wanted Nan Commandery, Lu Bei cleverly said he had only come to help Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu was no fool, so he politely refused the help and believed he could take it himself. Now Lu Bei pointed out that the enemy ships had once been moored here, and their troops were now gathering. The defenders of Nan Commandery are strong. With your current strength, you may not be able to take it. But Nan Commandery was Zhou Yu's target, and he was confident he could seize it. So he replied, if I can't take Nan Commandery, do as you please. Witnessed by Lu Su and the others, it became Zhou Yu's unbreakable promise. In the campaign for Nan Commandery, Zhou Yu's arrogance failed him again. Zhou Yu fell into Chow Yun's trap and was hit by a poisoned arrow. In the end, while Zhou Yu was locked in fierce battle with Chow Yun, Zhuge Liang and Chow Yun seized Nan Commandery. Curious, Zhou Yu coughed up blood and swore he would take Nan Commandery one day. From these first two rounds, Zhou Yu's talent and achievements are undeniable. But his confidence, and his many past victories on the battlefield, made Zhou Yu misjudge the situation in Nan Commandery. In the end, the delay only made it easier for Zhuge Liang to take Nan Commandery. By contrast, Zhuge Liang had little battlefield experience. But with his broad knowledge from books, Zhuge Liang correctly judged the turning point in the clash between Chow Chow and Zhou Yu. By skillfully using the Watch the Tigers fight plan, he helped Lu Bei seize Nan Commandery with ease and without losing many men. In the fifth contest, Zhou Yu's grand scheme cost him both his wife and his troops. Hit by Zhuge Liang's fire attack, the whole Nan Commandery campaign ended in disaster. Angry, Zhou Yu sent Lu Su to reason with Lu Bei and Zhuge Liang, hoping to take back Jingzhou. With his wit, Zhuge Liang delayed returning the city to Eastern Wu and kept Jingzhou in Lu Bei's hands. Zhou Yu still burned to reclaim Jingzhou as soon as possible. Then came his chance when he learned Lu Bei's wife had died. Zhou Yu came up with a beauty scheme, pretending to arrange a match between Sun Quan's sister and Lu Bei. He meant to lure Lu Bei to Eastern Wu, then kill him. It was all to force Lu Bei to return Jingzhou. Sun Quan praised the plan and sent Lu Fan to act as matchmaker. Zhou Yu was certain it would work. Since ancient times, how many wise men have fallen for a beauty trap? Lu Bei, however, heard that he was to be matched with Sun Quan's younger sister and felt something was off, so he didn't want to go. But Zhuge Liang was certain Lu Bei could make this trip. He was sure Zhou Yu's many schemes were nothing more than a book Zhuge Liang had already memorized. Zhuge Liang also said Sun Quan's sister would end up in his lord's hands, and Jingzhou would stand as firm as a rock. The day Lu Bei went to Eastern Wu, Zhuge Liang summoned Zhou Yun and gave him three brocade bags. He told Zhou Yun that if anything went wrong in Eastern Wu, open the three brocade bags in order and follow them. When he reached Eastern Wu, Zhou Yun opened the first brocade bag, and a clever plan was already laid out inside. Zhou Yun sent 500 soldiers, disguised as civilians, to do exactly as the bag instructed, then took Lu Bei to see Qiao Gong. Qiao Gong was the father of the two Qiaos, the wives of Sun Su and Zhou Yu, and an in-law of the Sun clan. There, Lu Bei offered gifts and spoke of the marriage alliance, becoming a son-in-law of Eastern Wu. Meanwhile, Zhou Yun's 500 men, disguised as commoners, spread through every street and alley in Eastern Wu, saying that Lu Bei of the Han house had come for the marriage alliance as a son-in-law. The point of this plan was to make Zhou Yu's secret scheme public, turning the fake into the real. That way, Eastern Wu would be less likely to move against Lu Bei. Because if Lu Bei were killed, the whole world would laugh at Sun Quan and Zhou Yu's cheap, dirty trick. Somehow, word of it reached Lady Wu, Sun Quan's mother. And strangely enough, she liked Lu Bei very much and chose him as her son-in-law. That ruined Zhou Yu's first plan to use the marriage alliance to pressure Lu Bei. So Zhou Yu came up with a second plan, keep Lu Bei under house arrest in Eastern Wu. Every day, they would feed him, give him songs, wine, and beautiful women, so Lu Bei would be dazzled, forget politics, and never want to return to Jingzhou. Once the lord grew lazy and the officers and soldiers slackened off, Zhou Yu could take Jingzhou as easily as reaching into a bag. Zhou Yu's scheme nearly worked. Lu Bei was enjoying himself in Eastern Wu and wouldn't go back to Jingzhou. Zhou Yun had no idea what to do. Only at year's end did he remember to open the second brocade pouch and find Zhuge Liang's instructions. After reading it, Zhou Yun went to Lu Bei and reported that Zhou Yu was bent on avenging Red Cliffs. He was gathering 50,000 troops to retake Jingzhou and force Lu Bei back at once. In the end, with help from his new wife, Lady Sun, and on New Year's Day, under the pretext of making an ancestral sacrifice by the river, Lu Bei fled straight back to Jingzhou. Hearing that Lu Bei had left without asking and returned without even saying goodbye, Sun Quan was furious. He immediately sent troops to bring Lu Bei and Lady Sun back. Under pursuit by Eastern Wu troops, Zhou Yun told Lu Bei about the three brocade pouches Zhuge Liang had entrusted to him and said to use them in an emergency. The first two times were right, so this time, with Lu Bei there, he opened them to take a look. After reading it, Lu Bei told Lady Sun that this marriage was only political and about the plot Zhou Yu and Sun Quan had set up. Lady Sun understood and chose to hold off the pursuers, buying Lu Bei more time to escape. But Sun Quan had already given the pursuer swords, ordering them to kill Lu Bei and Lady Sun if anyone blocked them. When Lu Bei reached the riverbank, Zhuge Liang was already there, waiting to meet Lu Bei and Lady Sun. Though they came after them in a large boat, Zhuge Liang's boat had already docked. Zhou Yu went ashore and chased Lu Bei all the way into the gorge. Suddenly, drums, horses, and soldiers erupted from all sides of the gorge. Realizing it was Zhuge Liang's ambush, Zhou Yu fled for his life and finally made it back to the boat. But on shore, Zhuge Liang had ordered his men to mock and humiliate Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu's brilliant scheme won him the world, but he lost both his wife and his army. It can be seen that in this battle of wits, with only those three secret pouches already in hand, Zhuge Liang didn't need to appear in person, and Zhou Yu's scheme didn't fail completely. Once again, Zhou Yu could be unbeatable on the battlefield, but he was no match for diplomacy or politics. As for Zhuge Liang, not only was he brilliantly calculating, he saw through every move in Zhou Yu's scheme, and even arranged for Lu Bei to have a beautiful young bride and return safely to Jingzhou. By then, Zhuge Liang had clearly outplayed Zhou Yu, the so-called most handsome man under heaven. Still, this was a victory for Zhuge Liang in an area that was not Zhou Yu's strong suit. The final battle of wits, Borrow Jingzhou to take Sichuan. The real target was still Jingzhou. After Red Cliffs, Lu Bei seized Jingzhou, but Eastern Wu saw it as an unforgivable move. Lu Su came again and again to demand Jingzhou back, but Zhuge Liang kept him stalled with delaying tactics. Zhuge Liang said that if Jingzhou were handed over now, his lord Lu Bei would have nowhere to stand, so Lu Su was told they would return it after Sichuan was taken. Lu Su reported back to Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu then planned to attack Sichuan himself and trade it for Jingzhou afterward. To carry it out, Lu Su had to negotiate again with Lu Bei and Zhuge Liang about borrowing passage through Jingzhou to attack Sichuan. Zhuge Liang saw through it as a scheme to borrow a road to destroy a state, so he refused Zhou Yu's request, but also set an ambush in advance. The moment Zhou Yu entered Jingzhou, he heard the order to capture him alive. Zhou Yu wasn't a chili fan, but this one burned so badly he coughed up blood. His old wound flared up again, so he had to be carried home on a stretcher. Zhuge Liang ordered his men to clear the way for the Wu troops to withdraw. And this was the final showdown of wits between Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang. Zhou Yu wanted to borrow a route through to attack Jingzhou. But anyone who understands strategy could see the trap. Zhuge Liang certainly could. Zhou Yu couldn't outsmart Zhuge Liang, instead, Zhuge Liang knew Zhou Yu all too well. And Zhou Yu's last plan ended in failure. Closing Thoughts Heaven gave birth to you, why also give birth to Liang? That line drips with Zhou Yu's bitter, tragic frustration. Before he left this world, it summed up Zhou Yu's total defeat. To Zhuge Liang, and later generations kept repeating it. People often say Romance of the Three Kingdoms is full of made-up details, written by Luo Guanzhong to glorify Zhuge Liang. Zhou Yu was not petty or jealous. Zhou Yu couldn't have lost to Zhuge Liang. Zhou Yu may not have held any deep hatred or jealousy toward Zhuge Liang. But Zhou Yu served Sun Quan, and he was a true great man, bold, brilliant, and far above the ordinary. To bring peace to the realm, he would have to defeat not only Zhuge Liang and Lu Bei, but later even Sima Yi and Chao Chao. So Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang clashing was only a matter of time, with or without any personal grudge. Besides, on the battlefield there are only winners and losers. Winners become kings, losers become bandits, and history always belongs to the victors. The war between strategists is never romantic, it's all schemes, and no scheme is truly honorable. Schemes exist to lure the enemy into a trap, and there are clever tricks and dirty tricks alike. All schemes serve one purpose, victory. As for who is noble or dirty, only the winner gets to decide. And in the strategy duel between Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu, the result was already clear. But to make one point clear about this battle, let me say, Zhuge Liang was the one in control. Still, to be fair, Zhou Yu was very capable. His talent was undeniable. That showed most clearly at Red Cliffs, where Zhou Yu's name was etched into history. Only one flaw, Zhou Yu was too emotional and easily provoked. Zhuge Liang saw that from their very first meeting. Zhuge Liang saw through Zhou Yu completely, so how could Zhou Yu ever outweigh him? And in their clashes, Zhou Yu never got to fight on his strength, adapting his schemes in real battle. Instead, his plans always collapsed before they could even take effect. That's the lesson, I suppose.