Zhang Shan, Class 2, Grade 8, Baihua Middle School, Jindui City Molybdenum Industry Company, Huaxian County, Weinan City, Shaanxi Province writes about Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang.
Speaking of Zhuge Liang, he is known to every household and even women and children. Zhuge Liang is the embodiment of wisdom, knowledgeable in astronomy, geography, with divine strategies, knowing everything and being capable of anything. Meanwhile, people also know that Zhou Yu was narrow-minded and intolerant, leading to his early death. The anecdote "If only Yu were born, why must Liang be born?" has been widely circulated. However, all of this comes from the writing of Luo Guanzhong's novel. Were the two really like this in history?
Let's talk about "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." As the Grand Duke of Eastern Wu, Zhou Yu commanded the troops of Wu, second only to the ruler and above ten thousand others. Many of his subordinates, such as Huang Gai, Cheng Pu, and Han Dang, were old generals who had followed Sun Jian through life-and-death situations. If he truly lacked talent and breadth of mind, how could he have gained their respect? The first person in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" to defy him was Cheng Pu, but instead of becoming angry or seeking revenge, Zhou Yu showed great respect and extraordinary demeanor, prompting Cheng Pu to write in his autobiography: "Interacting with Gongjin (Zhou Yu) is like drinking fine wine; it unconsciously intoxicates one..."
Zhuge Liang had a prejudice against Wei Yan, a surrendered general, and did not give him important roles in peacetime. Later, during several campaigns against Wei, Zhuge Liang did not listen to Wei Yan's strategies, clearly showing that he valued personal bias more than national affairs, resulting in the lofty plan of "unification" ending in failure.
The three provocations of Zhou Yu by Zhuge Liang represent the peak of their intellectual battles. Take Zhou Yu's beauty trap for example, where Liu Bei married into Eastern Wu, and Zhou Yu attempted to use this opportunity to keep him confined. However, each time his plans were thwarted by Zhuge Liang's three brilliant stratagems...