Cheng Yu, originally named Cheng Li, courtesy name Zhongde, was a Chinese politician who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.
38 Facts About Cheng Yu
1.
2.
Cheng Yu was an adviser to Cao Cao, the warlord who became the de facto head of the Han central government during that period.
3.
Cheng Yu was described as a tall man with a beautiful long beard.
4.
Cheng Yu is often remembered for a possibly fictional event, where he uses sadistic and unusual tactics to cope with a shortage of grain.
5.
Cheng Yu was noted for his expertise in military tactics, which helped Cao Cao defeat Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu in 200 and consolidate control over northern China.
6.
Cheng Yu's original given name was "Li" but he changed it to "Yu" after he had a dream about the sun on top of Mount Tai.
7.
Cheng Yu was from Dong'e County, which is in present-day Shandong.
8.
Cheng Yu then led a sudden attack when Wang Du was packing, dealing him a major blow which enabled the survival of Dong'e County.
9.
In 192, Liu Dai, the Inspector of Yan Province, invited Cheng Yu to join his administration but Cheng Yu refused.
10.
Liu Dai then sought advice from Cheng Yu, who told the former that asking for help from Gongsun Zan was like requesting someone to save a drowning child from afar.
11.
Cheng Yu further analysed that Gongsun Zan, who had recently gained a minor military victory over Yuan Shao, would eventually lose to the latter.
12.
Just as Cheng Yu had predicted, Gongsun Zan soon suffered a heavy defeat by Yuan Shao before his cavalry could even join the battle.
13.
Liu Dai then asked Cheng Yu to become his officer, and offered him the position of a Cavalry Commandant, but Cheng Yu again refused employment.
14.
When Cheng Yu joined Cao Cao, he was only assigned as a prefect, a position far lower than the ones Liu Dai offered him in the past.
15.
Still, Cheng Yu was determined to follow Cao Cao, as evidenced by his defences against the warlord Lu Bu, who attacked Cao Cao's base while the latter was away on a campaign in Xu Province.
16.
At the time, Cheng Yu was guarding Juancheng with Cao Cao's chief strategist, Xun Yu, who analysed that the defences could only be successful if the officials guarding the three counties worked together.
17.
Xun Yu then asked Cheng Yu to oversee the defence of Dong'e County because he could probably convince his hometown to fight with him.
18.
On his way, Cheng Yu passed by Fan County, where Si Yi, an official under Lu Bu, was trying to persuade the prefect of Fan County to switch allegiance to his lord.
19.
Cheng Yu sought a meeting with the prefect and managed to persuade him to reject and kill Si Yi.
20.
Xue Ti then formulated a strategy with Cheng Yu, which enabled the defences of the three counties until Cao Cao returned from Xu Province.
21.
Nevertheless, Cheng Yu rebuked Cao Cao by saying that he had a calibre greater than just being a subject under Yuan Shao, and it was shameful for a genius to submit to a man who only enjoyed an overvalued fame.
22.
Nevertheless, not wanting to be disgraced, Cao Cao appeared to listen to Cheng Yu, but asked him to prepare three days' worth of supplies.
23.
Unprepared to be asked to deal with this problem, Cheng Yu insanely devised a very vicious strategy: he personally led an armed force to pillage his hometown and abducted his townsfolk, who would then be slaughtered like pigs for Cao Cao's army to feed on.
24.
Cheng Yu told Cao Cao that Liu Bei was an ambitious man with many admirers and that he would not be a subject for long, so he should be taken care of as soon as possible.
25.
Cheng Yu was made a general and was stationed in Juancheng with 700 soldiers.
26.
Cao Cao then sent a letter to Cheng Yu and asserted to Cheng Yu that he would send 2,000 men as reinforcements.
27.
Three years after Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu, Cheng Yu recruited and enlisted several thousand robbers and inhabitants of deep hills around Yan Province, and led them to rendezvous with Cao Cao in Liyang, where Cao Cao had set up a front line military operation base against Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang.
29.
When Cao Cao went west to fight against Ma Chao and Han Sui, Cheng Yu was assigned as a strategist to Cao Cao's son Cao Pi, who was in charge of the capital.
30.
Cheng Yu remained in silence and the officers left the meeting.
31.
Cheng Yu went into semi-retirement after losing to his political rival, Xing Zhen.
32.
Cheng Yu remained as a commoner and seldom left his home until Cao Pi usurped the throne from Emperor Xian in late 220.
33.
Cheng Yu was re-instituted as the Minister of the Guards and earned a tax revenue from a marquisate composed of 800 taxable households.
34.
However, Cheng Yu died before the decision would be settled.
35.
Cheng Yu was given the posthumous title "Marquis Su" for his inviolable reverence.
36.
Cheng Yu was a recalcitrant old man, and his hidebound characteristic compelled him to quarrel with others on a frequent basis.
37.
However, Cheng Yu had a rabid quirk in pontificating his dominance, and he purposely flaunted in front of Xing Zhen, who reported his invidious behaviour to Cao Cao.
38.
Cheng Yu wrote a fake letter to Xu Shu and successfully tricked Xu Shu to come to Xuchang.