Zhu Zhi Zhu Zhi ( 156 – 224 ) , Junli , was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period . He was from present - day Anji County , Zhejiang . Zhu Zhi served Sun Jian ( Sun Quan ' s father ) early on and participated in the campaign against Dong Zhuo . Sun Jian was succeeded by his eldest son , Sun Ce , who became a vassal under another warlord Yuan Shu . After Sun Quan became the ruler of Yang Province , Zhu Zhi was made Minister of War and Deputy Commander of Army Inspection as well as the general and Grand Administrator of Wu commandry , a position he would retain for his entire life . He adopted Zhu Ran as his son , as he had no heirs . In 222 , he was made Marquis of Pilang , and , in 223 , was made " General Who Guards the Kingdom " and " Lord of Guzhang " . He died in 224 . Life . Zhu Zhi served as a county clerk in his early career and was noted for his filial piety and modesty . He was soon made a prefecture official and followed Sun Jian on his rise to power . In 188 , he was promoted to the rank of Major ( 司马 ) and led an army to attack rival armies in Changsha , Lingling , Guiyang ( all in present - day Hunan ) . Zhu Zhi was a skilled and successful tactician , and was promoted to the rank of Commandant ( 都尉 ) by Sun Jian because of his victories . He assisted in Sun Jian ' s defeat of Dong Zhuo in the Battle of Yangren , and upon the army ' s entrance into Luoyang was promoted to the rank of Colonel ( 校尉 ) , with special command to lead a regiment of cavalry to Xu Province and reinforce its governor , Tao Qian , in the fight against the Yellow Turban Rebellion . Following Sun Jian ' s death in 191 , Zhu Zhi continued to serve under Sun Jian ' s successor Sun Ce , who at the time was loyal to the northern warlord Yuan Shu . Upon learning that Yuan Shu was not a man of integrity or administrative ability , Zhu Zhi advised Sun Ce to return to their territory in Wu and operate independently . Around this time , the Grand Tutor Ma Midi gave Zhu Zhi bureaucrat status and promoted him to Commandant of Wu Commandery . Zhu Zhi displayed ability and talent in all his missions , including an instance of protecting Sun Ce ' s family members , and was widely lauded as Sun Ce conquered the entire lower Yangtze region . Sun Ce was assassinated by a servant of Xu Gong in 200 for reasons that have long been debated . Zhu Zhi stayed in Wu and , along with the renowned tactician Zhou Yu , served Sun Ce ' s successor Sun Quan . In 202 , Sun Quan appointed Zhu Zhi as the Governor of Wu Commandery and promoted him to the rank of " Righteousness - Supporting " General ( 扶義將軍 ) . Sun Quan gave Zhu Zhi feudal land holdings in Gelou , Youzhang , Wuyi , and Piling , allowed Zhu to enter semi - retirement . Zhu Zhi continued to serve the Wu government : He participated in attacks against the Baiyue south and east of the Han Chinese - controlled territory of Wu , and 208 talked Sun Quan ' s younger brother Sun Ben out of sending his son as a hostage to Cao Cao in an attempt to improve diplomatic relations . Zhu Zhi was loved and respected by Sun Quan , who , after declaring himself ' King of Wu ' , would always greet Zhu in person when he visited the capital , bestowing gifts upon him and holding banquets in his honor . In 222 , Zhu Zhi was enfeoffed as the " Marquis of Piling " ( 毗陵侯 ) . Sun Quan bestowed kingly gifts on Zhu Zhi ( such as a golden seal ) and extended Zhu ' s domain to encompass four counties , but Zhu was unwilling to assume greater holdings or positions . He retired to his home village of Guzhang for several years , and later died in 224 . Zhu Zhi had five sons : Zhu Ran ( adopted ) , Zhu Cai , Zhu Ji , Zhu Wei , and Zhu Wan .