During the Three Kingdoms period, the famed Wu commander Zhou Yu was already exceptionally talented and strikingly handsome in his youth. At just 24, he assisted Sun Ce in expanding into the Jiangdong region, helping establish the Sun family regime.
Sun Ce held Zhou Yu in high regard, appointing him as a General of the Household, often praising him before other generals, and building him a mansion with generous rewards. He said, "Zhou Yu and I are as close as flesh and bone—these rewards are nothing!"
In 200 AD, Sun Ce was tragically assassinated, and Zhou Yu, driven by gratitude for Sun Ce's recognition of his talents, devoted himself wholeheartedly to assisting Sun Ce's younger brother, Sun Quan, in managing military affairs, earning great prestige at court.
Zhou Yu was known for his cheerful disposition and friendly manner, making him popular among court officials—all except the veteran general Cheng Pu, who resented that a young upstart like Zhou Yu held a higher rank than him and sought to humiliate him to boost his own standing.
Zhou Yu, unwilling to clash with Cheng Pu, yielded to him at every turn. Once, as Zhou Yu rode out in his carriage, he happened to meet Cheng Pu coming from the opposite direction. Zhou Yu immediately ordered his driver to pull aside and let Cheng Pu pass first. Seeing this, Cheng Pu felt immensely pleased.
In 208 AD, Cao Cao led 200,000 troops south but was defeated by the allied forces of Eastern Wu and Liu Bei at the Battle of Red Cliffs. During the campaign, Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu served as co-commanders, though Zhou Yu devised the battle strategy. Afterwards, Cheng Pu belittled Zhou Yu and boasted of his own contributions. When Zhou Yu heard this, instead of taking offense, he remarked, "I am still young, and without Lord Cheng's help, we could not have won this victory."
Zhou Yu's repeated humility deeply moved Cheng Pu. To bridge their rift, Zhou Yu proactively visited Cheng Pu multiple times, expressing his sincere wish to become close friends. Cheng Pu, deeply touched, finally set aside old grievances and became good friends with Zhou Yu. He remarked with feeling, "Interacting with Zhou Gongjin is like drinking fine wine—one becomes intoxicated without realizing it."
Later, people used the idiom "Drunk on Fine Wine" to describe how associating with sincere and loyal friends positively influences and cultivates one's own character.
Source: *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, "Biography of Zhou Yu"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "饮醇自醉" came to describe how associating with sincere and loyal friends positively influences and cultivates one's own character.