During the final years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the last emperor was Emperor Xian
From then on, Cao Cao held the emperor as a hostage to command the feudal lords, actively gathering talent and steadily growing his power, eventually crushing rival warlords like Lü Bu and Yuan Shu one after another.
At this time, Sun Quan of Eastern Wu had inherited the enterprise of his father Sun Jian and elder brother Sun Ce, controlling the Jiangdong region with considerable strength. Cao Cao, knowing he lacked a navy and that Sun Quan held the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, was temporarily unable to launch a campaign. So he took two approaches: on one hand, he granted Sun Quan an official title; on the other, he threatened Sun Quan by demanding that his son be sent to Xuchang as a hostage to show submission.
Sun Quan, uncertain how to proceed, summoned his civil and military officials to discuss the matter. The ministers argued heatedly—some advocated sending a hostage, while others opposed it—leaving Sun Quan still torn between the two options.
After learning of this, Sun Quan's mother Lady Wu said, "Your elder brother left a dying wish: consult Zhang Zhao for internal matters and Zhou Yu for external matters. Why not summon Zhou Yu and ask him?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Quan immediately summoned Zhou Yu to the capital. Zhou Yu firmly opposed sending hostages to Cao Cao and urged Sun Quan not to yield, saying, "My lord, you have inherited the great enterprise founded by your father and brother—you must fulfill their legacy. With the six commanderies of Jiangdong under our control, we have abundant resources, fertile lands, rich harvests, strong troops, and a settled populace. If we harness these advantages, govern with vigor, and strive for strength, we will be invincible. But sending hostages to Cao Cao would be tantamount to declaring ourselves his vassals, leaving us at his mercy and under his thumb."
Lady Wu of Wu fully agreed with Zhou Yu's opinion and instructed Sun Quan to respect Zhou Yu's advice.
Sun Quan had never been willing to send his own son to Cao Cao as a hostage, and after hearing Zhou Yu's analysis, his resolve only hardened, leading him to firmly reject Cao Cao's unreasonable demand.
Later, the idiom "Invincible in Every Direction" came to describe a force so powerful that nothing could stand against it wherever it went, meaning unbeatable in all endeavors.
Source: *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, "Biography of Zhou Yu"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "所向无敌" came to describe a force so powerful that nothing could stand against it wherever it went, meaning unbeatable in all endeavors.