During the waning years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the warlord Dong Zhuo deposed the young emperor, installed Emperor Xian as a puppet ruler, and declared himself Grand Preceptor, monopolizing court power. This sparked outrage and panic across the land, as various regional warlords raised armies to oppose him. Among them was Sun Jian of Jiangdong, who actively recruited volunteers to march north against Dong Zhuo. Just as his forces were ready to set out, Sun Jian grew deeply troubled, realizing he had no way to protect his family while on campaign.
Sun Jian's eldest son, Sun Ce, was only fifteen or sixteen but already a social force, befriending many Jiangdong scholars and earning a reputation as a brilliant young talent. From Shucheng came Zhou Yu, a youth of similar age and exceptional ability, who traveled to Jiangdong to meet Sun Ce. The two sat together discussing current affairs, military strategy, and martial arts, finding such deep rapport that they felt they had met too late in life.
Zhou Yu, seeing Sun Jian's worried expression, quietly asked Sun Ce, "Why is Uncle so troubled?"
Sun Ce then told Zhou Yu about his father's urgent military campaign and the difficulty of finding a safe place for the family.
Zhou Yu thought for a moment, had an idea, and said to Sun Ce, "My family has an empty house that can accommodate your whole family. If your mother is willing to go, it would be very convenient."
Sun Ce thought this was a good idea and discussed it with his parents. Sun Jian was overjoyed and naturally agreed, while Lady Wu also gave her full approval. With this, the weight lifted from Sun Jian's heart, and he could set aside his worries, entrusting the relocation to Sun Ce.
Sun Ce moved his mother, siblings, and household essentials to Shucheng. Zhou Yu had already ordered the vacant southern courtyard cleaned and prepared, settling Sun Ce's family comfortably. The Zhou household, originally small, suddenly became lively with the new arrivals.
Zhou Yu showed great respect to Sun Ce's mother, Lady Wu, treating her like his own mother. Every morning, he would join Sun Ce and Sun Quan at the family hall, where they knelt in unison before Lady Wu, bowing to pay their respects. At these moments, Lady Wu would beam with joy, extending both hands to help Zhou Yu up first, regarding him as a son.
When Lady Wu asked about Zhou Yu's age, she discovered he was born in the same year as Sun Ce, just two months younger, so she instructed Sun Ce, "Treat Zhou Yu like your own younger brother." From that day on, the Sun and Zhou households shared everything harmoniously, becoming closer than family.
"Rising to the Hall and Bowing to the Mother" means going together to the main hall to pay respects and greet the mother, referring to two families forming a close bond.
Source: *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, "Book of Wu: Biography of Zhou Yu"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "升堂拜母" came to describe how two families form a close bond.