Three Rivers is the position where Zhou Yu’s officers take up their places for war against Cao Cao. The location is mentioned briefly, but its placement in the preparations for battle links the geography of the campaign to the alliance’s command decisions and stated concern for ordinary people.

Preparations for War

After Zhou Yu gives his orders, his officers depart for their positions at Three Rivers. Even Cheng Pu, who had been dissatisfied at not receiving overall command, recognizes that Zhou Yu knows what he is doing. The preparations are therefore presented as a coordinated military undertaking under Zhou Yu’s leadership, rather than as a simple gathering of troops.

Civilian Protection

The officers have been ordered not to harm ordinary people. That restriction accompanies their departure for Three Rivers and frames the coming operations as subject to a stated limit on military conduct. The passage does not describe the fighting at the position or establish what happened to civilians there; its significance lies in recording the protection order as part of the alliance’s preparations.

Place in the Wider Campaign

The Three Rivers position belongs to the larger confrontation between Cao Cao and the forces aligned against him. The novel repeatedly makes campaign outcomes depend on the coordination of commanders, the reading of military conditions, and the use of terrain and deception. Here, however, the account supplies only the officers’ deployment and Zhou Yu’s order concerning civilians, leaving the location’s specific geography and the battle’s course unstated.