Is “He endured a beating from Zhou Yu as part of a ruse to feign defection to Cao Cao.” true?
based on fact
Records of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Wu, Biography of Huang Gai, notes that Huang Gai proposed the fire attack and wrote a false surrender letter. However, the novel's scene where Zhou Yu beats him to sell the deception is fictional.
Huang Gai
A celebrated Wu general in official history, known for his resolute character and pivotal role in the fire attack at the Battle of Red Cliffs.