Zhou Cang, born year unknown (生年不詳). Hometown in China Shan Xi Province, Ping Lu County (中國山西省平廬縣).
According to records, Zhou Cang was born in a Poor family. At a very young age, Zhou Cang’s Father passed-away, leaving him and his weak-mother.
After reaching the Youth-age-period, Zhou Cang wandered around in his County to look for jobs and money-earning-opportunities, but to his disappointment, no one wanted to employ him (due to the Warring Period, everywhere was in a Chaotic situation).
AD 184, Zhang Jiao and his 2 Brothers, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang (黃巾三公將軍 – 張角/張寶/張梁) gathered the suffering citizens of Late-Han Dynasty to form the Righteous Army to overthrown the Han Emperor, Zhou Cang volunteered himself to join in the Troop that led by Zhang Bao.
Years of wandering around and fighting, the Leader of Zhou Cang, Zhang Bao sacrificed in one of the Battling. Upon then, Zhou Cang and his friend Pei Yuan Shao (裴元紹), lost their Leader and both of them started to wander around.
One Year, Zhou Cang and Pei Yuan Shao arrived at a forested area and after combing around the forested area, Zhou Cang and Pei Yuan Shao found out that this area was known as Wo Niu Mountain (臥牛山). And so, Zhou Cang and Pei Yuan Shao decided to stay in the Mountain and then, gathered more people in-order to form the Righteous Army to fight against the useless Late Han Empire.
Soon, after the news of Zhou Cang and Fei Yuan Shao doing recruiting of Members for the Righteous Army, a lot of suffering citizens flooded to Wo Niu Mountain to volunteer themselves and within years, the man-power under Zhou Cang and Pei Yuan Shao was un-countable.
One year, while Guan Yu (關羽) aka Guan Gong (關公) escorting his 2 Sister-in-laws (Liu Bei’s Wives) to another venue for hiding, they pass-by Wo Niu Mountain without knowing that there was a Troop of Righteous Army staying inside.
Upon knowing someone passing Wo Niu Mountain, Zhou Cang and Pei Yuan Shao thought that someone had come to invade their territory, Zhou Cang and Pei Yuan Shao were very annoyed and decided to meet up with the “invaders”.
After approaching Guan Yu, Zhou Cang and Pei Yuan Shao were shocked to know that the person who stood infront of them was the Famous Loyalty & Upright General Guan Yun Chang, immediately, Zhou Cang and Pei Yuan Shao surrendered their weapons and kneeled down onto the ground to request for Guan Yu to accept them as the Assistants.
Knowing that Zhou Cang and Pei Yuan Shao were 2 Brave and Righteous People, Guan Yu decided to keep them into the Troop. Upon hearing the acceptance, Zhou Cang and Pei Yuan Shao were overjoyed and Zhou Cang made a vow infront of Guan Yu, saying that, from this moment, wherever Guan Yu went, he would be by the side to assist him, whether in taking care of the Horse or cleaning of the Sabre, Zhou Cang got no complaints.
From then, Zhou Cang became the Private Assistant of Guan Yu.
AD 219, 17th Day of Lunar 12 Month (農曆十二月十七日), Guan Yu was being killed together with his Son, Guan Ping (關平). Upon knowing that Guan Yu had been killed, Zhou Cang was ultimately upset and disappointed and so by obeying the vow that he had made during the year that Guan Yu accepted him, Zhou Cang killed himself by jumping down from the City Gate where Guan Yu was killed (another version was that, Zhou Cang was also being caught and being beheaded with Guan Yu and Guan Ping).
Due to the Loyalty and Uprightness of Zhou Cang, the Chinese built Temples and set-up Altars for him in-order to allow the descendants to keep in memory of the Good things and Good attitude that Zhou Cang had.
Till today, if we will to visit any Temples or Altars that dedicated to Guan Yu, you will see a Black-face General (黑面), holding to the Green Dragon Sabre (手執青龍偃月刀), that is Zhou Cang – The Loyal Assistant of Guan Yu.
Points to Ponder:
A lot of Folks had been claiming that 23rd Day of Lunar 10 Month is the Birthday of Zhou Cang, but till today, no one had been able to get any form of physical evidence from the History Records and Religious Articles proving that.
Reason:
1) Zhou Cang is not a Historical Character that people know
2) Zhou Cang is a man-made Character
3) The real assistant of Guan Yu does not have a name of Zhou Cang, but another person
Then why, there’s a Anniversary of 23rd Day of Lunar 10 Month, according to researches and finding out, this might be the Day where Zhou Cang met-up with Guan Yu and he was being Officially accepted to be part of the Troop of Guan Yu.
As for the Death-Anniversary, this was being recorded since the day when the Historian recorded the death of Guan Yu.
