YAN YOU - XIAO ZHU KINGDOM, LU GUO

Yan You was the first king of the Xiao Zhu state and was originally known as Cao You. His ancestor was called Yan An who inherited a piece of land, which later flourished into the Zhu Kingdom, a feudal state of Lu Guo. According to the judicial rules of that time, Cao You had to give up his surname in order to ascend the throne. He adopted his father Yi Fu's style name Bo Yan. From then on Cao You was known as Yan You. This officially made Yan You the first Yan in Chinese history. Yan You left a legacy of cultural heritage to later generations. In 653 BC, when Zhen Shun Li conquered Xiao Zhu, the state flourished under his rule and the people became wealthy. The state also enjoyed peace with the neighbouring state. Xiao Zhu was hailed as the “Gentleman State of the East” The 7th king, Mu Kong, ruled the kingdom for 41 years. The kingdom reached its peak during his reign.