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Contents • • • • Background [ ] Yu Chao'en was born in 722, during the reign of. His family was from Lu Prefecture (瀘州, in modern, ). Late in Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao (742–756) era, Yu was an attached to the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng). It was said that he was intelligent and was capable both in publicly announcing imperial edicts and in accounting. During Emperor Suzong's reign [ ] Early in the Zhide (756–758) era of Emperor Xuanzong's son and successor, during which Emperor Suzong was occupied with trying to suppress the rebel state, Yu Chao'en was often commissioned to serve as a monitor of the armies, including serving as monitor of the army of Li Guangjin (李光進) during the recapturing of the capital from Yan forces in 757. For his contributions to the campaign, he was put in charge of the eunuch bureau (內侍省, Neishi Sheng) and given a general title. Subsequently, after Tang forces recaptured the eastern capital (which served as Yan's capital), forcing the Yan emperor to flee to, nine Tang military governors ( ) put Yecheng under siege.

The two most prominent generals of the nine were and (Li Guangjin's brother), and as Emperor Suzong did not want to force one to submit to the command of the other, he did not commission a supreme commander; rather, he made Yu the monitor of the armies. It was said that Yu was jealous of Guo and often submitted reports criticizing Guo, but that Guo defused the tension by being humble with Yu. In 759, the Yan general, who had briefly submitted to Tang but then rose again against Tang, attacked Tang forces at Yecheng and, while not achieving a victory, caused the Tang forces to collapse by themselves. He subsequently killed An Qingxu and took over the Yan throne. Meanwhile, Yu blamed the collapse on Guo, and as a result, Li Guangbi was put in command of the armies. Shi Siming subsequently attacked Luoyang and captured it.

After a failed attempt by Tang forces to capture Luoyang, instigated by Yu and opposed by Li Guangbi, Shi tried to attack west toward Chang'an, but was repelled by the general Wei Boyu (衛伯玉), who was under Yu's command, at Shan Prefecture (陝州, in modern, ). After a joint Tang and army recaptured Luoyang in 762, Yu stationed his elite to Bian Prefecture (汴州, in modern, ).

For his contributions in this battle, he was created the Duke of Fengyi. Later in 762, he moved back to Shan Prefecture.

During Emperor Daizong's reign [ ] Also in 762, Emperor Suzong died and was succeeded by his son. Raspinovka razjyoma yatour. In 763, when the launched a sudden attack against Chang'an, Emperor Daizong was forced to flee to Shan Prefecture. When he fled, very few soldiers accompanied him, and it was not until Yu Chao'en met him at Huayin (華陰, in modern, ) that he was protected by an army. Emperor Daizong gave Yu the title of monitor of troops over the entire realm (天下觀軍容宣慰處置使, Tianxia Guanjunrong Xuanwei Chuzhishi).

After Emperor Xuanzong's return to Chang'an later in the year, Yu continued to be in command of the Shence Army and was greatly favored by Emperor Daizong, receiving much wealth. He was also permitted to enter and leave the palace as he wished. As the generals under his command continued to achieve important victories, particularly in the subsequent conflict against the rebellious general, he considered himself capable in military command. As he considered himself learned in the as well and was capable of writing. In 765, during an attack by Pugu's forces, aligned with the and the Tibetan Empire, Yu tried to use his soldiers to coerce the imperial officials into concurring with moving the capital to Hezhong (河中, in modern, ), but when an official named Liu publicly denounced the plan even with Yu's soldiers surrounding him, Yu abandoned the plan. Also in 765, Yu, because he believed himself capable in literary matters, was made the acting principal of the imperial university (國子監, Guozijian). He was also created the Duke of Zheng.