Zhang Yu, born in 1983, is from Nanyang, Henan Province. From 2002 to 2011, he studied in the Department of history of Renmin University of China and received a bachelor's degree and a doctor's degree in history. From 2011 to 2018, he successively served in the post doctoral mobile station of the School of Economics of Renmin University of China and the Department of History and Archaeology of the College of Applied Arts and Science of Beijing Union University. 

He is now an associate professor of the Institute for Chinese Ancient Legal Documents, China University of Political Science and Law. He has published more than 20 papers and two publications: Study on The Chinese Economic History of Mediaeval Times: Focus on the Taxes System and the Land Tenancy Relationship, Shanghai Classics Publishing House,2015; Research on Evolvement of the Mechanism in Which the Tang Government Runs Its Judiciary Affairs, Shanghai Classics Publishing House,2020. Main research interests: history of Sui and Tang Dynasties, history of ancient Chinese political system and ancient Chinese economic history. At present, he mainly assumes the courses of "General History of China", "Seminar on China's Legal History", " A Study of Chinese Ancient Historical Materials", "Monographic Study on Economic History and Historical Periodization of Pre-modern China", etc.