Sun Jian

Historical Record

Sun Jian, styled Wentai, was a man of Fuchun in Wu Commandery. Both his grandfather and his father had held office in provinces and commanderies, and his father Sun Sheng was especially renowned in the south for his post of Master of Writing ^c:1232. In the third year of Zhongping (186), Bian Zhang and Han Sui rebelled in Liang Province, and the court sent the Minister of Works Zhang Wen, acting as General of Chariots and Cavalry, to campaign west. Zhang Wen memorialized to request Sun Jian to take part in military affairs, and garrisoned Chang'an. When Dong Zhuo was summoned and behaved arrogantly, Sun Jian, who was present, whispered to Zhang Wen, suggesting he behead Dong Zhuo by military law, but Zhang Wen did not adopt his counsel ^c:1233.

Thereafter, on account of his frank speech against Dong Zhuo, Sun Jian gained the office of Court Gentleman for Consultation. At that time, the Changsha bandit Ou Xing styled himself General, gathered a host of more than ten thousand, and attacked and besieged the cities, and the court therefore appointed Sun Jian as Grand Administrator of Changsha. After taking office, Sun Jian personally led his officers and soldiers, employed strategy, and within a single month broke Ou Xing. Moreover, when Zhou Chao, Guo Shi, and others also rose at Lingling and Guiyang, Sun Jian crossed the borders to campaign against them, bringing the three commanderies to order. The Han, on account of his successive merits, enfeoffed Sun Jian as Marquis of Wucheng ^c:1233.

After Emperor Ling died, Dong Zhuo monopolized the government and ran riot in the capital. The provinces and commanderies one after another raised righteous armies to campaign against Dong Zhuo, and Sun Jian too raised troops in response. On the way to Nanyang, because the Inspector of Jing Province, Wang Rui, had once treated him with disrespect, Sun Jian killed him. On reaching Nanyang, when the Grand Administrator of Nanyang, Zhang Zi, would not supply army provisions, Sun Jian treated Zhang Zi with the courtesy of ox and wine, and the next day Zhang Zi returned the visit. When the wine was at its height, Sun Jian ordered his registrar to behead Zhang Zi on the pretext that the military supplies had not been made ready, and the commandery was awed, so that whatever Sun Jian asked for was granted ^c:1235.

Sun Jian met Yuan Shu at Luyang, and Yuan Shu memorialized to make Sun Jian Acting General Who Smashes the Caitiffs, with command over Yu Province as Inspector. At Luyang, Sun Jian mustered his troops, preparing to advance against Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo once sent tens of thousands of foot and horse to attack Sun Jian by surprise, but Sun Jian, while passing the wine and conversing in laughter, directed his troops to put their ranks in order and calmly entered the city, so that Dong Zhuo's army dared not act rashly ^c:1237. Later, at the Battle of Yangren, Sun Jian greatly defeated Dong Zhuo's army and beheaded his commander Hua Xiong and others. During this time, Yuan Shu, listening to slander, came to doubt Sun Jian and withheld army provisions. Sun Jian rode through the night to see Yuan Shu and spoke with fervent indignation, whereupon Yuan Shu, ashamed, dispatched the provisions. Dong Zhuo, in dread of Sun Jian's valor, once sent Li Jue and others to seek a marriage alliance, wishing to appoint Sun Jian's sons and brothers as inspectors and administrators, but Sun Jian sternly refused, declaring that unless he exterminated Dong Zhuo's clan to the third degree, he would not close his eyes in death ^c:1237.

In the third year of Chuping (192), Yuan Shu sent Sun Jian to campaign against Jing Province and attack Liu Biao. Liu Biao sent Huang Zu to meet him in battle between Fan and Deng. Sun Jian broke Huang Zu, pursued across the Han River, and besieged Xiangyang. While riding out alone to survey Mount Xian, Sun Jian was shot dead by Huang Zu's soldiers, at the age of thirty-seven ^c:1239. Sun Jian's nephew Sun Ben led the officers and soldiers to take refuge with Yuan Shu, and Yuan Shu again memorialized to make Sun Ben Inspector of Yu Province. Sun Jian had four sons: Ce, Quan, Yi, and Kuang. After Sun Quan proclaimed himself emperor, he gave Sun Jian the posthumous title of Emperor Wulie ^c:1240.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Sun Jian's image is further deified and heroized. From his very first appearance he displays surpassing valor and daring. At just seventeen, Sun Jian, seeing sea bandits plundering at the Qiantang River, vigorously took up his blade, went ashore, shouted aloud, gestured east and west to command, frightened off the bandit host, and beheaded one bandit, whereby he became known in the counties and was recommended as a colonel ^c:1245. This differs somewhat from the historical record of his early deeds; the novel lays emphasis on depicting his image as a youthful hero.

During the Yellow Turban rebellion, Sun Jian gathered the young men of his home district and merchant travelers, together with over fifteen hundred elite troops of the Huai and Si regions, and came to support Zhu Jun. In the attack on Wancheng, Sun Jian was the first to scale the walls, beheaded more than twenty bandits, seized Zhao Hong's spear, ran Zhao Hong through and unhorsed him, then rode his horse to slay the bandits, displaying extraordinary personal valor ^c:1246. In the novel, in the alliance of the eighteen lords campaigning against Dong Zhuo, Sun Jian volunteered to serve as vanguard of the front division, showing his bold and daring spirit of leading the way ^c:9728.

The novel also adds the episode of Sun Jian discovering the Imperial Hereditary Seal in the palace at Luoyang. After Dong Zhuo had burned Luoyang, Sun Jian entered the palace and found the corpse of a palace woman in a well, with a brocade pouch hanging from her neck, within which was concealed the Imperial Hereditary Seal. Cheng Pu urged Sun Jian to return swiftly to Jiangdong and plan some greater enterprise; Sun Jian agreed heartily and, feigning illness, took his leave and went home ^c:1249. This episode is not clearly recorded in the histories and is a legendary embellishment the novel adds for the establishment of Sun Jian's later enterprise; it also hints at his ambition to claim the throne, though in actual history it was Sun Quan who gave his father the posthumous title of emperor.

In the conflict with Liu Biao, the novel describes Sun Jian being surrounded by Liu Biao, owing his escape to the desperate rescue of the three generals Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang; having lost more than half his troops, he led his army back to Jiangdong, and from this point bore a grudge against Liu Biao ^c:1250. This differs somewhat from the historical episode of Sun Jian being shot dead at Mount Xian; the novel lays more emphasis on the loyalty and valor of his generals and the peril Sun Jian faced.

Key Relationships

* Yuan Shu: In the histories, Yuan Shu, while at Nanyang, conspired with Sun Jian, wishing to seize Liu Biao's province, and sent Sun Jian to attack Liu Biao ^c:1231. However, Yuan Shu also once listened to slander, came to doubt Sun Jian, and withheld army provisions, casting Sun Jian for a time into difficulty. Only after Sun Jian rode through the night to see Yuan Shu and spoke with fervent indignation did Yuan Shu, ashamed, dispatch the provisions ^c:1237. In the novel, Yuan Shu likewise withheld the supplies on listening to slander, and Sun Jian rebuked him to his face, leaving Yuan Shu speechless with alarm, who then ordered the slanderer beheaded to make amends to Sun Jian ^c:1247.
* Liu Biao: In the histories, Liu Biao was Sun Jian's enemy. Yuan Shu once sent Sun Jian to attack Liu Biao, and in the end Sun Jian was shot dead by Huang Zu's soldiers in the fighting against Liu Biao ^c:1239. In the novel, Sun Jian bore a grudge against Liu Biao and in one engagement was surrounded by him, escaping only thanks to the rescue of his generals ^c:1250.
* Zhu Jun: In the histories, Zhu Jun once campaigned against the Yellow Turbans together with Sun Jian, though the precise command relationship is unclear. In the novel, Zhu Jun was Sun Jian's commander; in campaigning against the Yellow Turbans, Zhu Jun was greatly pleased and ordered Sun Jian to attack the south gate, and in the end Sun Jian achieved the foremost merit ^c:1246.
* Zhang Wen: In the histories, Zhang Wen once campaigned west against Bian Zhang and Han Sui as Acting General of Chariots and Cavalry, and memorialized to request Sun Jian to take part in military affairs. Sun Jian once suggested Zhang Wen behead Dong Zhuo, but Zhang Wen did not adopt his counsel ^c:1233. This relationship is not mentioned in the novel.
* Dong Zhuo: In the histories, Sun Jian was the vanguard in the campaign against Dong Zhuo. He once suggested Zhang Wen behead Dong Zhuo, later greatly defeated Dong Zhuo's army at the Battle of Yangren, and sternly refused Dong Zhuo's proposal of a marriage alliance ^c:1237. In the novel, Sun Jian was even the vanguard of the eighteen lords campaigning against Dong Zhuo, and refused Dong Zhuo's request for a marriage alliance, displaying his deep hatred for Dong Zhuo ^c:1247.
* Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, Zu Mao: These were Sun Jian's close generals. In the histories, Zu Mao once, when Sun Jian was being pursued by Dong Zhuo's army, took off Sun Jian's red felt headscarf and wore it to draw off the pursuers, enabling Sun Jian to escape danger ^c:1237. In the novel, these four were Sun Jian's four principal generals, who campaigned with him many times; especially when Sun Jian was surrounded by Liu Biao, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang made a desperate rescue to free him ^c:1250.

Iconic Scenes

* Capturing bandits in his youth: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Sun Jian was young, by the Qiantang River, facing sea bandits' plunder, he vigorously took up his blade, went ashore, shouted aloud, frightened off the bandit host, and beheaded one bandit, whereby he became known in the counties ^c:1245. (novel only)
* Foremost merit at Wancheng: In campaigning against the Yellow Turbans, under Zhu Jun's command, Sun Jian was the first to break into Wancheng and beheaded the bandit general Zhao Hong, achieving the foremost merit ^c:1246.
* Suggesting that Dong Zhuo be beheaded: In the third year of Zhongping, in Zhang Wen's tent, facing Dong Zhuo's arrogance, Sun Jian whispered to Zhang Wen, suggesting he behead him by military law, showing his firm and decisive character ^c:1233.
* Beheading Zhang Zi: On the way to campaign against Dong Zhuo, when the Grand Administrator of Nanyang, Zhang Zi, would not supply army provisions, Sun Jian first treated him with the courtesy of ox and wine, then at the banquet beheaded Zhang Zi on the pretext that the military supplies had not been made ready, awing the commandery ^c:1235.
* Breaking Dong Zhuo at Yangren: At the Battle of Yangren, Sun Jian greatly defeated Dong Zhuo's army and beheaded his commander Hua Xiong and others, showing his outstanding military talent ^c:1237.
* Refusing the marriage alliance: Dong Zhuo once sent Li Jue and others to seek a marriage alliance, wishing to appoint Sun Jian's sons and brothers as inspectors and administrators, but Sun Jian sternly refused, declaring that unless he exterminated Dong Zhuo's clan to the third degree, he would not close his eyes in death ^c:1237.
* Meeting his death at Mount Xian: In the third year of Chuping, while campaigning against Jing Province and besieging Xiangyang, Sun Jian rode out alone to survey Mount Xian and was shot dead by Huang Zu's soldiers ^c:1239.
* Obtaining the Imperial Hereditary Seal: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Sun Jian found the Imperial Hereditary Seal in the palace at Luoyang and, heeding Cheng Pu's advice, feigned illness and took his leave for Jiangdong, laying the groundwork for the establishment of his later enterprise ^c:1249. (novel only)