The Sun family was filled with illustrious commanders, but most are forgotten in favor of a few key members. Sun Jing is overshadowed by his brother Jian, and his sons are often neglected while others among Wu’s generals are praised. But Sun Jing and his line were essential components of Wu’s creation and preservation and deserve to be remembered.
Sun Jing was Sun Jian’s younger brother. Like his older siblings, he was from Fuchun in Wu. He lived a quiet life at first, but he was always ardently devoted to his family. When Sun Jian started his military career, Sun Jing was quick to join him. Along with his friends Xiang Qu and Zong Shi, Sun Jing recruited around 600 men to serve as Sun Jian’s personal guards. These men were an extremely close-knit group and were regarded as some of Sun Jian’s best soldiers.
Exactly when Sun Jing joined his brother is unclear. It may have been as early as his campaign against the rebellious Xu Chang (172-174) and certainly by the time Sun Jian was tasked with helping to suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion. As such, Sun Jing fought against the Turbans during the battles of Yingchuan, Yangxi, Xihua, and several engagements over Wan throughout 184. He then went with Sun Jian to Liang province, where he participated in the battles at Meiyang (185) and Yuzhong (186). After the defeat of the Han forces at Yuzhong, Sun Jing followed his brother to Changsha, where he participated in Sun Jian’s famous campaign against the bandits of southern Jing in 187. In 190, he participated in Sun Jian’s march north, including the incidents at Hanshou and Wan. In 191, Sun Jing fought in the battles against Dong Zhuo at Liang, Yangren, Dagu, and Luoyang. This successful campaign was followed by battle against Yuan Shao’s forces at Yangcheng, which ended in victory for the Sun forces. Around the end of the year, Sun Jian went with Sun Jian on his last campaign against Liu Biao, including the battles at Fan and Xiangyang.
When Sun Jian was killed outside of Xiangyang, Sun Ben took command of the army and returned to their overlord, Yuan Shu. Sun Jing, however, was unwilling to serve Yuan Shu. He retired from military service and presumably returned home to Fuchun. There, he lived in peace for the next five years. By 196, Sun Ce had conquered Wu and half of Danyang and was beginning his southern campaign against Kuaiji. He requested that Sun Jing assist him, so Sun Jing came out of retirement to fight on behalf of his nephew.
Sun Jing joined Sun Ce’s forces at Qiantang and played a leading role in the subsequent campaign. Wang Lang established his primary defenses at the city of Guling. Sun Ce made many attempts to force a crossing of the river and seize the city, but Wang Lang was always able to hold his defenses and Sun Ce was making no progress. After studying the situation, Sun Jing made a proposal of his own. Zhadu crossing was a dozen or so leagues south of Guling and was shallow enough for an army to ford. He suggested crossing over Zhadu in secret, then attacking Wang Lang from the rear. Sun Ce accepted the proposal and had Sun Jing lead the attack.
To begin the deception, Sun Ce had extra campfires lit to disguise the fact that some of his soldiers were departing in the night. Sun Jing reached Zhadu without alerting Wang Lang’s forces and crossed the river undetected. Wang Lang had a defensive camp at Gaoqian, which Sun Jing attacked in the night. He overwhelmed the shocked defenders and secured the position. This gave Sun Ce’s army a bridgehead, and he was able to cross the river unopposed. Wang Lang attempted to salvage the situation by sending Zhou Xin to reclaim Gaoqian. However, Zhou Xin ran into Sun Ce’s main army and was easily defeated and killed. Faced with this loss, Wang Lang abandoned Guling and most of his territory. He fled south to Dongye, and from there he surrendered to Sun Ce, giving over the commandery of Kuaiji.
The victory in Kuaiji was one of the most important moments of Sun Ce’s military career and was an essential step in the foundation of Wu. This victory was due in large part to Sun Jing. Sun Ce eagerly recognized this and wanted to make his uncle one of his top generals. However, Sun Jing was no longer interested in military life. He refused to be a general and only accepted appointment as Colonel Who exerts Might, turning all positions of major authority. Instead, he requested that he be assigned to their family’s homeland, to defend the towns and villages he had grown up among. Sun Ce agreed, so Sun Jing transferred to Wu commandery and spent the remainder of his career protecting his home.
Sun Quan did eventually convince Sun Jing to accept title as General of the Interior Who Manifests Righteousness, but it was not a position of substantial command and Sun Jing always carried out his duties as before. Sun Jing’s year of death is not properly recorded, but his title was passed on to his heirs. Sun Jing was survived by his five sons: Hao, Yu, Jiao, Huan, and Qian. His line became one of the most powerful in Wu, for reasons both good and bad.
Sun Hao did not have a particularly eventful life, but his lineage was perhaps the most important. One of his grandsons was Sun Jun, who was among Wu’s most influential and sinister politicians. He helped to engineer the Crown Prince Affair as well as Zhuge Ke’s assassination. He seized power after killing Zhuge Ke and his rule was one of tyranny and excess. Another of Sun Hao’s grandsons was Sun Chen, who inherited Sun Jun’s authority. He was perhaps less excessive but even more tyrannical, surpassed only by Wu’s final emperor (a different Sun Hao).
Sun Jing’s second son, Sun Yu, was a man of many excellent qualities. He was only a year younger than Sun Ce, and like his cousin he began his career young. He was made a colonel under Sun Quan and allowed to recruit his own soldiers. Many of the men who joined Sun Yu came from the lands west of the Yangzi, and they disdained the eastern men such as Sun Yu. Rather than struggling against this, Sun Yu acted with great humility and kindness towards them and thus earned their respect. He was much loved by his soldiers.
In 204, Sun Yu was given his first major appointment as Grand Administrator of Danyang. At the time, the commandery was troubled by rebels who had killed the previous two Grand Administrators, Sun He and Sun Yi. Though Sun Yi’s widow, Lady Xu, killed the ringleaders, the rebellion still persisted. Sun Yu was able to crush the revolt quickly and bring order to the commandery. He was greatly aided by the fact that the families and friends of his soldiers, some 10,000 people in all, followed him to Danyang because of the esteem in which his soldiers held him. Sun Quan was impressed by this and promoted him to be General Who Calms the Distant.
In 206, Zhou Yu began military operations against Liu Biao, and Sun Yu joined him as his second-in-command. They began by seizing the counties of Mo and Bao, which were isolated from the rest of Jiangxia by rivers. Liu Biao sent a general named Deng Long with an army to retake the counties, but Zhou Yu and Sun Yu intercepted him at Zhaisang and crushed him. Throughout the year and into 207, they fought repeated skirmishes against Huang Zu’s forces along the Yangzi river, winning many victories and wearing away at Liu Biao’s army.
In 208, Sun Quan authorized a serious assault on Huang Zu’s headquarters at Shaxian, lead by Zhou Yu and Sun Yu. First, Lü Meng crushed Huang Zu’s navy in battle near the city and Dong Xi destroyed the remaining naval force defending the harbor. Then, Ling Tong and Gan Ning commanded the ground assault, utterly destroying Huang Zu’s army and Huang Zu along with it. Later that year, of course, Zhou Yu commanded the defense against Cao Cao at Chibi. Throughout 209, he fought against Cao Ren for control of Jiangling and Nan commandery. No source explicitly mentions Sun Yu’s participation in these conflicts, but given his close association with Zhou Yu in the past, it is likely that he continued to serve as Zhou Yu’s right hand.
In 210, Zhou Yu submitted a plan to Sun Quan for invading Yi province. He believed that, having just suffered serious setbacks, it would be some time before Cao Cao could threaten Sun Quan again. In that time, he thought it would be best to conquer Yi province, then ally with the Liang warlords to oppose Cao Cao. Zhou Yu wanted to lead the conquest himself, with Sun Yu to act as his right hand once again. If successful, Sun Yu would be left in Yi as its Inspector, to carry on the war in the west against Cao Cao. It would be the most significant position in Sun Quan’s army, and the fact that Zhou Yu recommended Sun Yu for it shows the great regard in which he held his colleague.
Unfortunately, the campaign never happened. Zhou Yu fell ill and died while making preparations. After Zhou Yu’s death, Sun Quan traded Nan commandery to Liu Bei in exchange for a portion of Changsha. Liu Bei was planning on attacking Yi himself, so he blocked Sun Quan’s plans to attack Liu Zhang. As a result, Sun Yu remained in Danyang, where he focused on local government.
Cao Cao initiated another campaign to conquer the south late in 212, and he arrived at Ruxu in the first month of 213. Sun Quan assembled a large army to meet him there, and Sun Yu was once again employed as one of his chief commanders. During the campaign, Sun Yu advised for caution and supported a purely defensive strategy. During the battle, Sun Quan took some operation that Sun Yu objected to, thinking it was too risky. Sun Quan’s gambit failed as Sun Yu predicted, though Sun Quan’s army was able to recover. Unfortunately, the Sanguo Zhi does not offer any detail regarding the particulars of this incident. Ultimately, Sun Quan’s forces were able to hold out until spring flooding and local illness forced Cao Cao to retreat. Due to his efforts during the battle and the years before, Sun Yu was promoted to be General Who Manifests Might.
The next two years of Sun Yu’s life were quiet ones, as he focused primarily on territorial administration. He may have participated in the operations against Guan Yu and Lujiang in 214, though this is not explicitly stated in historical records. In order to assist with the war against Cao Cao, Sun Yu appointed two men named Rao Zhu and Yan Lian to be the magistrates of Xing’an and Juchao, counties that were north of the Yangze, in Cao Cao’s territory. These were good men who ruled kindly, and they encouraged all in the region to come to them, welcoming all refugees. They convinced many commoners in Lujiang to defect, drawing support away from Cao Cao.
Sun Yu was also very fond of a scholar named Ma Pu,. Sun Yu was deeply impressed by the man’s intelligence and showered him with gifts and rewards. More than that, he recommended Ma Pu’s tutelage to all who would listen, and hundreds of people sought to learn from him. To encourage this, Sun Yu built a school for Ma Pu, where he gave lectures and taught several hundred students. As a result, the people of Danyang were well educated and the quality of life was greatly improved.
After his long association with Ma Pu, Sun Yu became a scholar himself, with a particular interest in ancient military texts. He worked hard to encourage learning within his commandery and built many other schools, rewarding scholars generously for spreading knowledge and understanding. Sun Yu never lost his own love of learning and studied even while on campaigns. The Sanguo Zhi says that even when the army was camped during an expedition, his soldiers could hear him reading aloud.
Unfortunately, Sun Yu did not enjoy great longevity. He passed away in 215, at the age of 29. He had five sons of his own: Mi, Xi, Yao, Man, and Hong, though none of them accomplished much of note. The most that can be said of them was that Sun Man was eventually made a general and enfeoffed for his father’s achievements.
Sun Jiao was Sun Jing’s third son. He was quite close with Sun Yu and served as his brother’s subordinate for a number of years. It is unclear when exactly he began his service, but given the number of exploits Sun Yu had between 204 and 215, there was ample opportunity for Sun Jiao to earn distinction in battle. He eventually served as a colonel under his brother, with command over 2,000 men.
Just as Sun Yu played a leading role during the first Battle of Ruxu in 213, Sun Jiao earned distinction during the campaign. The specifics of his achievements at this time are unrecorded, but he impressed Sun Quan enough to earn promotion to the rank of General Who Captures Rebels.
Shortly after the victory at Ruxu, Cheng Pu passed away. In light of Sun Jiao’s recent success and his past deeds, Sun Quan transferred him to replace Cheng Pu as the Grand Administrator of Jiangxia. He established his base at Xiakou, where he was in position to intercept advances from both Cao Cao and Liu Bei. Not long after this, Huang Gai also died. He was in command of an army in Wuling, and Sun Quan decided that it was most convenient to transfer Huang Gai’s veteran soldiers to Sun Jiao as well. After Sun Yu’s death in 215, Sun Jiao also inherited command of his brother’s men in Danyang. These three forces gave Sun Jiao command of the army’s most experienced, battle-hardened soldiers as well as broad authority over the western reaches of Sun Quan’s state.
While perhaps ordinarily a commander given such authority would be subject to suspicion, Sun Quan had nothing but trust in Sun Jiao. He allotted him four cities to provide personal income, and further rewarded Sun Jiao by giving him the right to appoint county magistrates and lower-level officials, a power usually reserved for the sovereign. He proved to be an excellent governor who was extremely skilled at earning the love of his subordinates as well as the common people. The average citizens adored Sun Jiao and were universally satisfied with his governance. Among the army, he was viewed almost as a father figure to the officers and the common soldiers. The affection that they held for him was equal even to their affection for Lü Meng.
Sun Jiao was a good and honorable man, one who always promoted good conduct and virtuous behavior. As such, he could not tolerate criminals and the uncivilized, which led him into conflict with Gan Ning. Though Gan Ning respected Sun Jiao, the latter could not tolerate him. He was, however, forced to work with him, and this often resulted in arguments, particularly when they had been drinking. After one such incident, Sun Jiao attempted to remove Gan Ning from command, but Sun Quan would not permit it. Gan Ning still thought highly of Sun Jiao and tried to make peace with him, but Sun Jiao only reluctantly tolerated Gan Ning because of Sun Quan’s orders.
Though he had military experience from his younger years, Sun Jiao functioned primarily in an administrative capacity, leaving military affairs to Lu Su and Lü Meng. In this, they complimented each other, as Sun Jiao’s excellent administration ensured that the others could focus solely on the military and not concern themselves with domestic matters.
Sun Jiao’s greatest military exploit came in 219, when Lü Meng proposed the attack on Guan Yu. Initially, Sun Quan wanted to give joint command to Lü Meng and Sun Jiao. Lü Meng objected to this, though not because he lacked faith in Sun Jiao. He thought quite highly of Sun Jiao’s abilities but was concerned that having two commanders would lead to confusion in the army. He cited the example of giving joint command to Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu at Chibi - if Cheng Pu had not ceded to Zhou Yu’s authority, it could have been a disaster, with conflicting orders running through the army. Sun Quan agreed and put Lü Meng in charge of the operation, and Sun Jiao accepted this without complaint.
Nevertheless, Sun Jiao played a leading role in the campaign against Guan Yu. While Lü Meng and Jiang Qin led the advance, Sun Jiao controlled the rear of the army. As they marched through Jing, Sun Jiao soothed the people, rebuilt what was damaged, and earned the trust of the locals through kindness. As a result, the people of Jing were happy to accept Lü Meng’s army and did not send warning to Guan Yu. This allowed Lü Meng to seize Gong’an and Jiangling without effort or alerting Guan Yu’s loyalists, making the campaign a complete success. In what fighting did occur during this stealthy campaign, Sun Jiao once again played a leading role, and his veteran troops were in large part responsible for the military victories on the campaign as well.
Unfortunately, just like Lü Meng and Jiang Qin, Sun Jiao did not live long enough to enjoy the fruits of this conquest. With his colleagues, he passed away in 219, shortly after Guan Yu’s capture and execution.
Sun Huan (Jiming) was Sun Jiao’s younger brother, the fourth son of Sun Jing. Just as Sun Jiao served under Sun Yu before gaining independent command, Sun Huan fought as a commander under his brothers for almost twenty years. He participated in most of their military operations and contributed heavily to their successes. After Sun Jiao passed away in 219, command of his soldiers went to Sun Huan. He was made General of the Interior who Tranquilizes the East and Grand Administrator of Jiangxia, tasked with defending northern Jing against Cao Pi and Liu Bei. Like his brothers, he worked hard to encourage scholarship and education in the area, so he was much praised and well loved.
Sun Huan’s only exploit as an independent commander came when Liu Bei invaded Jing in 221. Lu Xun was put in charge of the defense and Sun Huan was ordered to assist him. While Lu Xun committed the bulk of his army to the defense of Yiling, Sun Huan led his men to Yidao, another vital strategic position. Sun Huan arrived before the Shu army and prepared his defenses, but he was soon heavily besieged and outnumbered. He appealed to Lu Xun for reinforcements, but Lu Xun refused. He believed that Sun Huan would be able to defend Yidao on his own and did not want to weaken his own position at Yiling by sending away soldiers who wouldn’t be needed at Yidao.
At first, of course, Sun Hao was angered by Lu Xun’s refusal to support him. However, it soon proved to be an acceptable policy. Despite being outnumbered, isolated, and without hope of aid, Sun Huan was able to wear the Shu army down, and he was eventually able to break the siege of Yidao on his own. After the campaign was over, Sun Huan admitted to Lu Xun that he had been angry at first, but that he was now convinced of Lu Xun’s wisdom.
Sun Huan remained in Jiangxia for the remainder of his life, though he passed away in 226. He was survived by three sons and at least two daughters. One of his daughters married Teng Yin, while the other became the wife of Lü Ju. Unfortunately, most of Sun Huan’s line was extinguished by the deadly politics that embroiled Wu after Sun Quan’s death.
Sun Jing, Sun Yu, Sun Jiao, and Sun Huan were all men of talent and distinction. As a group, they made extraordinary contributions to Wu’s growth. All were of excellent character, men whose actions and behavior were beyond reproach. Sun Jing fought beside his brother for more than a decade and destroyed rebels across the land. Sun Yu proved to be Zhou Yu’s closest aid and had a major role in many of Wu’s most pivotal battles. Sun Jiao was as loved by the army as Lü Meng. He held control over a vast amount of Wu’s territory and always proved himself to be an exceptional governor and leader. Sun Huan carried on the legacy of his father and brothers, serving for more than 20 years, always with impressive results These four men were excellent examples to all. It is unfortunate that Sun Jing’s legacy is tainted by the politicking of the Sun family. He surely would have been ashamed to see what his descendants, Sun Jun and Sun Chen, became.
What did Sun Jiao do that makes him comparable to Lu Meng? You often talk of Lu Meng as if he was Wu's greatest general.
I’d say Lü Meng was Wu’s best, and arguably the greatest officer of the Three Kingdoms. Sun Jiao was compared to him not as a tactician but as a sort of mentor to the army.
Regarding his military merits, he joined the family army at a relatively young age and was always devoted to Sun Quan’s service. He was a colonel during the 213 Battle of Ruxu where he distinguished himself in the defense. After Cheng Pu’s death, Sun Jia replaced him at Xiakou, where he was tasked with defending against both Cao Cao and Liu Bei. He also absorbed Huang Gai’s troops, so he commanded some of Wu’s greatest soldiers.
Sun Quan gave Sun Jiao general authority over the west and even allowed him to appoint his own county and local officials. He functioned as a coordinator in the west, helping Lü Meng, Lu Su, and the other generals work together harmoniously. He was an exceptional mediator among the Wu army and kept the peace between the different generals so that the western defenses would remain strong. The only general he couldn’t stand was Gan Ning, who he tried to have removed from command due to his brutality.
Sun Jiao was well-known and well-liked by the officers and the common soldiers. He was a mentor to the army; generals and foot soldiers alike felt comfortable coming to him with problems and he could always sooth them. This is why he was compared th Lü Meng.
Sun Jiao was the third son of Sun Jing (Sun Jian's younger brother), making him Sun Quan's cousin. He originally served as a minor colonel, though he distinguished himself well in the first Battle of Ruxu (213) and was made a general. He replaced Cheng Pu at Xiakou after Cheng Pu's death and was one of the commanders in charge of any defense against Liu Bei.
Sun Quan delegated a great deal of authority to Sun Jiao in the west, and he eventually became the overall administrator of the region. When Huang Gai and Sun Yu died, Sun Jiao absorbed both of their units and was in command of an impressive army. Sun Quan even gave Sun Jiao the authority to appoint magistrates and other local officials without higher approval. While Lu Su maintained relations with Liu Bei, it was Sun Jiao who was in administrative command of Jing.
Sun Jiao was highly praised for his personal qualities. He was kind, generous, and honorable. He abhored Gan Ning because of his brutality and tried to have him stripped of command, though Sun Quan intervened on Gan Ning's behalf. The people of his territory loved Sun Jiao, as did his soldiers, and he was greatly admired by all.
Because of his position, Sun Jiao was involved in the operations against Liu Bei in 215, and in the defense of Ruxu in 217. In 219, Sun Quan wanted to give him joint command with Lü Meng against Guan Yu, though Lü Meng preferred that command be given only to one. Lü Meng was given overall command of the operations, while SUn Jiao maintained the rear. He oversaw the transportation of supplies and the settlement of territories Lü Meng captured on his march through Jing. Much of the campaigns' lasting success was due to Sun Jiao's administrative efforts.
Like Lü Meng and Jiang Qin, Sun Jiao passed away shortly after the campaign's successful conclusion.
