How Sun Ce Built the Foundation of Eastern Wu

In the previous episode, Cao Cao brought Emperor Xian to Xu and began using the court's name to command the realm.

The northern situation was being reshuffled. But the Three Kingdoms stage had another rising force in the southeast: Sun Ce, elder brother of Sun Quan.

Sun Jian Left a Scattered Inheritance

In 191 CE, Yuan Shu sent Sun Jian across the river to attack Liu Biao.

Sun Jian was killed by soldiers under Huang Zu. His old troops later followed Sun Jian's nephew and entered Yuan Shu's service. On the surface, Sun Jian's hard-won foundation had scattered.

But Sun Jian left sons.

Lady Wu bore four sons: Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Yi, and Sun Kuang. Sun Jian was often away at war, so much of the work of raising them fell to Lady Wu.

Sun Ce, courtesy name Bofu, was the eldest. When his father died, he was still young, but he already knew how to befriend bold men and win hearts.

At Shouchun, he began forming ties with local elites. The most important was Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu, courtesy name Gongjin, came from Shu County in Lujiang and was the same age as Sun Ce. Both were spirited and impressive. Zhou Yu heard of Sun Ce's reputation and came to meet him. They immediately formed a deep friendship.

Zhou Yu urged Sun Ce to move to Shu County and even gave him a large residence. He visited Lady Wu, and the two families became close.

Sun Ce's later rise in Jiangdong depended not only on his father's name, but on these early ties.

Zhang Hong Believed in Him

Sun Ce needed men to believe that he could do more than inherit grief.

He visited the scholar Zhang Hong and explained his plan.

The world was in disorder, he said. Heroes held troops, but few truly rescued danger or restored order. His father had fought Dong Zhuo with Yuan Shu but died before completing the task. Sun Ce was young, yet wanted to act.

His plan was to ask Yuan Shu for his father's old troops, then go to Danyang and rely on his uncle Wu Jing. From there, he would gather scattered soldiers, move east against Wu Commandery and Kuaiji, avenge his father, and serve Han as an outer protector.

Zhang Hong first declined, saying he was in mourning. Sun Ce pleaded, saying his success depended on Zhang Hong's guidance. If he avenged his father and achieved anything, he would not forget this instruction.

Sun Ce wept. Zhang Hong was moved.

He advised Sun Ce that if he could first gather Danyang, then summon forces from Wu and Kuaiji, remove the local powers, and uphold Han, his achievement might rival the hegemons Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin.

But the way forward lay south of the river.

Sun Ce entrusted his mother and younger brothers to Zhang Hong and went to Shouchun to see Yuan Shu.

Under Yuan Shu

Sun Ce met Yuan Shu, wept over his father's old service, and asked to continue serving.

Yuan Shu saw Sun Ce's ability but did not return all of Sun Jian's old troops. He told Sun Ce that his uncle Wu Jing was Administrator of Danyang and his cousin Sun Ben was a commandant; Danyang produced good soldiers, so Sun Ce should recruit there.

Sun Ce went and quickly gathered several hundred men.

Then local strongman Zu Lang attacked him and nearly killed him. Sun Ce returned to Yuan Shu. This time Yuan Shu gave him more than a thousand of Sun Jian's former troops.

Sun Ce's quality became obvious. Yuan Shu reportedly sighed that if he had a son like Sun Ce, he could die without regret.

Yet Yuan Shu repeatedly broke promises. He first promised Sun Ce the commandery of Jiujiang, then gave it to someone else. Later he promised Lujiang if Sun Ce conquered it. Sun Ce did take Lujiang, but Yuan Shu again appointed his own man.

Used again and again, Sun Ce lost faith.

Borrowing Troops to Go East

At this time, Wu Jing and Yuan Shu were fighting Liu Yao around Qu'a, but the war stalled across the river.

Sun Ce saw a way out.

He told Yuan Shu that the Sun family had old goodwill in Jiangdong. If Yuan Shu allowed him to go help Wu Jing attack Hengjiang and Dangli, he could open the road, recruit local soldiers, and return with thirty thousand men to help Yuan Shu pacify the realm.

Yuan Shu understood that Sun Ce wanted to break away into Jiangdong. But he also thought Liu Yao held Qu'a and Wang Lang held Kuaiji; perhaps Sun Ce would fail.

He agreed and recommended Sun Ce as Colonel Who Breaks the Charge.

Sun Ce went east with his father's old men and a few hundred followers. Along the way, people joined him. By the time he reached Wu Jing, he had five or six thousand men.

Zhou Yu also brought troops and grain to support him.

Sun Ce was overjoyed and told Zhou Yu that with Gongjin's help, great affairs would succeed.

Military Discipline Changed the People

After crossing the Yangzi, Sun Ce won battle after battle.

At first, common people fled in fear. Armies in the late Han often burned, killed, and robbed. But Sun Ce's army kept strict discipline. Soldiers were forbidden from taking even chickens, dogs, vegetables, or grain without permission.

The people calmed down.

The histories say Sun Ce was handsome, cheerful, fond of conversation, broad-minded, willing to listen, and good at using people. Officials and commoners who saw him were often willing to serve with all their strength.

Against Ze Rong, Sun Ce was wounded in the leg and carried back to camp. Ze Rong's men spread the rumor that he had died. Ze Rong rejoiced and sent troops out.

Sun Ce used the rumor. He sent a few hundred men to challenge, placed ambushes, feigned defeat, drew Ze Rong forward, and killed more than a thousand.

Then he had his soldiers shout, "How about Sun Lang now?"

The shout shook the enemy camp. Ze Rong realized Sun Ce was alive and retreated behind deep ditches and high walls. Sun Ce judged him hard to take immediately and moved south.

Sun Ce Met Taishi Ci

As Sun Ce attacked Qu'a, Liu Yao had a famous warrior nearby: Taishi Ci.

Taishi Ci had earlier rescued Kong Rong of Beihai and broken out to ask Liu Bei for help. Liu Bei, delighted that Kong Rong knew his name, sent troops. Taishi Ci's reputation grew.

Now Taishi Ci visited his fellow townsman Liu Yao just as Sun Ce advanced. Liu Yao's men urged him to make Taishi Ci a commander, but Liu Yao only sent him to scout.

One day Taishi Ci rode out with one cavalryman and met Sun Ce.

Sun Ce had thirteen riders with him, including old Sun Jian officers Han Dang and Huang Gai. Taishi Ci did not retreat. He fought Sun Ce directly. Sun Ce stabbed Taishi Ci's horse and seized the hand halberd from his back. Taishi Ci grabbed Sun Ce's helmet.

When reinforcements arrived, the two separated.

The encounter did not decide the war, but it became one of Jiangdong's famous meetings of heroes.

Sun Ce Swept Wu and Kuaiji

Sun Ce defeated Liu Yao, who fled. Officials and people first hid in the grasses. When they saw Sun Ce's soldiers did not plunder, they came out and submitted.

Sun Ce issued a proclamation. Former Liu Yao and Ze Rong men who surrendered would not be punished. Those willing to serve could join the army and have their families exempted from labor service. Those unwilling could receive travel money and go home.

People came in large numbers. Soon Sun Ce had more than twenty thousand soldiers and over a thousand horses.

Yuan Shu, still his nominal superior, was pleased and recommended him as General Who Destroys Bandits.

Sun Ce then took Wu Commandery. In 196 CE, he crossed the Qiantang and advanced on Kuaiji. Administrator Wang Lang chose resistance. Sun Ce failed several crossings.

His uncle Sun Jing advised a flank route through Chadu to strike the rear. Sun Ce used torches at the front as a diversion and sent troops by night around the back. Wang Lang was shocked, defeated, and eventually surrendered.

Wu and Kuaiji now belonged to Sun Ce. Jiangdong had opened.

Sun Ce Broke With Yuan Shu

As Sun Ce expanded, he used talent carefully.

Lü Fan repeatedly won merit but accepted lower status to help manage military affairs. Sun Ce appointed Zhang Hong as Colonel of Correct Counsel and Zhang Zhao as chief clerk. Often one remained behind while the other followed the army.

Sun Ce treated Zhang Zhao like teacher and friend. When northern scholars credited Jiangdong's good government to Zhang Zhao, Sun Ce was happy rather than jealous. Duke Huan of Qi became hegemon by using Guan Zhong, he said; if Zhang Zhao was virtuous and Sun Ce could employ him, Zhang Zhao's merit was also Sun Ce's merit.

Sun Ce could fight, and he could delegate.

His relationship with Yuan Shu was ending. Yuan Shu had broken promises repeatedly. When Yuan Shu planned to declare himself emperor, Sun Ce wrote firmly against it. Dong Zhuo had only changed the emperor and the realm rose against him, Sun Ce argued. If Yuan Shu claimed the throne himself, who would support him?

Yuan Shu was furious but continued toward usurpation.

Sun Ce cut ties.

The Little Overlord now had land, men, and enough confidence to separate from Yuan Shu. But a rise this fast brings danger. The next episode follows the sudden turn in Sun Ce's fate.