Sun Liang
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Sun Liang 孫亮 | |||||||||
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Emperor of Eastern Wu | |||||||||
Reign | 21 May 252 – 9 November 258 | ||||||||
Predecessor | Sun Quan | ||||||||
Successor | Sun Xiu | ||||||||
Crown Prince of Eastern Wu | |||||||||
Tenure | December 250 or January 251 – 21 May 252 | ||||||||
Predecessor | Sun He | ||||||||
Successor | Sun Wan | ||||||||
Prince of Kuaiji (會稽王) | |||||||||
Tenure | 9 November 258 – 260 | ||||||||
Marquis of Houguan (候官侯) | |||||||||
Tenure | 260 | ||||||||
Born | 243 | ||||||||
Died | 260 (aged 17) | ||||||||
Consort | Empress Quan | ||||||||
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House | House of Sun | ||||||||
Father | Sun Quan | ||||||||
Mother | Empress Pan |
Sun Liang (243[1] – 260), courtesy name Ziming, was the second emperor of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the youngest son and heir of Sun Quan, the founding emperor of Wu. He is also known as the Prince of Kuaiji or (less frequently) Marquis of Houguan (候官侯), which were his successive titles after he was deposed in November 258 by the regent Sun Chen. He was succeeded by his brother Sun Xiu, who managed to oust Sun Chen from power and kill him. Two years after Sun Liang's dethronement, he was falsely accused of treason and demoted from a prince to a marquis, after which he committed suicide.
Early life
[edit]Sun Liang was born in 243, to Sun Quan and one of his favourite consorts, Consort Pan. As Sun Quan's youngest son, he was well-cared for by his father, who was very happy to have a son in his old age[2] (60 at the time of Sun Liang's birth). He was also born in a palace atmosphere where officials were aligning themselves with either of his two older brothers who were fighting for supremacy – Sun He, the Crown Prince, and Sun Ba, the Prince of Lu, who had designs on the position.[3] In September or October 250,[4] fed up with Sun Ba's constant attacks against Sun He, Sun Quan ordered Sun Ba to commit suicide and deposed Sun He. At the urging of his eldest daughter Sun Luban, who had been making false accusations against Sun He and his mother Lady Wang and therefore wanted to see Sun He deposed, he made Sun Liang the new Crown Prince in December 250 or January 251.[5][6][7] Sun Luban then had Sun Liang married to Quan Huijie, a grandniece of her husband, Quan Cong.[8] In 251, Sun Quan instated Sun Liang's mother, Consort Pan, as the Empress.[9]
In 252, Sun Liang lost both his parents in rapid succession. Early that year, Empress Pan was murdered and in the winter Sun Quan died, so Sun Liang became the new emperor.[10][11]
Reign
[edit]Zhuge Ke's regency
[edit]Prior to his death, Sun Quan had selected Zhuge Ke as the regent for Sun Liang, on the advice of trusted kinsman Sun Jun,[12] but he would last only eighteen months.[13][14] In 17th February 253 Lady Quan was chosen to be his Empress.[15] That same year Zhuge Ke launched a major campaign against the larger rival state of Cao Wei at Hefei but suffered a disastrous defeat which, combined with his handling of the aftermath, led to Zhuge Ke becoming vulnerable. Sun Jun turned against Zhuge Ke, he told Sun Liang that Zhuge Ke was plotting treason, and he set up a trap at a feast for Zhuge Ke.[16] (How much the young emperor knew of Sun Jun's plans and whether he concurred is unclear; traditional historians implied that Sun Liang knew and concurred, but he was just 10 years old at this point.[citation needed] The Wu lu by Zhang Bao, the son of a Wu minister,[17] claims Sun Liang denied responsibility for the order and had to be taken away by his wet-nurse[18] but Pei Songzhi dismisses the claim as Sun Jun would have been relying on Sun Liang's authority and needed him there at the banquet.[19]) During the middle of the feast, assassins that Sun Jun had arranged for killed Zhuge Ke, and Sun Jun's forces then wiped out the Zhuge family.[20][21][22]
Sun Jun's regency
[edit]After Sun Jun killed Zhuge Ke, he quickly moved to consolidate his power. He initially, on the surface, shared power with Teng Yin, but he, with control of the military, soon became even more dictatorial than Zhuge Ke. In particular, he falsely accused the former crown prince Sun He of conspiring with Zhuge Ke, and forced Sun He to commit suicide. His autocratic actions led to a conspiracy between Sun Ying (孫英), the Marquis of Wu, and the army officer Huan Lü (桓慮), but he discovered the plan in 254, and both Sun Ying and Huan Lü were executed.
In 255, in the midst of Cao Wei's having to deal with a rebellion by Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin, Eastern Wu forces, led by Sun Jun, tried to attack Cao Wei's border region, but withdrew after Sima Shi quickly put down the rebellion. (Wen Qin and his troops did surrender to him after they were defeated.) Later that year, another plot against Sun Jun was discovered, and a large number of officers were executed, along with Sun Quan's second daughter Sun Luyu, falsely implicated by her elder sister Sun Luban.
In 256, Sun Jun, at Wen Qin's urging, was planning an attack against Cao Wei, when he suddenly fell ill, and he commissioned his cousin Sun Chen to succeed him as regent and died soon after.
Sun Chen's regency
[edit]Sun Jun's death would precipitate a major confrontation. The general Lü Ju, who was set to lead the main force against Cao Wei, was angry that the autocratic Sun Jun appointed Sun Chen, who had not distinguished himself in any way. Lü Ju openly called for Teng Yin to become regent instead, and Teng Yin agreed to act with him. Sun Chen struck back militarily, and his forces defeated Teng Yin and Lü Ju. Teng Yin and his family were executed, while Lü Ju committed suicide. In light of his defeat of Teng Yin and Lü Ju, Sun Chen began to become extremely arrogant.
In 257, at the age of 14, Sun Liang began to personally handle some important matters of state. He established a personal guard corps, consisting of young men and officers with age similar to his, stating that he intended to grow up with them. He also sometimes questioned Sun Chen's decisions. Sun Chen began to be somewhat apprehensive of the young emperor.
Later that year, the Cao Wei general Zhuge Dan, believing that the regent Sima Zhao (Sima Shi's brother) was about to usurp the throne, declared a rebellion and requested Eastern Wu assistance. A small Eastern Wu detachment, led by Wen Qin, quickly arrived to assist him, but Sun Chen led the main forces and chose to camp a long distance away from Shouchun, where Zhuge Dan was besieged by Sima Zhao, and did nothing. When Sun Chen instead ordered the general Zhu Yi to try to relieve Shouchun with tired and unfed troops, Zhu Yi refused so Sun Chen executed him, bringing anger from the people, who had admired Zhu Yi's military skills and integrity. With Sun Chen unable to do anything, Zhuge Dan's rebellion failed in 258, and Wen Qin's troops became captives of Cao Wei.
Removal
[edit]Sun Chen knew that the people and the young emperor were both angry at him, and chose not to return to Jianye, but instead sent his confidants to be in charge of the capital's defences. Sun Liang became angrier, and plotted with his sister Sun Luban, the general Liu Cheng (劉丞), his father-in-law Quan Shang (全尚), and his brother-in-law Quan Ji (全紀), to have Sun Chen overthrown. However, Quan Shang did not keep the plot secret from his wife, who was Sun Chen's cousin, and she told Sun Chen. On 9 November 258,[23] Sun Chen quickly captured Quan Shang and killed Liu Cheng, and then surrounded the palace and forced the other officials to agree to depose Sun Liang – falsely declaring to the people that Sun Liang suffered from psychosis and was therefore incompetent. Sun Liang was demoted to a prince under the title "Prince of Kuaiji".
After removal
[edit]Sun Chen then made Sun Liang's elder brother, Sun Xiu, the Prince of Langye, the new emperor. Several months later, Sun Xiu set a trap for Sun Chen and had him arrested and killed. However, Sun Liang's position in exile did not become any safer, as Sun Xiu deeply feared that there would be plots to return Sun Liang to the throne. In July to November 260,[24] there were rumours that Sun Liang would be emperor again, and Sun Liang's servants falsely accused him of witchcraft. Sun Xiu demoted Sun Liang to a marquis under the title "Marquis of Houguan" and sent him to his marquisate in Houguan (present-day Fuzhou, Fujian). Sun Liang died on the journey. While most historians believe that he committed suicide, an alternative theory is that Sun Xiu had him poisoned.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ According to Sun Liang's biography in Sanguozhi, he was 16 (by East Asian reckoning) when he was demoted to Prince of Kuaiji in Nov 258. Thus by calculation, his birth year should be 243. Vol.03 of Jiankang Shilu indicated that Sun Liang was born in the 7th year of the Chi'wu era, which corresponds to 244 in the Julian calendar.
- ^ 孫亮字子明,權少子也。權春秋高,而亮最少,故尤留意。Sanguozhi vol.48.
- ^ De Crespigny, Rafe (2019). Dien, Albert; Knapp, Keith (eds.). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 2, the Six Dynasties, 220-589. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 60–61. ISBN 9781107020771.
- ^ According to Sun Quan's biography in Sanguozhi, Sun He was deposed as crown prince and Su Ba died in the 8th month of the 13th year of the Chiwu era of his reign. This corresponds to 14 Sep to 12 Oct 250 in the Julian calendar. ([赤烏十三年]八月, ... 廢太子和,處故鄣。魯王霸賜死。) Sanguozhi vol. 47
- ^ According to Sun Quan's biography in Sanguozhi, Sun Liang was made crown prince in the 11th month of the 13th year of the Chiwu era of his reign. This corresponds to 11 Dec 250 to 9 Jan 251 in the Julian calendar. ([赤烏十三年]十一月,立子亮為太子。) Sanguozhi vol. 47
- ^ De Crespigny, Rafe (1997). Generals Of The South: The Foundation And Early History Of The Three Kingdoms State Of Wu (2018 ed.). pp. 376–377. ISBN 9780731509010.
- ^ De Crespigny, Rafe (2019). "Wu: The Succesion to Sun Quan and the Fall of Wu (252-280)". In E.Dien, Albert; N.Knapp, Keith (eds.). The Cambridge History of China: Voume 2 The Six Dynasties 220-589. Cambridge University Press. pp. 60–61. ISBN 978-1-107-02077-1.
- ^ 姊全公主嘗譖太子和子母,心不自安,因倚權意,欲豫自結,數稱述全尚女,勸為亮納。赤烏十三年,和廢,權遂立亮為太子,以全氏為妃 Sanguozhi vol.48.
- ^ 太元元年夏,亮母潘氏立為皇后 Sanguozhi vol.48.
- ^ 權不豫,夫人使問中書令孫弘呂后專制故事。侍疾疲勞,因以羸疾,諸宮人伺其昏臥,共縊殺之,託言中惡。後事泄,坐死者六七人。權尋薨,合葬蔣陵。Sanguozhi vol.50.
- ^ 夏四月,權薨,時年七十一,謚曰 大皇帝 Sanguozhi vol. 47.
- ^ 吳書曰:權寢疾,議所付託。時朝臣咸皆注意於恪,而孫峻表恪器任輔政,可付大事。權嫌恪剛很自用,峻以當今朝臣皆莫及,遂固保之,乃徵恪 Wushu annotation to Sanguozhi vol. 64.
- ^ 冬,權寢疾,徵大將軍諸葛恪為太子太傅,會稽太守滕胤為太常,並受詔輔太子 Sanguozhi vol.48.
- ^ 久之,權不豫,而太子少,乃徵恪以大將軍領太子太傅,中書令孫弘領少傅。權疾困,召恪、弘及太常滕胤、將軍呂據、侍中孫峻,屬以後事 Sanguozhi vol.64.
- ^ 二年春正月丙寅,立皇后全氏,大赦 Sanguozhi vol.48.
- ^ 孫峻因民之多怨,眾之所嫌,搆恪欲為變,與亮謀,置酒請恪 Sanguozhi vol.64.
- ^ De Crespigny, Rafe (1997). Generals Of The South: The Foundation And Early History Of The Three Kingdoms State Of Wu (2018 ed.). pp. 343–344. ISBN 9780731509010.
- ^ 吳錄曰:峻提刀稱詔收恪,亮起立曰:「非我所為!非我所為!」乳母引亮還內 Wulu annotation Sanguozhi vol.64.
- ^ 吳歷云:峻先引亮入,然後出稱詔。與本傳同。臣松之以為峻欲稱詔,宜如本傳及吳歷,不得如吳錄所言。Pei Songzhi's commentary to the wu lu and the wu li in Sanguozhi vol.64.
- ^ 中子竦,長水校尉。少子建,步兵校尉。聞恪誅,車載其母而走。峻遣騎督劉承追斬竦於白都。建得渡江,欲北走魏,行數十里,為追兵所逮。恪外甥都鄉侯張震及常侍朱恩等,皆夷三族。Sanguozhi vol.64.
- ^ De Crespigny, Rafe (1997). Generals Of The South: The Foundation And Early History Of The Three Kingdoms State Of Wu (2018 ed.). pp. 367–377. ISBN 9780731509010.
- ^ De Crespigny, Rafe (2019). "Wu: The Succesion to Sun Quan and the Fall of Wu (252-280)". In E.Dien, Albert; N.Knapp, Keith (eds.). The Cambridge History of China: Voume 2 The Six Dynasties 220-589. Cambridge University Press. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-107-02077-1.
- ^ Volume 77 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Sun Chen killed Liu Cheng on the wuwu day of the 9th month of the 3rd year of the Ganlu era of Cao Mao's reign. This corresponds to 9 Nov 258 on the Julian calendar. [(甘露三年)九月,戊午,𬘭夜以兵袭尚,执之,遣弟恩杀刘承于苍龙门外...] Zizhi Tongjian, vol.77
- ^ Volume 77 of Zizhi Tongjian placed the events surrounding Sun Liang's death between the guihai day of the 6th month and the 10th month of the 1st year of the Jingyuan era of Cao Mao's reign. This corresponds to 6 Jul to 19 Nov 260 on the Julian calendar.
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).