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{{Short description|Chinese Eastern Han general, politician and warlord (175–200)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Sun Ce
| native_name = 孫策
| image = Sun_Ce_Portrait.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = A [[Qing dynasty]] illustration of Sun Ce as depicted in the [[Wu Shuang Pu]] (無雙譜, Table of Peerless Heroes) by Jin Guliang
| alt = 
| office = General Who Attacks Rebels<br>(討逆將軍)
| term_start = {{Start date|198}}
| term_end = {{End date|200}}
| monarch = [[Emperor Xian of Han]]
| office1 = Administrator of [[Kuaiji Commandery|Kuaiji]] (會稽太守)
| predecessor1 = [[Wang Lang (Cao Wei)|Wang Lang]]
| term_start1 = {{Start date|197}}
| term_end1 = {{End date|198}}
| monarch1 = [[Emperor Xian of Han]]
| birth_date = 175
| death_date = 5 May 200 (aged 24-25){{efn|name=death date|Sun Ce's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' recorded that he died at the age of 26 (by [[East Asian age reckoning]]) in the 5th year of the Jian'an era (196–220) of the reign of [[Emperor Xian of Han]].<ref>(建安五年， ... 至夜卒，時年二十六。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 46.</ref> [[Pei Songzhi]] added an annotation from [[Yu Xi]]'s ''Zhilin'' in Sun Ce's biography whereby Yu calculated that Sun died on the 4th day of the 4th month of that year, which corresponds to 5 May 200 in the Julian calendar.}}
| death_place = Dangtu County, [[Wu Commandery]] (modern day [[Zhenjiang]], [[Jiangsu]])
| relatives = ''See [[Eastern Wu family trees]]''
| father = [[Sun Jian]]
| mother = [[Lady Wu (wife of Sun Jian)|Empress Wulie]]
| spouse = [[Two Qiaos|Da Qiao]]
| children = {{unbulleted list|Sun Shao|[[Lu Xun (Three Kingdoms)|Lu Xun]]'s wife|[[Gu Shao]]'s wife|[[Zhu Zhi#Life|Zhu Ji]]'s wife}}
| occupation = General, politician, warlord
|allegiance = [[Yuan Shu#Warlord in Shouchun (193–197)|Yuan Shu's forces]]<br>[[Han dynasty|Han Empire]]<br>[[Eastern Wu|Wu]]
|battles = [[Sun Ce's conquests in Jiangdong|Conquests in Jiangdong]]<br>[[Campaign against Yuan Shu]]
| blank1 = [[Courtesy name]]
| data1 = Bofu (伯符)
| blank2 = Peerage
| data2 = Marquis of Wu (吳侯)
| module =
  {{Infobox royalty | embed=yes
  | posthumous name = Prince Huan of Changsha (長沙桓王)
  }}
}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Sun (surname)|Sun]]|lang=Chinese}}

'''Sun Ce''' ({{zh|c=孫策|p=Sūn Cè|w=Sun<sup>1</sup> Ts‘ê<sup>4</sup>}}) ({{audio|Sun Ce.ogg|pronunciation}}) (175 – 5 May 200),{{efn|name=death date}} [[courtesy name]] '''Bofu''', was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late [[Eastern Han dynasty]] of China.{{sfnp|de Crespigny|2007|p=764}} He was the eldest child of [[Sun Jian]], who was killed during the [[Battle of Xiangyang (191)|Battle of Xiangyang]] when Sun Ce was only 16. Sun Ce then broke away from his father's overlord, [[Yuan Shu]], and headed to the [[Jiangnan|Jiangdong]] region in southern China to establish his own power base there. With the help of several people, such as [[Zhang Zhao (Eastern Wu)|Zhang Zhao]] and [[Zhou Yu]], Sun Ce managed to lay down the foundation of the state of [[Eastern Wu]] during the [[Three Kingdoms]] period.

In 200, when the warlord [[Cao Cao]] was at war with his rival [[Yuan Shao]] in the [[Battle of Guandu]], Sun Ce was rumoured to be planning an attack on [[Xuchang]], Cao Cao's base. However, he was assassinated before he could carry out the plan. Sun Ce was posthumously honoured as "Prince Huan of Changsha" (長沙桓王) by his younger brother [[Sun Quan]] when the latter became the founding emperor of Eastern Wu.

[[Chen Shou]]'s ''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguozhi'') describes Sun Ce as a handsome man who was full of laughter. He was also a generous and receptive man who employed people according to their abilities. As such, his subjects were willing to risk their lives for him. One detractor named [[Xu Gong]], in a letter to [[Emperor Xian of Han|Emperor Xian]], compared Sun Ce to [[Xiang Yu]], the warrior-king who overthrew the [[Qin dynasty]]. As a result, Sun Ce was also referred to as the "Little Conqueror" in popular culture. Sun Ce is depicted in the [[Wu Shuang Pu]] (無雙譜, Table of Peerless Heroes) by Jin Guliang.

==Early life and career==
Born in 175, Sun Ce was the eldest son of [[Sun Jian]], a military general serving under the Eastern Han dynasty. In 190, a year after [[Emperor Ling of Han|Emperor Ling]] died, the warlord [[Dong Zhuo]] usurped power, placing in the throne the puppet [[Emperor Xian of Han|Emperor Xian]]. Regional warlords in eastern China then launched a [[campaign against Dong Zhuo]]. Sun Jian rendered his service to [[Yuan Shu]], one of the leaders of the coalition. The attempt to oust Dong Zhuo soon failed and China slid into a series of massive civil wars. In the next year, Sun Jian was sent by Yuan Shu to attack [[Liu Biao]], governor of [[Jing Province]], but he was killed in an ambush.

Sun Ce brought his father's body to Qu'e (曲阿; present-day [[Danyang, Jiangsu]]) for burial and settled his mother down before heading for [[Dangtu County|Danyang]], where his maternal uncle [[Wu Jing (Han dynasty)|Wu Jing]] was the governor. There he raised a small militia a few hundred in strength. This small force was far from sufficient for him to establish his own power so in 194 Sun Ce went to Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu was very impressed with Sun Ce and often lamented that he had no son like him. He also returned Sun Jian's former division of troops to Sun Ce.

Initially, Yuan Shu promised to appoint Sun Ce the governor of [[Jiujiang]] but eventually gave the governorship to Chen Ji (陳紀). Later, when Yuan Shu was denied a large loan of grains from the governor of [[Lujiang Commandery|Lujiang]], he sent Sun Ce to attack the latter, promising to make Sun Ce the governor of Lujiang should he succeed. When Sun Ce did, however, Yuan Shu again went back on his words and appointed someone else instead. The disappointed Sun Ce then began to contemplate leaving.

Meanwhile, [[Liu Yao (warlord)|Liu Yao]], who was by imperial decree the governor of [[Yang Province]], occupied Qu'e as the regional seat [[Shouchun]] was already occupied by Yuan Shu. He then forced Wu Jing back west across the [[Yangtze River]] to Liyang (歷陽; present-day [[He County]], Anhui). However, Yuan Shu claimed to be the rightful governor and sent Wu Jing and Sun Ce's cousin [[Sun Ben]] to attack Liu Yao. After they were unable to break down Liu Yao's defences for more than a year, Sun Ce requested to lead forces to assist the effort.

==Conquest of Wu territory==
[[File:Sun Ce Territory.jpg|thumb|320px|Sun Ce's territory around 200 CE]]
[[File:Wu region sun ce.jpg|thumb|320px|The northern part of [[Yang Province]] where Sun Ce was active in detail. Several locales of relevance are pinpointed on this map.]]
[[File:End of Han Dynasty Warlords.png|thumb|320px|Map showing the major warlords of the Han dynasty in the 190s, including Sun Ce]]

{{main article|Sun Ce's conquests in Jiangdong}}

Though Yuan Shu knew Sun Ce intended to leave, he believed the latter would not be able to defeat Liu Yao. Thus he deployed the young general off with merely a thousand odd troops and a tiny cavalry force. Along with a few hundred more willing followers, Sun Ce proceeded to Liyang, where he boosted his strength to more than 5,000. He then launched an offensive across the [[Yangtze River]] and successfully occupied the strategic position of Niuzhu (牛渚; southwest of present-day [[Ma'anshan]], [[Anhui]]) in 195.

Two of Liu Yao's allies then came south from [[Pengcheng]] and [[Xiapi]] respectively to aid him. Sun Ce chose to first attack one of them, [[Ze Rong]], who made camp south of Moling. After suffering initial defeat in the hands of the aggressor, Ze Rong fell back in defence and refused to engage in battle. Sun Ce then marched further north and attacked Xue Li (薛禮) in Moling. Although Xue Li soon gave up the city and escaped, Liu Yao's subordinate Fan Neng (樊能) and others had regrouped their forces and launched a renewed attack on Niuzhu. Turning back, Sun Ce defeated Fan Neng and secured Niuzhu. He then began a second offensive against Ze Rong. However, he was struck by a stray arrow in the thigh. Returning to Niuzhu, he sent out false words that he was killed in battle. The exulted Ze Rong then sent a force to attack. Sun Ce led the enemies into an ambush and annihilated them. When Ze Rong heard that Sun Ce was still alive, he further reinforced his defences.

Sun Ce then temporarily gave up attacking Ze Rong and focused his forces on Qu'e. After all the surrounding areas were taken over by Sun Ce, Liu Yao gave up the city and escaped south to [[Nanchang]], capital of [[Yuzhang Commandery]], where he died later. [[Hua Xin]], administrator of Yuzhang, joined Sun's forces. As Sun Ce implemented strict discipline among his troops, he won the instant support of the local people and gathered many talented men, such as [[Chen Wu (Han dynasty)|Chen Wu]], [[Zhou Tai]], [[Jiang Qin]], [[Zhang Zhao (Eastern Wu)|Zhang Zhao]], [[Zhang Hong (Han dynasty)|Zhang Hong]], [[Qin Song]], and [[Lü Fan]]. He then pushed his force deeper into Yang Province and conquered [[Kuaiji Commandery|Kuaiji]] along the southern shore of [[Hangzhou Bay]], whose governor [[Wang Lang (Cao Wei)|Wang Lang]] surrendered. Sun Ce made Kuaiji his base city and struck out at the wandering bandit army led by [[Yan Baihu]]. Yan Baihu sent his younger brother Yan Yu (嚴輿) to offer Sun Ce a position alongside Yan Baihu, but Sun Ce showed no mercy and personally slew the emissary. As Yan Yu was known among Yan Baihu's men as a fierce warrior, his death struck fear into their hearts and they were soon defeated. Sun Ce then appointed his relatives and a trusted subject to govern Danyang and Yuzhang, from which he divided a new [[Commandery (China)|commandery]] named Luling (廬陵). His campaign, from the occupation of Niuzhu to the conquest of the entire region southeast of the Long River, took less than a year. He then defeated and received the services of Zu Lang (祖郎), the Chief of Danyang, and [[Taishi Ci]], the leader of the remnants of Liu Yao's forces; he then urged the surrender of [[Hua Xin]], another one of the remnants of Liu Yao's forces. Thus, with the exception of the scattered but still numerous army of Yan Baihu, the lands south of the Yangtze were mostly pacified.

The barbarians of [[Shanyue]] tribe, however, were not easily dealt with. To counter the frequent rebellions of the Shanyue (who would continue to rebel for many years), Sun Ce appointed [[He Qi]] to a military rank with orders to subdue the Shanyue. He Qi became a highly successful general later; truly, his appointment by Sun Ce was the first important step to Wu's eventual subjugation of the Shanyue.

==Later life==
[[File:Sun Quan and his brother Sun Ce.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Statues of Sun Ce (right) and Sun Quan (left)]]

In 197, Yuan Shu declared himself emperor – an act deemed treasonous against the Han dynasty. In a letter to Yuan Shu, Sun Ce denounced the move and broke ties with the former. In an effort to garner support from Sun Ce, the rising warlord [[Cao Cao]] then recommended him to be appointed General Who Attacks Rebels (討逆將軍) and enfeoffed as the Marquis of Wu (吳侯).{{efn|Sun Ce was supposed to inherit his father's peerage "Marquis of Wucheng" but he gave it to his younger brother, [[Sun Kuang]].}} In 199 Yuan Shu died of sickness along with his short-lived Zhong dynasty. His cousin Yuan Yin (袁胤) feared Cao Cao and gave up Shouchun. Bringing along Yuan Shu's coffin and his former troops, he headed to Wan County (皖縣; present-day [[Qianshan County]], Anhui) to seek refuge under [[Liu Xun (warlord)|Liu Xun]] (劉勳). As Liu Xun had insufficient food supplies in his realm to support the additional troops, he led a force south to pillage Haihun (海昏; east of present-day [[Yongxiu County]], Jiangxi).

Sun Ce was en route to attack [[Huang Zu]] in [[Hankou|Xiakou]] when he received the news. He then turned back and captured the poorly-defended Wan County, taking over all of Yuan Shu's 30,000 former troops. Hearing that his base city had been taken, Liu Xun headed west and sought help from Huang Zu, who sent a 5,000-strong naval force to assist him. Sun Ce pressed forward and defeated Liu Xun, who escaped north to Cao Cao. Sun Ce annexed more than 2,000 former troops and 1,000 ships of his enemy and came upon Huang Zu. Despite reinforcements from Liu Biao, Huang Zu was utterly defeated. During the battle, Sun Ce slew Liu Biao's officer, Han Xi (韓希), and completely routed Huang Zu's son, Huang She (黃射).

The victorious Sun Ce in 199 looked poised to take over the entire southern China. As he was threatened by rival [[Yuan Shao]] in the north and could not divide his attention, Cao Cao attempted to further reinforce the alliance with Sun Ce by marrying the daughter of his relative [[Cao Ren]] to Sun Ce's youngest brother [[Sun Kuang]]. Sun Ce in turn agreed to marry Sun Ben's daughter to Cao Cao's son [[Cao Zhang]].

The former administrator of [[Wu Commandery]], [[Xu Gong]], had long opposed Sun Ce. Xu Gong wrote to Emperor Xian, recommending the emperor to summon Sun Ce to the capital as he deemed Sun Ce to be a hero comparable to [[Xiang Yu]] and too dangerous to be allowed to occupy a territory. However, the letter was intercepted by an official loyal to Sun Ce, who attacked and then had Xu Gong executed. Xu Gong's former servants then kept a low profile and waited for chance to revenge.

In the year 200, Cao Cao engaged in the decisive [[Battle of Guandu]] with [[Yuan Shao]] along the shores of the [[Yellow River]], leaving the capital and his base city [[Xuchang]] poorly guarded. Sun Ce is said to have then plotted to attack Xuchang under the banner of rescuing Emperor Xian, who was a figurehead under Cao Cao's control. Preparations were underway for the military excursion when Sun Ce ran into three former servants of Xu Gong during a solo hunting trip. One of them managed to plant an arrow into Sun Ce's cheek before Sun Ce's men arrived and slew the assassins. Many differing accounts of Sun Ce's death exist (see [[#Dispute over cause of death|below]]). One generally accepted scenario is that he died that same night.

Another possible scenario has Sun Ce living for quite some time. The physician told Sun Ce to rest still for a hundred days to allow the wound to heal, but Sun Ce looked into the mirror one day and, seeing his scar, became so enraged that he slammed his table. The large movement caused the wound to break and he died in the same night. Although he was survived by one son, Sun Ce passed his legacy to his younger brother, [[Sun Quan]]. When Sun Quan declared himself emperor of the state of [[Eastern Wu]] in 222, he honoured Sun Ce with the [[Posthumous name|posthumous title]] "Prince Huan of Changsha" (長沙桓王).

Sun Ce was succeeded by a [[Posthumous birth|posthumous son]], Sun Shao (孫紹), as well as at least two (possibly three) daughters, married to [[Gu Shao]] and later Zhu Ji (朱紀), and [[Lu Xun (Three Kingdoms)|Lu Xun]] respectively. Sun Shao bore one son, Sun Feng (孫奉), who was executed by [[Sun Hao]] for alleged treason due to his popularity.<ref>''Sanguozhi'' vol. 46.</ref>

==Dispute over cause of death==
[[Sun Sheng (Jin dynasty)|Sun Sheng]] (孫盛) in his ''[[Exposition on Disparities and Similarities]]'' (異同評) discounted the theory that Sun Ce made plans to attack [[Xuchang]]. He believed that although Sun Ce was a rising power, he was threatened in the west by [[Huang Zu]], who was defeated but not eliminated, in the north by [[Chen Deng]], governor of [[Guangling Commandery]], and in the south by indigenous tribes yet to be assimilated. These prevented Sun Ce from striking far out at Xuchang and moving the emperor to southeastern China. He further argued that Sun Ce died on the fifth day in the fourth month of 200, before the [[Battle of Guandu]] even took place.

[[Pei Songzhi]], who [[Annotated Records of the Three Kingdoms|annotated]] the ''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'', rebutted Sun Sheng, arguing that Huang Zu was newly broken and had yet to recollect his forces while the indigenous tribes were scattered and not much of a threat. Pei Songzhi believed that the first objective of Sun Ce's planned northward excursion was to attack Chen Deng, which would provide a platform for capturing Xuchang. On the other hand, [[Cao Cao]] and [[Yuan Shao]] had been engaging in skirmishes and small-scale battles before Sun Ce's death. Thus there was in fact no discrepancy in timing.

A historically implausible legend regarding Sun Ce's death involves a highly respected [[Taoist priest]] of his time, [[Gan Ji]] (干吉), whom he condemned as a sorcerer due to his popularity. Despite petitions from his subjects and his own mother, Sun Ce ordered Gan Ji's execution. According to ''[[In Search of the Supernatural]]'' (搜神記) by [[Gan Bao]] (干竇), a compilation largely based on legends and hearsay, Sun Ce began to see apparitions of Gan Ji ever since the execution of the latter. After he was injured by assassins, Sun Ce was told by the physician to rest still to allow the wound to heal. However, he looked into the mirror one day and saw Gan Ji's face, whereupon he let out a cry and slammed the mirror. His wound broke and he died shortly. This version was adopted and further dramatised in the 14th-century historical novel ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'', in which Gan Ji's name was taken to be "Yu Ji" (于吉).{{efn|The Chinese characters for "Gan" (干) and "Yu" (于) in this case look very similar. It is believed that Luo Guanzhong made an error when referring to historical texts.}}

==Family==
{{main article|Eastern Wu family trees}}

==In popular culture==
===Chinese opera===
In [[Peking opera]], Sun Ce's role is usually that of a hero or tragic hero, while his brother, [[Sun Quan]] is usually portrayed as a villain at worst or self-seeking at best. Several operas even toy with the idea that Sun Quan had Sun Ce assassinated so that he could take control of the warlord state, though there is no historical evidence to support this view. In the opera ''Fenghuang Er Qiao'', Sun Ce borrows 3,000 troops from Yuan Shu and allies with the Qiao army, which is led by the [[Two Qiaos]]. Sun Ce, the protagonist of the opera, eventually gains Da Qiao's hand in marriage through a martial arts contest with the help of Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao.

===Film and television===
In the 1983 [[Shaw Brothers Studio]] film ''[[The Weird Man]]'', Sun Ce has Yu Ji executed and the sorcerer becomes a [[vengeful ghost]]. In this film, Sun Ce is portrayed as the anti-hero and Yu Ji as the hero due to the controversy between them in the novel. The 1993 Hong Kong film ''[[Ninja in Ancient China]]'' is also adapted from this story, except that Yu Ji's apprentices try to avenge him in this film.

Sha Yi portrayed Sun Ce in the 2010 Chinese television series ''[[Three Kingdoms (TV series)|Three Kingdoms]]''.

===Comics and anime===
In the [[anime]] ''[[Yokoyama Mitsuteru Sangokushi]]'', Sun Ce fights alongside his father against [[Dong Zhuo]] and is befriended by [[Liu Bei]], [[Guan Yu]], and [[Zhang Fei]], with whom he trains to become a hero.

The protagonist of the manga/anime ''[[Ikki Tousen]]'', [[list of Ikki Tousen characters#Sonsaku Hakufu (.E5.AD.AB.E7.AD.96 .E4.BC.AF.E7.AC.A6): Sun Ce|Sonsaku Hakufu]], is loosely based on the historical figure Sun Ce ("Sonsaku Hakufu" being the Japanese reading of Sun Ce's name and courtesy name). Her guardian, [[list of Ikki Tousen characters#Shuuyu Koukin (.E5.91.A8.E7.91.9C .E5.85.AC.E7.91.BE): Zhou Yu|Shuuyu Koukin]], bears the same name and personality as [[Zhou Yu]].

In the anime ''[[Kōtetsu Sangokushi]]'', Sun Ce is portrayed as a once kind-hearted and virtuous hero who was corrupted by the power of the Imperial Seal, causing him to kill its protector.

In the Chinese [[manhua]] ''[[The Ravages of Time]]'', Sun Ce is a cunning, ruthless and manipulative character.

===Video games===
<!-- PLEASE DO NOT INTRODUCE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS PERSON'S ROLE IN THE GAMES ALREADY MENTIONED IN THIS SECTION. -->

Sun Ce appears in [[Koei]]'s ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms (video game series)|Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'' strategy game series.

Sun Ce is featured as a playable character in [[Koei]]'s ''[[Dynasty Warriors]]'' video game series, as well as ''[[Warriors Orochi]]'', a crossover between ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''[[Samurai Warriors]]''.

Sun Ce appears as a recruitable ally in [[Team Ninja]]'s ''[[Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty]],'' also published by Koei.

Sun Ce is also a legendary character in [[Creative Assembly]]'s ''[[Total War: Three Kingdoms]]'', the 12th mainline instalment in the ''[[Total War (video game series)|Total War]]'' video games series.

Sun Ce is also a playable character in the fighting game Sango Fighter 2.

===Card games===
In the collectible card game ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' there is a card named "Sun Ce, Young Conqueror", in the ''[[Portal Three Kingdoms]]'' set.

==See also==
* [[Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms]]
* [[Eastern Wu family trees]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
* [[Chen Shou|Chen, Shou]] (3rd century). ''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguozhi'').
* {{cite book|last=de Crespigny|first=Rafe|author-link=Rafe de Crespigny|title=A biographical dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220&nbsp;AD)|publisher=Brill|location=Leiden|year=2007|isbn=978-90-04-15605-0}}
* [[Luo Guanzhong|Luo, Guanzhong]] (14th century). ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguo Yanyi'').
* [[Pei Songzhi|Pei, Songzhi]] (5th century). ''[[Annotated Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguozhi zhu'').
* [[Sima Guang|Sima, Guang]] (1084). ''[[Zizhi Tongjian]]''.

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[Eastern Wu|House of Sun]]||175||200|name=Prince Huan of Changsha}}
{{S-reg|cn}}
{{S-new|creation}}
{{S-ttl|title = Marquis of Wu|years = 198 – 200}}
{{S-aft|after=Sun Shao}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sun, Ce}}
[[Category:175 births]]
[[Category:200 deaths]]
[[Category:Assassinated Chinese politicians]]
[[Category:Chinese Confucianists]]
[[Category:Chinese duellists]]
[[Category:Deaths by arrow wounds]]
[[Category:Han dynasty warlords]]
[[Category:Politicians from Hangzhou]]
[[Category:Political office-holders in Zhejiang]]
[[Category:Family of Sun Quan]]