Sun Yu (177–215),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Zhongyi, was a cousin of

Sun Quan Sun Quan (; 182 – 21 May 252), courtesy name Zhongmou (), posthumous name, posthumously known as Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu, one of the Three Kingdoms of China. He inherited control of the warlord regime established by hi ...

, a Chinese warlord who lived during the late

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

and later became the founding emperor of the state of

Eastern Wu Wu (Chinese language, Chinese: 吳; pinyin: ''Wú''; Middle Chinese *''ŋuo'' < Eastern Han Chinese: ''*ŋuɑ''), known in historiography as Eastern Wu or Sun Wu, was a Dynasties of China, dynastic state of China and one of the three major sta ...

in the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...

period. Sun Yu would twice serve in the sensitive area of Danyang (丹楊), showing generosity to those fleeing the chaos in the north and a keenness to learn, he was also active in

Jing province Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in early Chinese texts such as the ''Yu Gong, Tribute of Yu'', ''Erya'', and ''Rites of Zhou''. Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of E ...

as a general.

Early life

From

Wu Commandery Wu Commandery was a commandery of imperial China. It covers parts of the contemporary Northern Zhejiang and Southern Jiangsu. The capital of Wu commandery was Wu (today's Suzhou). Major counties of Wu commandery include Wu (county), Yuhang county ...

, Sun Yu was the son of Sun Jing, who had raised the core of the military officer

Sun Jian Sun Jian () () (155–191?), courtesy name Wentai, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a ...

's army, then, during the civil war, served under Yu's warlord cousins

Sun Ce Sun Ce () () (175 – 5 May 200), courtesy name Bofu, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was the eldest child of Sun Jian, who was killed during the Battle of Xian ...

and Sun Quan. Sun Jing held military rank but often chose to remain in their home area, in Fuchun County, Wu Commandery, which is around present-day Fuyang District,

Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...

Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

In 200, Sun Ce was assassinated and there was uncertainty around who might rule, Yu's elder brother Sun Gao/Hao (孫暠) made a play for

Kuaiji Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou to the southeast, Jinhua to ...

with the Wucheng garrison under his command. While this was seen off by

Yu Fan Yu Fan ( zh, t= , , ; 164–233), courtesy name Zhongxiang, was a Chinese essayist, politician, and writer of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Initially a minor officer under Wang Lang, the Administrator of ...

's preparedness and warnings, Sun Gao's career ended. Sun Jing was promoted, but likely did not live long. Around this time, Sun Yu was made a Colonel, but his rank was lower than that of his father and brother.

First spell at Danyang

In 204, there was a crisis at Danyang, part of the heart of the Sun family control of the south, as Sun Quan's brother

Sun Yi Sun Yi (c. 184–204), courtesy name Shubi, was Chinese military general and politician who was a younger brother of Sun Quan, the founding emperor of the state of Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the husband of Lady ...

was assassinated. The crisis was soon settled, but Sun Quan needed a replacement for the sensitive post, and he turned to Sun Yu who, likely through family resources and his noted generosity, brought a following of ten thousand. One refugee from the north in Sun Yu's circle was Ma Pu(馬普) of Jiyin, a scholar of the ancient history. Sun Yu treated him well and sent the relatives of those who held office under him to study under Ma Pu. Then those hundreds of people were used to help establish schools in Danyang and lectures with Sun Yu ensured food and drink was provided.

Military career

Promoted from Colonel to General at some point after taking command of Danyang, in 206 and 207 he joined with

Zhou Yu Zhou Yu (, ) (175–210), courtesy name Gongjin (), was a Chinese military general and strategist serving under the warlord Sun Ce in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. After Sun Ce died in the year 200, he continued serving under Sun Qua ...

to attack and capture the refugees in Mo and Bao among the marshes in present-day Jiayu in

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

as Sun Quan prepared to attack

Huang Zu Huang Zu (, ) (died between February and April 208) was a Chinese military general and politician during the late Eastern Han dynasty. He served as the Administrator of Jiangxia Commandery (江夏郡; around present-day Xinzhou District, Wuhan, ...

Liu Biao Liu Biao () () ( 151 – September 208), courtesy name Jingsheng, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is best known for serving as the governor of Jing Province (coveri ...

's commander in the south of Jing. In 210, Zhou Yu proposed he would lead an army against Liu Zhang in

Yi province Yizhou (益州), Yi Province or Yi Prefecture, was a ''Zhou (country subdivision), zhou'' (province) of ancient China. Its capital city was Chengdu.de Crespigny, p. 256. During the Han dynasty, it included the commanderies Hanzhong Commandery, Han ...

and then the theocratic Zhang Lu in

Hanzhong Hanzhong ( zh, s= , t= , l=middle of the Han River (Hubei), Han River; abbreviation: Han) is a prefecture-level city in Southern Shaanxi, the southwest of Shaanxi, Shaanxi province, China, bordering the provinces of Sichuan to the south and Gans ...

, requesting his old associate Sun Yu join him for the long haul. The plan was, that, on conquering the west, Sun Yu would be entrusted to look after those lands while Zhou Yu returned to Sun Quan. However, Zhou Yu died before any invasion of the west could be begun. According to Yuan Ye's (袁暐) Xiandi Chunqiu (獻帝春秋)/Chronicle of Emperor Xian, Sun Quan sent Sun Yu to try anyway but Liu Bei objected, threatening to become a recluse and sending his officers to block the way. Sun Yu was recalled. However, while

Sima Guang Sima Guang (17 November 1019 – 11 October 1086), courtesy name Junshi, was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer. He was a high-ranking Song dynasty scholar-official who authored the ''Zizhi Tongjian'', a monumental work of history. B ...

Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...

includes the tale, historian

Rafe De Crespigny Richard Rafe Champion de Crespigny (born 1936), also known by his Chinese name Zhang Leifu (), is an Australian sinologist and historian. He is an adjunct professor in the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University. ...

disputes Sun Yu was ever sent as too risky a move for Sun Quan at that time. The aborted campaign is the only time Sun Yu appears in the 14th century novel

Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...

Luo Guanzhong Luo Ben (c. 1330–1400, or c.1280–1360), better known by his courtesy name Guanzhong (Mandarin pronunciation: ), was a Chinese novelist who lived during the Ming dynasty. He is also known by his pseudonym Huhai Sanren (). Luo Guanzhon ...

, made a brother of Sun Quan and dispatched while Zhou Yu is still alive. In 212, he was with Sun Quan against northern warlord

Cao Cao Cao Cao (; ; ; 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty (), ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation f ...

at the newly created defences of Ruxu and urged Sun Quan against giving battle, Sun Quan didn't listen and suffered a loss though Sun Quan would win the campaign in 213.

Second spell at Danyang

Following Ruxu, Sun Yu was promoted to General of Vehement Might and sent to Danyang for a second spell. Sun Yu moved his garrison from the crossing points at Liyang in Jiujiang to Niuzhu. When Cao Cao attempted, during the failed campaign of 212-213, to force people near the

Yangzi The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dangqu, Dam Qu River the l ...

back to the more secure control of the Huai, Sun Yu sought to counter it. Sun Yu, always generous to refugees, had an open-door policy to those fleeing south, he sent Rao Zhu (饒助) and Yan Lian (顏連) to Xiang'an (襄安) and Juchao (居巢), south-east of Lujiang to win people over while also appealing to the people of Jiujiang. Sun Yu seems to have had considerable success in the battle for influence of the people in the border regions, many choosing to go south to Sun Quan over moving north with Cao Cao. Though neither side held Xiang'an nor Juchao after the resettlement and no man's land developed.

Death and legacy

He died at the age of 39 by East Asian age reckoning in 215. He left behind five sons: Sun Mi (孫彌), Sun Xi (孫熙), Sun Yao (孫燿), Sun Man (孫曼) and San Hong (孫紘) with only Man noted as having a career, reaching rank of General and being enoffed.

Personality

Sun Yu was known for his generous and courteous treatment of émigrés from the north who had fled to the south for safety and joined Sun Quan.是時賓客諸將多江西人，瑜虛心綏撫，得其歡心 ''Sanguozhi'' vol.51. Despite often being involved in military affairs, Sun Yu always had an interest in classical texts, he never stopped reading and reciting.是時諸將皆以軍務為事，而瑜好樂墳典，雖在戎旅，誦聲不絕。''Sanguozhi vol''.51.

Family

Notes

References

* Chen, Shou (3rd century). ''

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' is a Chinese official history written by Chen Shou in the late 3rd century CE, covering the end of the Han dynasty (220 CE) and the subsequent Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). It is regard ...

'' (''Sanguozhi''). * Pei, Songzhi (5th century). ''

Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms ''Annotated Records of the Three Kingdoms'' () by Pei Songzhi (372–451) is an annotation completed in the 5th century of the 3rd century historical text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', compiled by Chen Shou. After the fall of the Eastern Jin ...

'' (''Sanguozhi zhu''). {{DEFAULTSORT:Sun, Yu Generals under Sun Quan 177 births 215 deaths Political office-holders in Anhui