Historical Context: Sun Quan Camp

Finally, the long-awaited appearance of Sun Quan!

Sun Quan is the ruler of Eastern Wu. He is a descendant of Sun Tze, the author of The Art of War. He was thrust into a leadership role after the death of his father and older brother. As a young ruler, he entrusted many matters to his faithful advisors. One story has it that he created a duplicate of his imperial seal so that one of his advisors could issue edicts on his behalf. This was not a sign of his incompetency; rather, it demonstrates his intelligence of choosing the right officials to handle different matters.

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Zhou Yu is an advisor to Sun Quan. His most famous battle was the Battle of the Red Cliffs, where he formulated the plan to destroy Cao Cao’s vastly superior forces. He was a vital figure in ensuring the survival of Eastern Wu. Despite his great talents, he was a humble man and remained loyal to Sun Quan and Eastern Wu. However, in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he is depicted as beneath Zhuge Liang in both intelligence and character, prompting him to utter “既生瑜, 何生亮?”

Interesting Note: Zhou Yu and Sun Quan’s older brother married the Two Kiu sisters. Zhou Yu’s wife was the younger one, known as “Little Kiu” (小喬).

 



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Cheung Chiu is another adviser to Sun Quan. In ruling the state, Sun Quan would consult Zhou Yu on foreign matters and Cheung Chiu in domestic matters. Cheung Chiu was not afraid to criticize the wrongdoings of his lord. But it is because of this quality that he was never named chancellor of the state, as he is unwillingly to compromise.



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Lo Suk (Lu Su) is a strategist. He was important in establishing and maintaining the Liu-Suen alliance. His grand plan for Eastern Wu had the same foresight as Zhuge Liang, in that it predicted the division of China into three states. Both plans saw Cao Cao as the biggest threat, so Zhuge Liang and Lo Suk persuaded their lords to ally with each other in the Battle of the Red Cliffs. Later in, Lu Su’s diplomacy helped maintain the friendly relationship.



Lu Mung is a military general in the Sun Quan camp. He is brave and careful tactician in battle. For example, in the Battle of the Red Cliffs, he suggested blocking the enemy’s retreat route with giant logs. He easily defeated the retreating Cao army and gained control of the area. Lu Mung is perhaps most famous for his role in the downfall of Kwan Yu by invading Jing Province.