Sun He (224[1] – c.December 253[a]), courtesy name Zixiao, was an imperial prince of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China.
His mother was Lady Wang (王夫人), one of Sun Quan's concubines; she was posthumously honoured as "Empress Dayi" (大懿皇后) in 264.
At the same time, Sun Quan also promoted Kan Ze to Crown Prince's Grand Tutor (太子太傅), appointed Xue Zong as the Crown Prince's Junior Tutor (太子少傅), and ordered Cai Ying (蔡穎), Zhang Chun (張純), Feng Fu (封俌), Yan Wei (嚴維) and others to serve as the Crown Prince's attendants and personal staff.
[8] During Sun Quan's reign, some Wu officials abused the system of bureaucracy and exploited loopholes to find fault with other.
[9] On one occasion, two officials, Liu Bao (劉寶) and Ding Yan (丁晏), made accusations against each other.
Sun He told Ding Yan, "It's hard to find competent employees in both the civil and military sectors.
One of them, Wei Yao (韋曜), went home, wrote an essay on this topic and presented it to Sun He, who had copies of it distributed among his personal staff.
After discussing among themselves, some officials strongly urged Sun Quan to ensure that Confucian rules of propriety were followed and upheld.
Two opposing factions also emerged from among Sun Quan's subjects: On one side, Lu Xun, Zhuge Ke, Gu Tan, Zhu Ju, Teng Yin, Shi Ji, Ding Mi (丁密) and Wu Can believed that Sun He was the rightful heir apparent so they supported him.
Two officials, Chen Zheng (陳正) and Chen Xiang (陳象), wrote a memorial to Sun Quan, citing the historical example of Shensheng and Xiqi to warn Sun Quan that changing the Crown Prince could lead to a civil war in the future.
Sun He's personal staff, numbering dozens, met different fates as some were executed while others were exiled or dismissed.
The former crown princess sent a messenger, Chen Qian (陳遷), to the imperial capital Jianye (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu) to meet Zhuge Ke.
Before Chen Qian left, Zhuge Ke told him, "Please tell her that in a matter of time, I'll make her greater than others."
His behaviour became even more suspicious when he floated the idea of moving the imperial capital from Jianye to Wuchang (武昌; present-day Ezhou, Hubei).
As Sun He bid farewell to his wife, the former Crown Princess Zhang, before taking his own life, she told him, "I'll accompany you through thick and thin; I won't continue living on my own."
[28] In 264, after Sun He's son, Sun Hao, became the fourth emperor of Eastern Wu, he honoured his father with the posthumous title "Emperor Wen" (文皇帝) and had him reburied at the Ming Mausoleum (明陵), with officials and 200 households to watch over and maintain the tomb.
He appointed an Administrator (太守) to govern Wuxing Commandery and put him in charge of the organising the ceremonies to honour his father every season.
[29] In August 267, Sun Hao heeded a suggestion from one of his officials to build a temple in the imperial capital, Jianye (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu), to honour his father.
[30] When the entourage reached Jianye, Sun He kept asking the priest conducting the ceremony about the condition of his father's spirit.
After the priest told him that his father looked just the same as when he was still alive, Sun Hao shed tears of both sadness and joy and later rewarded his subjects.
[31] Sun Hao also ordered the Imperial Chancellor Lu Kai to oversee the sacrificing of animals in the neighbouring villages as offerings to his father's spirit.
In late September or October 265, Sun Hao moved the imperial capital from Jianye (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu) to Wuchang (武昌; present-day Ezhou, Hubei) and left Imperial Counsellor Ding Gu (丁固) and General of the Right Zhuge Jing in charge of Jianye.
[38] During this time, due to Sun Hao's tyrannical and oppressive rule, one Shi Dan (施但) from Wuxing Commandery (吳興郡; around present-day Huzhou, Zhejiang) rallied about 10,000 men and started a rebellion.
When they were some 30 li away from Jianye, Sun Qian issued a decree to Ding Gu and Zhuge Jing, ordering them to submit to him.