During the Warlord Era he was a member of the Northwest Army led by Feng Yuxiang.

He eventually rejoined the Nanjing government, and commanded Nationalist forces during the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Campaigns against the Jiangxi Soviet.

In 1945, Sun Lianzhong was made commander-in-chief of the 11th War Area and ordered to reoccupy Tianjin, Beiping, Baoding, and Shijiazhuang and accept the surrender of the Japanese troops there.

After two years he resigned his posts in Northern China, and retreated with the Nationalist government to Taiwan.

In Taiwan, he opened a restaurant with Pang Bingxun, and served as a advisor to the government and a member of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang.