His subordinate Ma Yin was the eventual founder of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Chu.
Later, during the rebellion by the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao, Sun served under the command of Qin Zongquan.
[3] By 884, Huang had been defeated and killed, but Qin, who then controlled Fengguo Circuit (奉國, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan) as its military governor (Jiedushi), then became a rebel himself against Emperor Xizong of Tang.
[4] In late 886, Qin sent Sun to capture Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, in modern Zhengzhou, Henan), and Sun did so, forcing the Tang prefect of Zheng, Li Fan (李璠), to flee to Daliang (大梁, in modern Kaifeng, Henan), then under control of the Tang general Zhu Quanzhong.
Sun claimed the title of military governor of Heyang, but Tang generals Zhang Quanyi and Li, in alliance with each other, stationed themselves at Huai Prefecture (懷州, in modern Jiaozuo, Henan) and Ze Prefecture (澤州, in modern Jincheng, Shanxi), respectively, and continued to resist Sun.
[4] In fall 887, with Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) recently thrown into a state of confusion and war due to internecine battles between the military governor Gao Pian and Gao's officers Lü Yongzhi, Qin Yan, Yang Xingmi, and Bi Shiduo, among others, which resulted in a Yang Xingmi victory but the capital Yang Prefecture (揚州) and surrounding regions being laid waste, Qin Zongquan sent his brother Qin Zongheng (秦宗衡) and Sun Ru southeast to try to wrest the control of Huainan from Yang Xingmi.
Qin Zongheng's officer An Renyi (安仁義), instead of submitting to Sun, surrendered to Yang Xingmi.
[5] Yang Xingmi, instead of returning to Lu Prefecture, captured Xuan Prefecture (宣州, in modern Xuancheng, Anhui), the capital of Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙); he was subsequently named the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Xuanshe by then-emperor Emperor Zhaozong (Emperor Xizong's younger brother and successor).
[6] Meanwhile, in late 889, Zhu Quanzhong, who had been named the military governor of Huainan by the imperial government in addition to the circuits that he already held,[5] sent his officer Pang Shigu (龐師古) to attack Huainan, but after Sun defeated him in spring 890 at Lingting (陵亭, in modern Taizhou, Jiangsu), Pang withdrew.
Upon hearing that Su had fallen, An Renyi, whom Yang had put in charge of Run Prefecture, abandoned it, and Sun took control of the region.
On July 3,[1] with it raining hard at the time and the sky dark, Yang launched his attack, crushing Sun's forces.
Liu Jianfeng and Ma, hearing of the defeat, took the remnants and fled south to Hong Prefecture (洪州, in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi), allowing Yang to take control of the entire Huainan region.