Sun Ru
Encyclopedia
Sun Ru (died July 3, 892), formally the Prince of Le'an (樂安王), was a warlord late in the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
who initially served as a general under the pretender emperor Qin Zongquan. After Qin's defeat, he nominally submitted to Tang imperial authority and contended for control of the central-lower Yangtze River
region with Yang Xingmi
; he was eventually defeated by Yang and executed. His subordinate Ma Yin
was the eventual founder of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
state Chu
.
eastern capital Luoyang
. At some point, he became a low-level officer at Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang
, Henan
), where he befriended fellow officer Liu Jianfeng
. Later, during the rebellion by the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao
, Sun served under the command of Qin Zongquan.
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
. As of late 884, Qin was sending a number of his officers to attack or seize territory around his. As part of Qin's campaigns, Sun seized Luoyang, Meng Prefecture (孟州, in modern LUoyang), Shan Prefecture (陝州, in modern Sanmenxia
, Henan
), and Guo Prefecture (虢州, in modern Sanmenxia). In summer 885
, however, he was again battling the Tang defender of Luoyang, Li Hanzhi
, for control of Luoyang. It was said that while Li initially abandoned Luoyang after running out of food supplies, Sun only occupied Luoyang for about a month, before burning the palaces, government offices, and houses, and leaving Luoyang after plundering it, allowing Li to again occupy Luoyang.
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 then attacked and seized Heyang (河陽, in modern Luoyang), forcing the acting military governor of Heyang, Zhuge Zhongfang (諸葛仲方), to flee to Daliang as well. 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.
In summer 887
, Qin gathered his forces and made an attempt to destroy Zhu once and for all, but was defeated by Zhu and his allies Zhu Xuan
and Zhu Jin
. Upon hearing of Qin's defeat, most of the officers he sent to the various surrounding regions abandoned their posts and fled. Sun also abandoned Heyang, and it was said that he slaughtered its people and burned its houses. Heyang Circuit came under the joint control of Li and Zhang.
, 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. (Serving under them were, among others, Liu Jianfeng, Zhang Ji (張佶), Ma Yin
, and Qin Zongquan's cousin Qin Yanhui (秦彥暉). They quickly advanced on Yang Prefecture and seized the food supplies that Yang Xingmi had brought to Yang Prefecture during his recent siege against Qin Yan and Bi, and they put Yang Prefecture under siege. However, with Qin Zongquan recently having been defeated by Zhu Quanzhong, Qin Zongheng was ordered by Qin Zongquan to return to Cai Prefecture to aid Qin Zongquan and tried to do so. Sun, believing that Qin Zongquan was nearing defeat, refused to do so. Upon further orders by Qin Zongheng to prepare to do so, Sun killed him and took over the army. Qin Zongheng's officer An Renyi (安仁義), instead of submitting to Sun, surrendered to Yang Xingmi.
Sun invited Qin Yan and Bi to join his army, and they did so. Together, they attacked and seized Gaoyou (高郵, in modern Yangzhou), forcing Yang Xingmi's ally Zhang Shenjian (張神劍) to flee to Yang Xingmi. However, Sun then began to strip Qin Yan and Bi of their troops, in spring 888
, Sun, believing in accusations that Qin Yan's and Bi's subordinate Tang Hong (唐宏) laid against them that they were in communications with Zhu and were encouraging him to attack Sun, killed Qin Yan and Bi. Meanwhile, Yang Xingmi, believing that he could not contend with Sun for control of Yang Prefecture at this point, began to evacuate his own troops back to his original base at Lu Prefecture (廬州, in modern Hefei
, Anhui
), and when Sun finally attacked Yang Prefecture in summer 888, he captured it fairly easily as Yang Xingmi fled. Sun thereafter claimed the title of military governor of Huainan.
, 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 brother and successor). As he was doing so, Sun Ru attacked Lu Prefecture, and Yang's subordinate Cai Chou (蔡儔), whom Yang left in charge of Lu, surrendered it. 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, 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. Still, fearing a joint attack by Zhu and Yang, Sun sought peaceful relations with Zhu, and Zhu initially agreed; at Zhu's recommendation, Emperor Zhaozong named Sun the military governor of Huainan, but soon thereafter, Zhu broke off the relations and killed Sun's emissaries.
At this time, Yang still held some of prefectures southeast of Yang Prefecture — Chang (常州, in modern Changzhou
, Jiangsu
), Run (潤州, in modern Zhenjiang
, Jiangsu
), and Su (蘇州, in modern Suzhou
, Jiangsu
). In fall 890, Sun, while himself attacking Run Prefecture, had Liu Jianfeng capture Chang Prefecture, killing Yang's subordinate Zhang Xingzhou (張行周). Around the new year 891
, Sun further took Su Prefecture and killed Yang's subordinate Li You (李友). 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.
In spring 891, Sun continued to pursue his campaign against Yang, pushing closer to Xuan Prefecture and defeating Yang's forces under An and Tian Jun
multiple times, although his advances were briefly thwarted by Li Shenfu (李神福). Sun advanced to Huangchi (黃池, in modern Wuhu, Anhui
), and Yang's forces, under Liu Wei (劉威) and Yang's brother-in-law Zhu Yanshou
, were defeated when they tried to attack Sun there. However, in summer 891, floods greatly damaged Sun's camp, and Sun withdrew back to Yang Prefecture. However, he sent his officers Kang Wang (康暀) and An Jingsi (安景思) to seize He (和州, in modern Chaohu, Anhui
) and Chu (滁洲, in modern Chuzhou
, Anhui
) Prefectures, respectively. However, Li Shenfu soon counterattacked and recaptured those prefectures.
Meanwhile, as Sun had previously feared, Zhu Quanzhong and Yang Xingmi entered into a pact against him, but by this point, encouraged by his own battlefield successes, he decided to pool his forces together and destroy Yang first before heading back north to face Zhu, so he burned Yang Prefecture, forced the adults to cross the Yangtze River south, and slaughtered the old and the young, while taking all of his troops and again headed toward Xuan Prefecture. Yang Xingmi, whose officers Zhang Xun (張訓) and Li Decheng (李德誠) then entered and took Yang Prefecture, tried to intercept him at Guangde (廣德, in modern Xuancheng), but Sun surrounded Yang's camp and put it under siege; only through the efforts of Yang's officer Li Jian (李簡) was Yang able to fight out of the siege. Meanwhile, another warlord, Qian Liu
, then in control of the Hang Prefecture (杭州, in modern Hangzhou
, Zhejiang
) region, seized Su Prefecture and sent food aid to Yang. Yang, nevertheless, in fear of Sun's much larger army, considered abandoning Xuan in spring 892
. At Liu Wei's and Li Shenfu's urging that doing so would mean disaster and that he should wear Sun's forces out by defending Xuan, he remained at Xuan and defended it. Further, at the suggestion of Dai Yougui (戴友規), Yang sent the refugees from Yang Prefecture back to Yang Prefecture, hoping that if they settled back in, the news would destroy the morale among Sun's soldiers by making them miss Yang Prefecture.
Sun put Xuan Prefecture under siege, but with all of his forces at Xuan, Yang's officers retook Chang and Run Prefectures. Yang then repeatedly defeated Sun in battles, while Zhang Xun cut off Sun's food supply routes. Sun was forced to send out some of his forces, under Liu Jianfeng and Ma Yin, to pillage the surrounding areas for food. In summer 892, after Sun contracted malaria
and Yang received news of this, Yang decided to make one decisive surprise attack against Sun's camp. On July 3, with it raining hard at the time and the sky dark, Yang launched his attack, crushing Sun's forces. Tian captured Sun, and Yang beheaded Sun and sent his head to the imperial capital Chang'an. 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. Years later, after Ma eventually took control of the Hunan
region, he petitioned the imperial government to posthumously honor Sun and create Sun the Prince of Le'an. He also built a temple dedicated to Sun.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
who initially served as a general under the pretender emperor Qin Zongquan. After Qin's defeat, he nominally submitted to Tang imperial authority and contended for control of the central-lower Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
region with Yang Xingmi
Yang Xingmi
Yang Xingmi , né Yang Xingmin , courtesy name Huayuan , formally Prince Wuzhong of Wu , later posthumously honored King Xiaowu of Wu then Emperor Wu of Wu with the temple name of Taizu , was a military governor of...
; he was eventually defeated by Yang and executed. His subordinate Ma Yin
Ma Yin
Ma Yin , courtesy name Batu , formally King Wumu of Chu , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who became the first ruler of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Chu and the only one who carried the title of "king." He initially took control of the Changsha region in...
was the eventual founder of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms was between 907–960/979 AD and an era of political upheaval in China, between the fall of the Tang Dynasty and the founding of the Song Dynasty. During this period, five dynasties quickly succeeded one another in the north, and more than 12 independent states were...
state Chu
Chu (Ten Kingdoms)
Chǔ was a kingdom in southern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period . It existed from 907 to 951.-Founding:Ma Yin was named regional governor by the Tang court in 896 after fighting against a rebel named Yang Xingmi. He declared himself as the Prince of Chu with the fall of the...
.
Background and service under Qin Zongquan
It is not known when Sun Ru was born. His family was from Henan County, one of the two counties making up the Tang DynastyTang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
eastern capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
. At some point, he became a low-level officer at Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
), where he befriended fellow officer Liu Jianfeng
Liu Jianfeng
Liu Jianfeng , courtesy name Ruiduan , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Wu'an Circuit from 894 to his death in 896.- Background :...
. Later, during the rebellion by the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao
Huang Chao
Huang Chao was the leader of the Huang Chao Rebellion , known in mainland China as the Huang Chao Revolution in China that seriously weakened the once mighty Tang Dynasty of China...
, Sun served under the command of Qin Zongquan.
By 884
884
Year 884 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* March 1 – Diego Rodríguez Porcelos founds and repopulates Burgos....
, Huang had been defeated and killed, but Qin, who then controlled Fengguo Circuit (奉國, headquartered in modern Zhumadian
Zhumadian
Zhumadian is a prefecture-level city in southern Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders Xinyang to the south, Nanyang to the west, Pingdingshan to the northwest, Luohe to the north, Zhoukou to the northeast, and the province of Anhui to the east.Its population is 7,230,744 at the...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) as its military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
), then became a rebel himself against Emperor Xizong of Tang
Emperor Xizong of Tang
Emperor Xizong of Tang , né Li Yan , later name changed to Li Xuan , was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 873 to 888. He was the fifth son of his predecessor Emperor Yizong and was the elder brother of his successor Emperor Zhaozong...
. As of late 884, Qin was sending a number of his officers to attack or seize territory around his. As part of Qin's campaigns, Sun seized Luoyang, Meng Prefecture (孟州, in modern LUoyang), Shan Prefecture (陝州, in modern Sanmenxia
Sanmenxia
-Administration:The prefecture-level city of Sanmenxia administers one district, two county-level cities and three counties.*Hubin District*Lingbao City*Yima City*Lushi County*Shan County*Mianchi County*Sanmenxia Development Zone...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
), and Guo Prefecture (虢州, in modern Sanmenxia). In summer 885
885
Year 885 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The Vikings besiege Paris.* Godfrith, the Sea King is killed in Lobith...
, however, he was again battling the Tang defender of Luoyang, Li Hanzhi
Li Hanzhi
Li Hanzhi , formally the Prince of Longxi , nickname Li Moyun , was a late-Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty warlord. He was initially a follower of the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao, and later became a Tang general, mostly known for his service under Li Keyong...
, for control of Luoyang. It was said that while Li initially abandoned Luoyang after running out of food supplies, Sun only occupied Luoyang for about a month, before burning the palaces, government offices, and houses, and leaving Luoyang after plundering it, allowing Li to again occupy Luoyang.
In late 886
886
Year 886 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :...
, Qin sent Sun to capture Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, in modern Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou , is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
), and Sun did so, forcing the Tang prefect of Zheng, Li Fan (李璠), to flee to Daliang (大梁, in modern Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
), then under control of the Tang general Zhu Quanzhong. Sun then attacked and seized Heyang (河陽, in modern Luoyang), forcing the acting military governor of Heyang, Zhuge Zhongfang (諸葛仲方), to flee to Daliang as well. Sun claimed the title of military governor of Heyang, but Tang generals Zhang Quanyi
Zhang Quanyi
Zhang Quanyi , né Zhang Juyan or Zhang Yan , known as Zhang Zongshi during Later Liang Dynasty, courtesy name Guowei , formally Prince Zhongsu of Qi , was a late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty warlord who later was a senior official during the succeeding Later Liang Dynasty and Later Tang Dynasty...
and Li, in alliance with each other, stationed themselves at Huai Prefecture (懷州, in modern Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the south, Xinxiang to the east, Jiyuan to the west, Luoyang to the southwest, and the province of Shanxi...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) and Ze Prefecture (澤州, in modern Jincheng
Jincheng
Jincheng is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Shanxi province of north China. It is an industrial city in an area where coal mining is an important industry. It has a population of 2.2 million....
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
), respectively, and continued to resist Sun.
In summer 887
887
Year 887 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The city of Toledo rises against the Umayyad leader....
, Qin gathered his forces and made an attempt to destroy Zhu once and for all, but was defeated by Zhu and his allies Zhu Xuan
Zhu Xuan
Zhu Xuan was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who, from 882 to 897, controlled Tianping Circuit as its military governor...
and Zhu Jin
Zhu Jin
Zhu Jin was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who would later be a major general of the Wu state during the subsequent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period...
. Upon hearing of Qin's defeat, most of the officers he sent to the various surrounding regions abandoned their posts and fled. Sun also abandoned Heyang, and it was said that he slaughtered its people and burned its houses. Heyang Circuit came under the joint control of Li and Zhang.
Seizure of Yang Prefecture
In fall 887, with Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern YangzhouYangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) recently thrown into a state of confusion and war due to internecine battles between the military governor Gao Pian
Gao Pian
Gao Pian , courtesy name Qianli , formally the Prince of Bohai , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
and Gao's officers Lü Yongzhi
Lü Yongzhi
Lü Yongzhi was a sorcerer late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who became trusted by Gao Pian the military governor of Huainan Circuit and became very powerful at Huainan, at one point becoming more powerful than Gao himself...
, Qin Yan
Qin Yan
Qin Yan , né Qin Li , was a warlord of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who seized control of Xuanshe Circuit , and thereafter briefly seized control of Yang Prefecture , the capital of Huainan Circuit , before being defeated by Yang Xingmi...
, Yang Xingmi
Yang Xingmi
Yang Xingmi , né Yang Xingmin , courtesy name Huayuan , formally Prince Wuzhong of Wu , later posthumously honored King Xiaowu of Wu then Emperor Wu of Wu with the temple name of Taizu , was a military governor of...
, and Bi Shiduo
Bi Shiduo
Bi Shiduo was an army officer of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He initially was part of the agrarian rebellions of Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao, but later became a Tang officer...
, 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. (Serving under them were, among others, Liu Jianfeng, Zhang Ji (張佶), Ma Yin
Ma Yin
Ma Yin , courtesy name Batu , formally King Wumu of Chu , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who became the first ruler of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Chu and the only one who carried the title of "king." He initially took control of the Changsha region in...
, and Qin Zongquan's cousin Qin Yanhui (秦彥暉). They quickly advanced on Yang Prefecture and seized the food supplies that Yang Xingmi had brought to Yang Prefecture during his recent siege against Qin Yan and Bi, and they put Yang Prefecture under siege. However, with Qin Zongquan recently having been defeated by Zhu Quanzhong, Qin Zongheng was ordered by Qin Zongquan to return to Cai Prefecture to aid Qin Zongquan and tried to do so. Sun, believing that Qin Zongquan was nearing defeat, refused to do so. Upon further orders by Qin Zongheng to prepare to do so, Sun killed him and took over the army. Qin Zongheng's officer An Renyi (安仁義), instead of submitting to Sun, surrendered to Yang Xingmi.
Sun invited Qin Yan and Bi to join his army, and they did so. Together, they attacked and seized Gaoyou (高郵, in modern Yangzhou), forcing Yang Xingmi's ally Zhang Shenjian (張神劍) to flee to Yang Xingmi. However, Sun then began to strip Qin Yan and Bi of their troops, in spring 888
888
Year 888 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* January 13 – With the death of Charles the Fat, the Frankish kingdom is split again, and this time permanently...
, Sun, believing in accusations that Qin Yan's and Bi's subordinate Tang Hong (唐宏) laid against them that they were in communications with Zhu and were encouraging him to attack Sun, killed Qin Yan and Bi. Meanwhile, Yang Xingmi, believing that he could not contend with Sun for control of Yang Prefecture at this point, began to evacuate his own troops back to his original base at Lu Prefecture (廬州, in modern Hefei
Hefei
Hefei is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
), and when Sun finally attacked Yang Prefecture in summer 888, he captured it fairly easily as Yang Xingmi fled. Sun thereafter claimed the title of military governor of Huainan.
Subsequent campaign against Yang Xingmi, defeat, and death
Yang Xingmi, instead of returning to Lu Prefecture, captured Xuan Prefecture (宣州, in modern XuanchengXuancheng
Xuancheng is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Anhui province of Eastern China. It borders Wuhu to the northwest, Chizhou to the west, Huangshan to the southwest, and the provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu to the southeast and northeast respectively....
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
), 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 Zhaozong of Tang
Emperor Zhaozong of Tang , né Li Jie , name later changed to Li Min , yet later name changed to Li Ye , was the penultimate emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 888 to 904...
(Emperor Xizong's brother and successor). As he was doing so, Sun Ru attacked Lu Prefecture, and Yang's subordinate Cai Chou (蔡儔), whom Yang left in charge of Lu, surrendered it. Meanwhile, in late 889
889
Year 889 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Yasovarman I succeeds Indravarman II as ruler of the Khmer empire....
, Zhu Quanzhong, who had been named the military governor of Huainan by the imperial government in addition to the circuits that he already held, sent his officer Pang Shigu (龐師古) to attack Huainan, but after Sun defeated him in spring 890
890
Year 890 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The sovereignty of Great Moravian king Svatopluk I in Bohemia is confirmed.* Lusatia becomes a part of Great Moravia....
at Lingting (陵亭, in modern Taizhou, Jiangsu
Taizhou, Jiangsu
Taizhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu province of eastern China. Situated on the north bank of the Yangtze River, it borders Nantong to the east, Yancheng to the north and Yangzhou to the west....
), Pang withdrew. Still, fearing a joint attack by Zhu and Yang, Sun sought peaceful relations with Zhu, and Zhu initially agreed; at Zhu's recommendation, Emperor Zhaozong named Sun the military governor of Huainan, but soon thereafter, Zhu broke off the relations and killed Sun's emissaries.
At this time, Yang still held some of prefectures southeast of Yang Prefecture — Chang (常州, in modern Changzhou
Changzhou
Changzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It was previously known as Yanling, Lanling, Jinling, and Wujin. Located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, Changzhou borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Zhenjiang to the...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), Run (潤州, in modern Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Jiangsu province in the eastern People's Republic of China . Sitting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the east, and Yangzhou across the river to the north.Once...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), and Su (蘇州, in modern Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
). In fall 890, Sun, while himself attacking Run Prefecture, had Liu Jianfeng capture Chang Prefecture, killing Yang's subordinate Zhang Xingzhou (張行周). Around the new year 891
891
Year 891 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Arnulf of Carinthia defeats the Normans at the Battle of Leuven....
, Sun further took Su Prefecture and killed Yang's subordinate Li You (李友). 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.
In spring 891, Sun continued to pursue his campaign against Yang, pushing closer to Xuan Prefecture and defeating Yang's forces under An and Tian Jun
Tian Jun
Tian Jun is a male Chinese rower, who competed for Team China at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Major performances:*2006 World Championships - 1st lightweight fours;*2007 World Cup Leg 1/2 - 1st lightweight fours;...
multiple times, although his advances were briefly thwarted by Li Shenfu (李神福). Sun advanced to Huangchi (黃池, in modern Wuhu, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
), and Yang's forces, under Liu Wei (劉威) and Yang's brother-in-law Zhu Yanshou
Zhu Yanshou
Zhu Yanshou was an officer under, and the brother-in-law of, the major warlord Yang Xingmi the military governor of Huainan Circuit late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
, were defeated when they tried to attack Sun there. However, in summer 891, floods greatly damaged Sun's camp, and Sun withdrew back to Yang Prefecture. However, he sent his officers Kang Wang (康暀) and An Jingsi (安景思) to seize He (和州, in modern Chaohu, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
) and Chu (滁洲, in modern Chuzhou
Chuzhou
Chuzhou is a prefecture-level city in eastern Anhui Province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the southwest, Huainan to the west, Bengbu to the northwest, Chaohu to the south, and the province of Jiangsu to the east...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
) Prefectures, respectively. However, Li Shenfu soon counterattacked and recaptured those prefectures.
Meanwhile, as Sun had previously feared, Zhu Quanzhong and Yang Xingmi entered into a pact against him, but by this point, encouraged by his own battlefield successes, he decided to pool his forces together and destroy Yang first before heading back north to face Zhu, so he burned Yang Prefecture, forced the adults to cross the Yangtze River south, and slaughtered the old and the young, while taking all of his troops and again headed toward Xuan Prefecture. Yang Xingmi, whose officers Zhang Xun (張訓) and Li Decheng (李德誠) then entered and took Yang Prefecture, tried to intercept him at Guangde (廣德, in modern Xuancheng), but Sun surrounded Yang's camp and put it under siege; only through the efforts of Yang's officer Li Jian (李簡) was Yang able to fight out of the siege. Meanwhile, another warlord, Qian Liu
Qian Liu
Qian Liu , courtesy name Jumei , nickname Poliu , formally King Wusu of Wuyue with the temple name of Taizu , was founder and first king of the Kingdom of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, ruling over roughly modern Zhejiang on the east coast of China.- Background :Qian...
, then in control of the Hang Prefecture (杭州, in modern Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
) region, seized Su Prefecture and sent food aid to Yang. Yang, nevertheless, in fear of Sun's much larger army, considered abandoning Xuan in spring 892
892
Year 892 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Poppo of Thuringia, count of the march in Thuringia, is deposed by the German Carolingian king Arnulf of Carinthia....
. At Liu Wei's and Li Shenfu's urging that doing so would mean disaster and that he should wear Sun's forces out by defending Xuan, he remained at Xuan and defended it. Further, at the suggestion of Dai Yougui (戴友規), Yang sent the refugees from Yang Prefecture back to Yang Prefecture, hoping that if they settled back in, the news would destroy the morale among Sun's soldiers by making them miss Yang Prefecture.
Sun put Xuan Prefecture under siege, but with all of his forces at Xuan, Yang's officers retook Chang and Run Prefectures. Yang then repeatedly defeated Sun in battles, while Zhang Xun cut off Sun's food supply routes. Sun was forced to send out some of his forces, under Liu Jianfeng and Ma Yin, to pillage the surrounding areas for food. In summer 892, after Sun contracted malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and Yang received news of this, Yang decided to make one decisive surprise attack against Sun's camp. On July 3, with it raining hard at the time and the sky dark, Yang launched his attack, crushing Sun's forces. Tian captured Sun, and Yang beheaded Sun and sent his head to the imperial capital Chang'an. Liu Jianfeng and Ma, hearing of the defeat, took the remnants and fled south to Hong Prefecture (洪州, in modern Nanchang
Nanchang
Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. It is located in the north-central portion of the province. As it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east by Poyang Lake, it is famous for its scenery, rich history and cultural sites...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
), allowing Yang to take control of the entire Huainan region. Years later, after Ma eventually took control of the Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
region, he petitioned the imperial government to posthumously honor Sun and create Sun the Prince of Le'an. He also built a temple dedicated to Sun.