Sun Lin

Sun Lin ( Chinese  孫 綝 ; * 231 ; † 258 ), majority name Zitong (子 通), was a regent of the Wu dynasty under the emperors Sun Liang and Sun Xiu .

Life

Succession from Sun Jun

Sun Lin and his predecessor Sun Jun were cousins ​​of Sun Jing , a brother of Sun Jian . Very little is known about Sun Lin's career up until his cousin's sudden illness. When Sun Jun suddenly became ill in 256, he decided to appoint Sun Lin as his successor. A little later he died and Sun Lin became regent for the young Emperor Sun Liang.

This development annoyed General Lu Ju, because Sun Lin was already known for his autocratic rule and his limited success. Therefore, Lu Ju and Prime Minister Teng Yin tried to overthrow Sun Lin. But Sun Lin was able to repel them with his force and had Teng's entire clan executed while Lu Ju committed suicide. With this victory, Sun Lin began to become presumptuous.

In 257, at the age of 14 , Emperor Kuaiji began to handle important state affairs himself. He set up a personal guard corps that consisted of young men and officers of the same age. He planned to grow up with them. Often enough, he also questioned Sun Lin's decisions. Sun Lin was slowly becoming suspicious of the emperor's new decision-making power.

Wen Qin Uprising

In the same year (257) the Wei general Zhuge Dan began a rebellion against the Wei regent Sima Zhao , whose usurpation he feared. Zhuge asked for help from Wu, which came in the form of a small division under Wen Qin , who originally served Wei and later defected to the Wu. Sun Lin led the main force into the field but set up camp far from the scene of the confrontation (shouchun). When Zhuge Dan was besieged by Sima Zhao, Sun Lin did nothing. When he decided to horror Zhuge Dan, General Zhu Yi refused to give the order because the troops were very poorly supplied and tired. Sun Lin had him executed, which earned him a lot of hatred from the army, which Zhu Yi was very popular with.

Because Sun Lin was now unable to act, he could not help Zhuge Dan, whose uprising 258 was suppressed. Wen Qin and his troops were captured by the Wei.

Removal of Sun Liang

Sun Lin knew that he was against the people and the young emperor, so to speak, and did not return to the capital, Jianye. He only sent confidants there to take over the city defense. Sun Liang tangled up with Princess Dahu, General Liu Cheng, stepfather Quan Shang, and stepbrother Quan Ji in order to overthrow Sun Lin. Quan Shang did not hide the plan from his wife, who was Sun Lin's cousin. She warned Sun Lin, who immediately captured Quan Shang and executed Liu Cheng. He surrounded the palace and forced the officers to remove Sun Liang. Sun Lin explained to the people that the emperor was suffering from psychosis. Sun Liang was demoted to Prince of Kuaiji.

Sun Lin appointed Sun Liang's older brother Sun Xiu to be the new emperor, who lulled him with gifts. He donated five more lands to Sun Lin for his mark and made his brothers marquises. But the relationship between the two of them soon turned over because of a minor incident: Sun Xiu had refused a gift from Sun Lin, meat and wine. So Sun Lin brought the food to General Zhang Bu, to whom he shared his disappointment with Sun Xiu's rejection. He also dropped a remark that maybe he should have chosen another emperor. Zhang Bu brought all of this to Sun Xiu, who continued to be kind to Sun Lin, but watched him closely. When Sun Lin asked for a transfer to the secondary capital, Wuchang (in what is now Ezhou , Hubei ), he was granted it.

Sun Xiu feared that Sun Lin was planning a riot. He conspired with Zhang Bu and veteran general Ding Feng to kill Sun Lin at the Laba Festival. Sun Lin found out about this but showed up at the festival and was arrested by soldiers Zhang Bus and Ding Fengs. Sun Lin pleaded with Sun Xiu for his life; he was ready to go to Jiao Province (present-day northern Vietnam) or even live as a slave. But Sun Xiu refused because Sun Lin hadn't given Teng Yin and Lu Ju the opportunity either. Sun Lin was executed with some members of his clan.

Web links

• Family tree of the Sun family (English)