Sun Qian 孫乾

In Chapter 12 of the Romance, the dying Tao Qian recommended him as fit to serve as an Attendant Officer, describing him as "a man of Beihai, surnamed Sun, named Qian, courtesy name Gongyou," and Liu Bei, taking charge of Xu Province, made Sun Qian and Mi Zhu his aides. In Chapter 16, when Ji Ling attacked Xiaopei, he proposed sending a letter to Lü Bu to report the emergency, and after Liu Bei was driven out by Lü Bu, he went ahead to Xudu to see Cao Cao on his behalf. In Chapter 19 he caught up with Liu Bei, who was fleeing alone, and urged him to take refuge with Cao Cao for the time being. Romance, Ch. 12 §18 · 20Romance, Ch. 16 §2–3 · 37Romance, Ch. 19 §5

In Chapter 22 he rode through the night to deliver to Yuan Shao the letter Zheng Xuan had written, and he advised that since Xuzhou was a place exposed to the enemy, the troops should be divided between Xiaopei and Xiapi to form a mutually supporting pincer position. In Chapter 24 he went to Hebei again, but Yuan Shao, worried about his youngest son's scabies, would not send troops, and Sun Qian hurried back to Xiaopei through the night. Romance, Ch. 22 §5 · 51Romance, Ch. 24 §14–17

In Chapter 26, having drifted to Runan and taken shelter with Liu Pi, he was brought into Guan Yu's camp as a captured spy and told him that Liu Bei was with Yuan Shao. In Chapter 27 he met Guan Yu on the road after Guan Yu had passed through the five passes, told him that the generals in Yuan Shao's camp were jealous of one another and that Liu Bei had already gone to Runan, and turned him aside. In Chapter 28 he went to Hebei with Guan Yu, entered Jizhou alone ahead of him to see Liu Bei, and discussed a plan of escape together with Jian Yong. Romance, Ch. 26 §20–22Romance, Ch. 27 §47–49Romance, Ch. 28 §45 · 47

In Chapter 31 he urged Liu Bei, who had lost heart after being driven off by Cao Cao, to take refuge with Liu Biao, a fellow member of the imperial clan, and went ahead to Jing Province. When Cai Mao proposed cutting off Sun Qian's head and presenting it to Cao Cao, he stood up to him, saying, "I, Sun Qian, am not a man who fears death," whereupon Liu Biao rebuked Cai Mao and came out thirty li beyond the city to welcome Liu Bei. In Chapter 35 he told Liu Biao how Liu Bei had escaped Cai Mao's attempt on his life by leaping across the Tan Stream, and, saying that if Cai Mao were killed Liu Bei could not stay there in peace, had Cai Mao's life spared. Romance, Ch. 31 §38–42Romance, Ch. 35 §20–21

In Chapter 36 he secretly advised that if Xu Shu were kept back, Cao Cao would kill Xu Shu's mother and Xu Shu would then strive with all his might to attack Cao Cao in revenge, but Liu Bei rejected this as neither benevolent nor righteous. In Chapter 54 he went south of the Yangtze with Lü Fan and brought back Sun Quan's promise of a marriage, and in the 10th month, winter, of the 14th year of Jian'an (209), he escorted Liu Bei into Eastern Wu together with Zhao Yun and acted as the groom's matchmaker. In Chapter 65 he took gold and pearls by a byroad to Hanzhong and, through Yang Song, moved Zhang Lu to have Ma Chao stop fighting; after Liu Bei won Yi Province, he was among those promoted and rewarded. Romance, Ch. 36 §25Romance, Ch. 54 §23 · 25 · 28Romance, Ch. 65 §25–26 · 47