Sun Xiu 孫休

Sun Xiu's mother, Lady Wang, won Sun Quan's favor during the Jiahe era and bore him. At thirteen Sun Xiu studied under the Gentleman of the Palace Secretariat She Ci and the Gentleman of the Palace Sheng Chong, and at the end of the Chiwu era Sun Quan took Lady Zhu, daughter of Zhu Ju, as his consort. In the 1st month of the 2nd year of Taiyuan (252) he was enfeoffed as Prince of Langya and lived at Hulin. Records, Wu 5 §23 · 31Records, Wu 3 §20

In the 4th month of that year Sun Quan died and Sun Xiu's younger brother Sun Liang succeeded him. Zhuge Ke, who held power, did not want the princes to be in the military strongholds along the Yangtze, and moved Sun Xiu to Danyang Commandery. When Li Heng, Administrator of Danyang, repeatedly harassed him on various pretexts, Sun Xiu petitioned to move and went to Kuaiji. During the Wufeng era, when Sun Jun, listening to Princess Quan (Sun Luban), unjustly put to death Princess Zhu (Sun Luyu), the mother of Sun Xiu's consort Lady Zhu, Sun Xiu in fear sent his consort back to Jianye, but Sun Jun returned her to him. Records, Wu 3 §20Records, Wu 5 §31–32

After he had spent some years in Kuaiji, he dreamed that he was riding a dragon up to heaven and, looking back, could not see its tail. In the 9th month of the 3rd year of Taiping (258) Sun Chen deposed Sun Liang and, on the advice of the Commandant of the Guard Shi Zheng, sent the Director of the Imperial Clan Sun Kai and the Gentleman of the Palace Secretariat Dong Chao to receive Sun Xiu. At first Sun Xiu was suspicious and stayed for a day and two nights before setting out. In the 10th month at Qu'e an old man kowtowed and begged him to hurry, saying, 'When matters drag on, trouble arises'; Sun Xiu thought this right and that same day pressed on as far as Busai Pavilion. Records, Wu 3 §18 · 21–22Records, Wu 19 §90

At Yongchang Pavilion, Sun En came to meet him at the head of the officials. Sun Xiu advanced in a hand-drawn carriage and received the obeisance of the ministers, and after declining three times he accepted the imperial seal and tallies. When Sun Chen, leading a thousand soldiers, bowed at the roadside, Sun Xiu got down from his carriage and bowed in return. That same day he entered the main hall, proclaimed a general amnesty and changed the reign title. This year was the 3rd year of Ganlu in Wei. Records, Wu 3 §22–23

In the 10th month of the 1st year of Yong'an (258) he rewarded those who had received him, making Sun Chen Chancellor and Governor of Jing Province and Zhang Bu General Who Assists Righteousness and Marquis of Yongkang, among others. To Li Heng, the Administrator of Danyang who had harassed him, he said that 'shooting the belt hook and cutting off the sleeve were each done for the lord of the time', and sent him back to his commandery so that he would have no misgivings. He enfeoffed his nephew Sun Hao as Marquis of Wucheng. As Sun Chen's family had produced five marquises, all commanding the palace guards, and his power overshadowed the sovereign's, Sun Xiu, fearing an upheaval, repeatedly added to his rewards. Records, Wu 3 §24–26 · 48

When Sun Chen offered beef and wine and Sun Xiu did not accept them, Sun Chen went to Zhang Bu and complained that without him the emperor would never have been set up, and Zhang Bu reported this. When Sun Chen asked through Meng Zong (Meng Ren) to go out and garrison Wuchang, Sun Xiu granted it and ordered that he be given more than ten thousand elite troops of the Central Camp and the weapons of the armory. When the general Wei Miao and the Martial Guardsman Shi Shuo reported signs of rebellion, Sun Xiu secretly consulted Zhang Bu, and Ding Feng, recommended by Zhang Bu, proposed killing Sun Chen at the La festival assembly. Records, Wu 19 §97–98Records, Wu 3 §28Records, Wu 10 §104

On the wuchen day of the 12th month of the 1st year of Yong'an (early 259 CE), Sun Chen pleaded illness to avoid the La festival assembly, but Sun Xiu sent messengers more than ten times and forced him to come. When a fire broke out outside the palace and Sun Chen tried to leave, Sun Xiu stopped him, saying, 'There are plenty of troops outside; there is no need to trouble the Chancellor', and Ding Feng and Zhang Bu signaled to the attendants to bind him. When Sun Chen begged to be exiled to Jiao Province, Sun Xiu asked why he had not exiled Teng Yin and Lü Ju, and had him beheaded. He had Sun Jun's coffin dug up and his seal and ribbon taken, and had Zhuge Ke, Teng Yin and Lü Ju reburied. Ashamed to be of the same clan as Sun Jun and Sun Chen, Sun Xiu struck them from the register of the imperial clan. Records, Wu 3 §28Records, Wu 19 §99–102

Sun Xiu issued an edict establishing school officials and appointing Erudites of the Five Classics. In the 3rd month of the 2nd year of Yong'an (259), declaring that he would lay down arms and cultivate learning, he asked whether it was not because taxes were heavy that the people abandoned farming to trade on the Yangtze, and had his ministers discuss ways to open up more farmland and lighten taxes. Records, Wu 3 §30–34

In the 3rd year of Yong'an (260), on the proposal of the Commandant Yan Mi, the Puli Dike was built. The Biography of Puyang Xing records that when all the officials opposed it, he alone said it could be done, and that the cost was beyond counting and soldiers died, so the people resented it bitterly. In the same year a rumor spread in Kuaiji Commandery that Sun Liang would return to become Son of Heaven again, and it was reported that Sun Liang had had a shaman utter ill-omened words. Sun Liang was demoted to Marquis of Houguan and killed himself on the way to his fief. Records, Wu 3 §35Records, Wu 19 §105

In the 5th year of Yong'an (262) he made Lady Zhu empress and his son Sun Wan crown prince, and appointed Puyang Xing Chancellor. Sun Xiu entrusted affairs to Puyang Xing and Zhang Bu, to whom he owed old favors, Zhang Bu taking charge of the palace and Puyang Xing of military and state affairs. Sun Xiu wished to read all the writings of the Hundred Schools, and put down his books only when he went out pheasant shooting in spring and summer. When he wished to hold discussions with the Libationer of the Erudites Wei Yao and the Erudite Sheng Chong, Zhang Bu, fearing that his faults would be exposed, blocked it. Sun Xiu rebuked him, saying that he had already read all about treacherous ministers and rebels, but fearing that Zhang Bu would become suspicious and afraid, he gave up the discussions in the end. Records, Wu 3 §37–42

That year he sent inspectors to Jiaozhi to requisition peacocks and great pigs, and in the 5th month of the 6th year of Yong'an (263), Lü Xing and other officials of Jiaozhi Commandery stirred up soldiers and commoners who feared being carried off again, and killed the Administrator Sun Xu. In the 10th month, when Shu reported Wei's attack, he had the General-in-Chief Ding Feng head for Shouchun and sent other generals to Nan Commandery and Mianzhong, but called them off at the news that Liu Shan had surrendered to Wei. On the guiwei day of the 7th month of the 7th year of Yong'an (264), Sun Xiu died at the age of thirty; his posthumous title was Emperor Jing. On the advice of Wan Yu, Puyang Xing and Zhang Bu set aside Sun Xiu's legitimate heir and put Sun Hao on the throne. Records, Wu 3 §42–46Records, Wu 19 §106

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Sun Xiu employed Puyang Xing and Zhang Bu out of old affection and past favors and failed to promote outstanding men to reform the government, so that even though he was well-intentioned and loved learning, of what help was that in remedying the disorder? He also wrote that in not letting the already deposed Sun Liang die a natural death, Sun Xiu showed little brotherly duty. Records, Wu 3 §88