Sun Mian孙沔

Where the histories differ

Discrepancy in the order of events between the mission to pacify Hunan and Jiangxi and the death of Jiang Jie

• histories differThe annals record that Sun Mian was ordered to pacify in the eighth month, while Jiang Jie died in battle in the ninth month; the biography states that Sun Mian was only sent by the chancellor after hearing of Jiang Jie's death.

  In the History of Song, Annals of Emperor Renzong, Part 4, it records his appointment in the eighth month: 'On the day Xinmao, the imperial edict ordered Sun Mian, the Direct Scholar of the Privy Council, to pacify Hunan and Jiangxi, with the eunuch Shi Quanbin as his deputy.' And it records Jiang Jie's death in the ninth month: 'In this month, Nong Zhigao attacked and killed Jiang Jie at Taipingchang.' In the History of Song, Biographies of Ren Zhongzheng, Zhong Shi, Zhou Qi, Cheng Lin, Jiang Zun, Fan Yong, Zi Qitan, Zhao Zhen, Ren Bu, Gao Ruona, and Sun Mian, it states that his appointment was after Jiang's death: 'The next day, hearing of Jiang Jie's death, the emperor said to his ministers, "The southern affairs are indeed as Sun Mian predicted." Chancellor Pang Ji memorialized to send Sun Mian, appointing him as the Pacification Commissioner for the Hunan and Jiangxi circuits.'