Later depiction of Sun Quan
Later depiction of Sun Quan · 7 世纪A transmitted or later depiction, not presented as a contemporary documentary portraitYan LibenSource·Public domain

CIVILIZATION DOSSIER

Sun Quan孙权

Wu (Sun)History × Fiction

Sun Ce's younger brother, defended Xuancheng.

DIRECT FIGURES
103
RELATION RECORDS
170
SOURCE WORKS
7

RELATIONSHIP COMPASS

Sun Quan, and the people around them.

Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.

01
KINSHIP

Kinship

Blood, marriage and sworn bonds

7 figures · 9 records
3 more in the complete record
02
ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance

Rulers, appointments and allegiance

12 figures · 17 records
8 more in the complete record
03
CONFLICT

Conflict

Battles, captures and defeat

10 figures · 14 records
6 more in the complete record

12 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.

FeatureGuan Yu: From Historical General to Literary DeityGuan Yu did not move from chronicle to altar in a single step. Records of the Three Kingdoms records his victories, choices and defeat; Romance of the Three Kingdoms rearranges that material and, in Chapter 77, lets his spirit manifest at Mount Yuquan. This feature compares what those two texts do. It does not use the novel as history or reduce the much larger history of Guan worship to one literary episode.FeatureFact vs Fiction in the Three Kingdoms: Records of the Three Kingdoms vs. Romance of the Three KingdomsThe 14th-century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms shaped the iconic figures of the Three Kingdoms era (220–280 AD), yet literary embellishment departs significantly from historical reality. Author Luo Guanzhong drew upon Chen Shou's 3rd-century Records of the Three Kingdoms and Pei Songzhi's historical commentary, while blending folklore and folk theater into a sweeping artistic reimagining. Many beloved scenes and character portrayals do not reflect historical fact. Grounded in primary historical texts, this article compares official records with romanticized fiction to untangle the narrative framing behind the exalting of Liu Bei and depreciating of Cao Cao, uncovering the true historical identities of figures like Guan Yu, Zhou Yu, and Lu Su.
Event · 208 CEBattle of Red CliffsSun Quan sent Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu to join Liu Bei against Cao Cao. Huang Gai's feigned surrender and fire ships broke Cao's fleet; the novel later added the borrowed east wind.

In history · Records of the Three Kingdoms

Monarch of Wu, courtesy name Zhongmou, founded Eastern Wu and proclaimed emperor. ; Monarch of Eastern Wu, employed Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and Lü Meng. ; Monarch of Eastern Wu, allied with Liu Bei against Cao Cao.

In fiction · Romance of the Three Kingdoms · Book of the Later Han · Extensive Records of the Taiping Era · Researches into Lost Records · In Search of the Supernatural · Biographies of Divine Transcendents

Sun Ce's younger brother, defended Xuancheng. ; Sun Ce's younger brother, inherited Jiangdong, later proclaimed emperor. ; Lord of Jiangdong, inherited his father and brother's legacy, widely recruited worthy men.

Across source works

How this figure changes across texts

Works are shown side by side, not as a chronology. No influence between texts is inferred.

  1. Official history

    Book of the Later Han

    5 profile notes
    3 relations3 verified quotations
    • Cao CaosuppressSun Quan
    • Sun CebrothersSun Quan
    • Sun Quanruler-subjectZhou Yu
    Verified original text · 3
    1. 会南征孙权,表请彧劳军于谯

      conquer · Book of the Later Han, 郑孔荀列传

    2. 弟权袭其馀业

      brothers · Book of the Later Han, 孝献帝纪

    1 more verified quotation in the relationship records below.

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  2. 41 profile notes
    25 relations52 verified quotations
    • Cao CaosuppressSun Quan
    • Sun QuanhostileCao Cao
    • Cao Caoappoint officialSun Quan
    • Sun QuansubmitCao Cao
    Verified original text · 52
    1. 吾所虑者,刘备、孙权耳

      suppress · Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 40

    2. 曹操起军四十万来报赤壁之仇

      battle · Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 61

    50 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  3. 88 profile notes
    36 relations61 verified quotations
    • Cao CaosuppressSun Quan
    • Sun QuanhostileCao Cao
    • Cao Caoappoint officialSun Quan
    • Sun QuanhostileLiu Bei
    Verified original text · 61
    1. 公征孙权

      suppress · Records of the Three Kingdoms, 魏书·武帝纪

    2. 大破曹公军

      battle · Records of the Three Kingdoms, 吴书·吴主传

    59 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  4. 1 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

    Open work page

  5. Literature / legend

    Researches into Lost Records

    1 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

    Open work page

  6. 3 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

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  7. 13 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

    Open work page

History vs. fiction

In official history, he was the founding emperor of Eastern Wu, known for his strategic command of Jiangdong and skill in employing people; in the novel, he is reduced to an indecisive ruler.

Relationship network

36 figures · 302 links
Sun QuanSun QuanCao CaoCao CaoLiu BeiLiu BeiZhuge LiangZhuge LiangGuan YuGuan YuCao PiCao PiSima YiSima YiSun CeSun CeCao RuiCao RuiYuan ShuYuan ShuLiu BiaoLiu BiaoZhou YuSun HaoZhuge KeZhang LiaoSun JianLu XunLu MengLiu ZhangLiu ShanCao RenZhang ZhaoLu SuZhong HuiGongsun YuanGan NingZhuge JinDing FengPang TongCao XiuSun XiuFei YiChen DengZhu RanCheng PuPan Zhang
historyliteraturedual
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Sources: Records of the Three Kingdoms, 吴书·刘繇太史慈士燮传; Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 15; Book of the Later Han, 刘焉袁术吕布列传; Extensive Records of the Taiping Era, 伎巧一; Researches into Lost Records, 卷八; In Search of the Supernatural, ch. 1; Biographies of Divine Transcendents, 葛玄·左慈·王遥·陈永伯·太山老父·巫炎·河上公·刘根; Records of the Three Kingdoms, 吴书·吴主五子传

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Compiled with AI assistance from public-domain texts; for cultural reference. Mythological accounts vary — corrections welcome.