| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 孙霸, 孫霸, Sūn Bà |
| Nickname | Prince of Lu |
| Other name | Tôn Bá |
| Courtesy name | 子威, 子威, Zǐwēi, Zi Wei, tự Tử Uy |
| INFORMATION | |
| Birth Place | Eastern Wu (princely household of Sun Quan) |
| Died | 250 |
| Death Reason | Forced to commit suicide by order of his father, Sun Quan, after the Lu Xun/Yang Zhu incident and the succession struggle between him and his brother Sun He. |
| FAMILY | |
| Father | |
| Mother | |
| Children | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Eastern Wu |
| Battles | Two Palaces Contention (political purge, not a named field battle) |
Biography & Historical Record
Sun Ba (孙霸, Tôn Bá) (died 250 AD), courtesy name Ziwei (子威, Tử Uy), fourth son of Sun Quan (孙权, Tôn Quyền) and Lady Wang, was created Prince of Lu in 242. Sun Quan’s equal treatment of Ba and crown prince Sun He (孙和, Tôn Hòa) ignited the Two Palaces Contention. Ba’s clique included Grand Commander Quan Cong (全琮, Toàn Tông), Grand Chancellor Bu Zhi (步骘, Bộ Chất), strategist Yang Zhu (杨笁, Dương Trúc), and powerful half-sister Sun Luban (孙鲁班, Tôn Lỗ Ban). Their attacks on the heir’s party persecuted Lu Xun (陆逊, Lục Tốn) and other loyalists until the aging emperor, seeing the realm wrecked, executed chief conspirators and ordered Sun Ba to commit suicide in 250.
Historically Ba is the ambitious younger prince whose faction nearly tore Wu apart; the novel compresses the same moral—imperial favoritism breeding civil war inside one house. His death closed one half of the dual-palace wound but did not restore Sun He; Sun Quan instead elevated child Sun Liang (孙亮, Tôn Lượng).
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms stages Sun Ba as the rival prince whose palace challenges Sun He’s legitimacy. Court ministers divide; slander and privilege escalate; Sun Quan’s late crackdown kills Ba’s partisans and Ba himself. The episode is the novel’s chief illustration of Wu’s self-destructive succession politics after Sun Deng (孙登, Tôn Đăng) dies.
Sun Ba (孙霸) — Historical & Literary Timeline
Prince of Lu
Created Prince of Lu with retinues rivaling the crown prince’s.
Two Palaces Contention
Leads a faction against Sun He with Quan Cong, Bu Zhi, Yang Zhu, and Sun Luban.
Forced suicide
Sun Quan executes conspirators and orders Sun Ba to die; succession shifts to Sun Liang.
See Sun Ba on Wikipedia and SGZ accounts of the Two Palaces.
Key Relationships
Family
- Sun Quan (孙权, Tôn Quyền): Father who first spoiled then destroyed him.
- Lady Wang: Mother.
- Sun He (孙和, Tôn Hòa): Elder half-brother and rival heir.
- Sun Luban (孙鲁班, Tôn Lỗ Ban): Half-sister and political ally.
Friends
- Quan Cong (全琮, Toàn Tông), Yang Zhu (杨笁, Dương Trúc), Quan Ji (全寄, Toàn Ký): Core of the Prince of Lu’s clique.
- Bu Zhi (步骘, Bộ Chất): Grand Chancellor allied with Ba’s palace.
Enemies
Other
- Sun Deng (孙登, Tôn Đăng): Dead elder brother whose vacant heirship made the dual-palace struggle possible.
In Novel
Chapter 75
- Sun Ba (孙霸, Tôn Bá): Son of Sun Quan (孙权, Tôn Quyền) drawn into succession politics around Sun He (孙和, Tôn Hòa); equal favor and princely title set up the dual-palace rivalry.
Chapter 108
- Sun Ba (孙霸, Tôn Bá): The feud with Sun He’s faction wrecks Wu governance. Conspirators fall; Sun Ba is forced to die as Sun Quan enforces a brutal settlement and clears the path for a younger heir. Scene detail stresses faction lists, slander, and the emperor’s late fury rather than open warfare.
In History
Summary
- Sun Ba (孙霸, Tôn Bá), courtesy Ziwei (子威), Prince of Lu, was the younger rival of crown prince Sun He in the Two Palaces Contention; forced to suicide in 250.
Year: 242 AD
- Created Prince of Lu with privileges matching the heir’s household—seed of dual courts.
Year: 250 AD
- Sun Quan executes Yang Zhu and other partisans; orders Sun Ba’s suicide; deposes Sun He; elevates Sun Liang.
Historical Record
- Sanguozhi Wu records on Sun Ba / Two Palaces; Pei notes on Lu Xun’s persecution. Historical throughout.
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