Historical Record
Sun Fen, styled Ziyang, was the fifth son of Sun Quan, the Great Emperor of Wu. In his early years he was enfeoffed as King of Qi, with his fief at Wuchang. Sun Fen's character was rather wanton and overstepping, and he conducted himself without regard for the rules, which left him with a poor reputation among the court ministers. On one occasion, over some trivial matter, he went so far as to kill his own Tutor and Chancellor; this act undoubtedly overstepped the propriety between lord and subject, and revealed the violent side of his character. To the remonstrances of others, Sun Fen often paid no heed, and would even grow angry on hearing remonstrance, so that many loyal and upright men dared not lightly offer counsel. These actions of his at last brought disaster upon him. According to the histories, Sun Fen was in the end reduced to commoner status and exiled to Zhang'an. His end was precisely the inevitable result of his character flaws and improper conduct. In the later period of the Eastern Wu regime, on account of these problems, Sun Fen was unable to become a strong contender for the throne, nor able to play an important role on the political stage. His life is more a sidelight reflecting the internal strife and power struggles of the imperial house.
In the Novel
Romance of the Three Kingdoms gives no separate literary shaping to Sun Fen, and his deeds are scarcely mentioned in the novel, or pass by only as background in a single stroke. Therefore, the "in the novel" portion concerning Sun Fen cannot, like that of other important figures, unfold a detailed plot or characterization. This means that, in composing the work, the author may have judged that Sun Fen's life had little bearing on the overall narrative, or that his character and political fortunes were not enough to form engaging literary material. In the grand historical scroll of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Sun Fen's presence is negligible, and the reader can obtain from the novel no richer image of him or deeper reading. This accords with the situation that, though he has a record in the official histories, it is limited in length, and the novel gives him no additional artistic embellishment or extension of plot. Therefore, the novelistic image of Sun Fen may be said to be a blank, all his image and deeds being confined to the historical record.
Key Relationships
* Wu Jing (parent_of): Sun Fen was the son of Wu Jing, that is, the fifth son of Sun Quan, the Great Emperor of Wu. This blood relationship granted him the rank of King of Qi and the status of a member of the imperial house, but it could not prevent the misfortune his own conduct brought upon him. As an imperial son he should have enjoyed honor, but his wanton and overstepping character at last led to a tragic end.
* Eastern Wu (member_of): Sun Fen was a member of the Eastern Wu imperial house, dwelling at the center of power of the Eastern Wu regime. However, his conduct failed to uphold the dignity of the imperial house, and instead, through acts such as killing his Tutor and Chancellor and growing angry on hearing remonstrance, cast a certain negative influence on the political stability of Eastern Wu. His role in the Eastern Wu regime serves more as a cautionary example, a warning to later generations.
* Xie Ci (enemy_of): The historical material does not clearly record any adversarial relationship between Sun Fen and Xie Ci. This "Xie Ci (enemy_of)" may be a misattribution or a folk legend not recorded in the official histories (novel only). In the official record, Sun Fen's enemies were more the consequences of his own character flaws and improper conduct than any particular personal grudge.
Iconic Scenes
* Killing his Tutor and Chancellor, growing angry on hearing remonstrance: This is the most iconic event in Sun Fen's life and a concentrated embodiment of his character flaws. As King of Qi, he should have accepted the assistance and counsel of his Tutor and Chancellor, but he killed them in a fit of his own anger. This act not only overstepped the propriety between lord and subject, but also exposed his violent character and his inability to heed remonstrance. This scene directly led to the end of his political career and at last to his being reduced to commoner status and exiled to Zhang'an. This event profoundly reveals Sun Fen's personal tragedy, and shows that under the imperial system, even an imperial son might pay a heavy price for his own improper conduct.
* Being reduced to commoner status and exiled to Zhang'an: This was the final end of Sun Fen's life and the inevitable result of his wanton, overstepping, and remonstrance-resenting conduct. From the honored King of Qi to a commoner, banished to a remote place, this scene marks the complete end of his political life. It is not only a punishment for Sun Fen's personal conduct, but also reflects the strict requirements of the Eastern Wu regime regarding the conduct of members of the imperial house. Though set down in but a few words in the histories, this scene carries a profound cautionary meaning—that even an imperial relative must observe the law, or else taste the bitter fruit of his own making. Since Romance of the Three Kingdoms lacks any depiction of Sun Fen, these iconic scenes are found solely in the historical record.
Relationships
4 relationships
Family2
Enemies2
Chapters3 回 ▸
- 史ch.47ch.50ch.59
Inner monologues · AI-generated1 段 ▸
- My name was Fen, though this volume does not record my courtesy name. I was a son of the Wu ruler Quan and was enfeoffed