Sun Kai

Historical Record

Sun Kai, style unknown, was a son of the Eastern Wu general Sun Shao of the Three Kingdoms period. After Sun Shao died in the fourth year of Chiwu, his son Sun Yue succeeded him, rising to General of the Right. Sun Kai served as Grand General of the Martial Guard and Marquis of Lincheng, and succeeded his elder brother Sun Yue as Supervisor of Jingxia.^[1] Sun Kai's younger brother Sun Yi rose to Commander of the Army, Sun Yi (another brother) became Chamberlain of the Imperial Clan, and Sun Hui served as Administrator of Wuling—showing that the Sun clan held distinguished positions in the Eastern Wu court.

In the first year of Tianxi, Sun Hao summoned Sun Kai to court and appointed him Agile Cavalry General Guarding the Palace.^[1] However, during the Yong'an years, Shi Dan and others abducted Sun Hao's younger brother Sun Qian and attacked Jianye. In this affair, someone reported to Sun Hao that Sun Kai harbored a divided heart, having failed to set out at once to suppress the rebellion. Sun Hao therefore repeatedly sent men to interrogate Sun Kai, leaving Sun Kai constantly anxious and uneasy. In the end, after being summoned by Sun Hao, Sun Kai, taking his wife and several hundred personal troops, defected to the Jin dynasty.^[1]

The Jin dynasty placed great value on Sun Kai's surrender, appointing him Chariots and Cavalry General and enfeoffing him as Marquis of Danyang. The Eulogies of the Various Lords of Jin records that after Wu was pacified, Sun Kai was demoted to General Who Crosses the Liao, and died in the first year of Yong'an. The Records of Wu, meanwhile, assesses that Sun Kai was less meticulous in his conduct of affairs than Sun Xiu, but enjoyed greater renown among the populace.^[1] Sun Kai's life, from a distinguished Eastern Wu general to his eventual defection to Jin, reflects the rise and fall of individual fortunes amid the political turmoil at the end of the Three Kingdoms.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Sun Kai's image appears chiefly at the crucial moment when Sun Chen deposed the Wu sovereign Sun Liang and installed Sun Xiu as emperor. In the novel, Sun Chen sent the Chamberlain of the Imperial Clan Sun Kai and the Secretariat Gentleman Dong Chao to Hulin to welcome the Prince of Langya, Sun Xiu, back to the capital to take the throne.^[2] This episode is not clearly recorded in the histories; it is a literary invention of the novel to enrich the plot and the web of character relations.

In the process of welcoming Sun Xiu, Sun Kai played the important role of envoy. Together with Dong Chao, he escorted Sun Xiu back from Hulin to Jianye. Upon reaching Qu'e, they met an old man who called himself Gan Xiu, who advised Sun Xiu, "When matters drag on, change is sure to come; may Your Highness make haste," and Sun Xiu thanked him. Then at Busai Pavilion, the general Sun En came to greet them. When Sun Xiu entered Jianye, he dared not ride in the imperial carriage, but chose to enter the city in a small cart, and hastily dismounted to return the courtesy of the officials who came to pay homage. In these details, though Sun Kai is not the protagonist, as a member of the escort he witnessed Sun Xiu's caution and humility before and after taking the throne.^[2]

After Sun Xiu took the throne, he granted a general amnesty and changed the reign title to the first year of Yong'an. Sun Chen was enfeoffed as Chancellor and Governor of Jing Province, his power overshadowing the court. The novel does not detail Sun Kai's specific offices and activities after Sun Xiu took the throne, but through his part in welcoming the new sovereign, it shapes the image of a member of the royal clan carrying out an important task amid political upheaval. The novel makes no mention of Sun Kai's defection to Jin, its main ink concentrated on this particular historical moment of welcoming Sun Xiu.^[2]

Key Relationships

* Sun Xiu (serves): In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Sun Kai, dispatched by Sun Chen, welcomed the Prince of Langya Sun Xiu back to the capital to take the throne, playing an important role in the process of Sun Xiu's accession.^[2] In the historical record, Sun Kai was of the junior generation to Sun Xiu, and during Sun Xiu's reign held key posts such as Grand General of the Martial Guard and Supervisor of Jingxia, an important minister of the Eastern Wu royal clan.^[1]
* The Sima clan (defected_to): The histories record that Sun Kai, because of Sun Hao's suspicion, finally led his wife and several hundred personal troops to defect to the Jin dynasty, and was appointed by Jin as Chariots and Cavalry General and enfeoffed as Marquis of Danyang.^[1] This key relationship is not mentioned in Romance of the Three Kingdoms (novel-only).
* Sun Shao (father): Sun Kai was a son of the famed Eastern Wu general Sun Shao, inheriting the military and political influence of the Sun clan. After Sun Shao's death, Sun Kai and his brothers held key posts in the Eastern Wu court.^[1]
* Sun Chen (master): In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Sun Kai, on the orders of Sun Chen, went to Hulin to welcome Sun Xiu. This shows that during Sun Chen's domination, Sun Kai was an important subordinate and executor for him.^[2] (novel-only)
* Sun Hao (master): In the historical record, Sun Kai, during the later part of Sun Hao's rule, chose to defect to Jin because of Sun Hao's suspicion. Sun Hao's interrogation of Sun Kai directly brought about Sun Kai's flight.^[1]

Signature Scenes

* Welcoming Sun Xiu to take the throne: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Sun Kai's most signature scene is his going, together with Dong Chao, to Hulin to welcome the Prince of Langya Sun Xiu back to the capital to take the throne. This event was a crucial moment in the change of the Eastern Wu regime, and Sun Kai, as envoy, witnessed and took part in this historical process, including such details as Sun Xiu meeting the old man's advice at Qu'e and being greeted by the general Sun En at Busai Pavilion.^[2] (novel-only)
* Defecting to Jin: In the historical record, Sun Kai, suspected by Sun Hao of harboring a divided heart, after the affair of Shi Dan abducting Sun Qian and attacking Jianye, was repeatedly interrogated by men sent by Sun Hao, leaving him anxious and fearful. In the end, Sun Kai led his wife and several hundred personal troops to defect to the Jin dynasty, and was appointed by Jin as Chariots and Cavalry General and enfeoffed as Marquis of Danyang. This was a major turning point in Sun Kai's life, marking his complete break with the Eastern Wu regime.^[1]
* Serving as Supervisor of Jingxia: After Sun Shao's death, Sun Kai succeeded his elder brother Sun Yue as Supervisor of Jingxia, one of the important posts he held during his Eastern Wu years. The Supervisor of Jingxia was responsible for the defense of the capital, showing Sun Kai's standing within the Eastern Wu military system.^[1]
* Agile Cavalry General Guarding the Palace: In the first year of Tianxi, Sun Hao summoned Sun Kai to court and appointed him Agile Cavalry General Guarding the Palace. This appointment should have been a further advance in Sun Kai's career, yet it also became the beginning of Sun Hao's suspicion of him, ultimately leading to his fate of defecting to Jin.^[1]