Grand Princess Sun Luban was one of the most powerful princesses during the Three Kingdoms era.[1] She was the daughter of Emperor Sun Quan of the Wu Dynasty. She was also very influential and helped establish the next Emperor.[2] She would often maliciously accuse those whom she disliked.[3] She even killed her own sister, Princess Sun Luyu.[4] Thus, Grand Princess Sun Luban was very ruthless.[5]
In circa 215 C.E., Grand Princess Sun Luban was born.[6] She was the elder daughter of Emperor Sun Quan of the Wu Dynasty and Imperial Consort Bu.[7] Her nickname was “Big Tiger.”[8] She had a younger sister named Princess Sun Luyu, whose nickname was “Little Tiger.”[9] Princess Sun Luban married Zhou Xun (the son of her father’s friend, Zhou Yu).[10] However, he died shortly after the marriage.[11] In 229 C.E., Princess Sun Luban married General Quan Cong.[12] Quan Cong was the Governor of Xuzhou (modern-day Jiangsu Province) and was one of her father’s biggest supporters.[13] Because of her husband’s surname, Sun Luban was given the title of Princess Quan.[14] Princess Sun Luban bore Quan Cong two sons named Quan Yi and Quan Wu.[15]
Princess Sun Luban and her sister, Princess Sun Luyu, were very influential in court politics.[16] They worked together to manipulate the court behind the scenes.[17] In 241 C.E., Crown Prince Sun Deng died. Emperor Sun Quan wanted to make Sun He the Crown Prince and his mother, Imperial Consort Wang, as his Empress.[18] However, Princess Sun Luban slandered Prince Sun He and Imperial Consort Wang and was afraid they would take vengeance on her.[19] Therefore, she supported Prince Sun Ba.[20] Princess Sun Luban became estranged from Princess Sun Luyu. This was because Princess Sun Luyu supported Prince Sun He.[21] Princess Sun Luban made false accusations about Imperial Consort Wang until she lost favour.[22] Imperial Consort Wang committed suicide, and Prince Sun He was banished from court.[23]
Princess Sun Luban eventually turned her support to Prince Sun Liang (Sun Quan’s youngest son with Empress Pan).[24] She married Prince Sun Liang to Lady Quan (Princess Sun Luban’s great-niece).[25] In circa 247 C.E., Princess Sun Luban’s husband died.[26] In 252 C.E., Emperor Sun Quan died. Sun Liang ascended the Wu throne as Emperor. His regent was Sun Jun.[27] Sun Jun became Princess Sun Luban’s lover.[28] Sun Jun was said to be greatly disliked by the officials in court.[29]
There were two assassination attempts on Sun Jun’s life.[30] In 254 C.E., Sun Ying planned to assassinate him.[31] However, Sun Jun found out about Sun Ying’s attempt to murder him, and he executed him.[32] When the second attempt happened in 255 C.E., Princess Sun Luban saw an opportunity to get rid of her estranged sister, Princess Sun Luyu.[33] She falsely accused Princess Sun Luyu of the attempted assassination.[34] Sun Jun executed Princess Sun Luyu.[35]
In 256 C.E., Sun Jun died. Sun Lin became regent.[36] Emperor Sun Liang began to be very interested in state affairs and was no longer content to remain a puppet.[37] In 258 C.E., Emperor Sun Liang plotted with Princess Sun Luban (who had received the title of Grand Princess) to eliminate Sun Lin.[38] However, Sun Lin found out about the plot.[39] Sun Lin dethroned Emperor Sun Liang and replaced him with Sun Xiu (Emperor Sun Quan’s sixth son).[40] Grand Princess Sun Luban denied that she was involved in the plot.[41] Instead, she shifted the blame onto the late Princess Sun Luyu’s two stepsons.[42] Princess Sun Luyu’s two stepsons were executed.[43] Grand Princess Sun Luban was banished to Yuzhang Commandery.[44] Grand Princess Sun Luban’s life after her banishment is unknown.[45] Her death date and cause of death remain unrecorded.[46]
Grand Princess Sun Luban was very ruthless.[47] She caused the downfall of those she greatly disliked, especially her half-brother and his mother.[48] She even killed her own sister and took a lover.[49] Even to this day, Grand Princess Sun Luban still has a nefarious reputation in history.[50] Many historians see her as an “aggressor.”[51] Even though she was greatly disliked, Grand Princess Sun Luban wielded immense power and influence during the Three Kingdoms era.[52]
Sources:
Ching-Chung, P. (2015). “Sun Luban”. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. – 618 C.E.. (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; A. D. Stefanowska, Ed.; S. Wiles, Ed.). NY: Routledge. pp. 338-340.
McMahon, K. (2013). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. NY: Rowman and Littlefield.
[1] Ching-Chung, 2015
[2] Ching-Chung, 2015
[3] Ching-Chung, 2015; McMahon, 2013
[4] Ching-Chung, 2015
[5] Ching-Chung, 2015
[6] Ching-Chung, 2015
[7] Ching-Chung, 2015; McMahon, 2013
[8] McMahon, 2013, p. 117
[9] McMahon, 2013, p. 117
[10] Ching-Chung, 2015
[11] Ching-Chung, 2015
[12] Ching-Chung, 2015
[13] Ching-Chung, 2015
[14] Ching-Chung, 2015
[15] Ching-Chung, 2015
[16] Ching-Chung, 2015; McMahon, 2013
[17] Ching-Chung, 2015; McMahon, 2013
[18] Ching-Chung, 2015; McMahon, 2013
[19] McMahon, 2013
[20] Ching-Chung, 2015
[21] Ching-Chung, 2015
[22] McMahon, 2013
[23] McMahon, 2013
[24] Ching-Chung, 2015
[25] Ching-Chung, 2015
[26] Ching-Chung, 2015
[27] Ching-Chung, 2015
[28] Ching-Chung, 2015
[29] Ching-Chung, 2015
[30] Ching-Chung, 2015
[31] Ching-Chung, 2015
[32] Ching-Chung, 2015
[33] Ching-Chung, 2015
[34] Ching-Chung, 2015
[35] Ching-Chung, 2015
[36] Ching-Chung, 2015
[37] Ching-Chung, 2015
[38] Ching-Chung, 2015
[39] Ching-Chung, 2015
[40] Ching-Chung, 2015
[41] Ching-Chung, 2015
[42] Ching-Chung, 2015
[43] Ching-Chung, 2015
[44] Ching-Chung, 2015
[45] Ching-Chung, 2015
[46] Ching-Chung, 2015
[47] Ching-Chung, 2015; McMahon, 2013
[48] Ching-Chung, 2015
[49] Ching-Chung, 2015
[50] Ching-Chung, 2015; McMahon, 2013
[51] Ching-Chung, 2015, p. 339
[52] Ching-Chung, 2”15; McMahon, 2013
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