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2020

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Sun Quan (182-252 AD) was a prominent figure during the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the founder and first emperor of the Eastern Wu kingdom, one of the three major powers vying for control of China after the Han dynasty's collapse.

He inherited control of his family's territories in Jiangdong after the deaths of his older brother, Sun Ce, in 200 AD. Though initially relying on the advice of his advisors, particularly Zhou Yu, Sun Quan proved to be a capable ruler and strategist in his own right.

A defining moment in his early reign was the Battle of Red Cliffs in 208 AD. Allied with Liu Bei, Sun Quan's forces decisively defeated Cao Cao's numerically superior army, preventing Cao Cao from conquering the south and solidifying the foundation for the future Wu kingdom.

Sun Quan declared himself emperor in 229 AD, establishing the Eastern Wu dynasty. His reign was marked by periods of both warfare and diplomacy with the rival kingdoms of Cao Wei and Shu Han. He focused on consolidating his power in the south, developing the region's economy, and establishing a strong naval presence.