Sun Hao - Early Life

Early Life

Sun Hao was born in 242, as Sun He's eldest son, at a time either briefly before or briefly after Sun He was created crown prince following the death of his father Sun Quan's eldest son and first crown prince, Sun Deng, in 241. Sun Hao's mother, Consort He, was a concubine of Sun He.

In 250, when Sun Hao was just eight, after Sun Quan tired of constant disputes between Sun He and his brother Sun Ba (孫霸), he ordered Sun Ba to commit suicide and deposed Sun He, who was exiled to Guzhang (故鄣; in present-day Huzhou, Zhejiang), presumably with his family, and reduced to commoner status. Sun Hao went from the status of eventual presumed heir to being the son of a commoner, albeit the grandson of the emperor.

In 252, Sun He's status was elevated from commoner status, as Sun Quan, just before his death that year, instated him as the Prince of Nanyang, with his fief at Changsha. Indeed, there were rumours, even after Sun He's younger brother Sun Liang took the throne after Sun Quan's death, that the regent Zhuge Ke, an uncle of Sun He's wife Princess Zhang, was interested in restoring Sun He and making him emperor instead. After Zhuge Ke's assassination and replacement by Sun Jun in 253, however, Sun He fell into danger, as Sun Jun had been instrumental in having him deposed in the first place and wanted to eliminate any chance of a comeback. He used the rumours as excuse to have Sun He demoted back to commoner status and exiled to Xindu (新都; in present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang), and then sent messengers to force Sun He to commit suicide. Princess Zhang also committed suicide, but when offered the chance to, Consort He refused, stating that if she died as well, no one would be left to care for Sun He's sons, so she raised Sun Hao and his three brothers by other consorts — Sun De (孫德), Sun Qian (孫謙), and Sun Jun (孫俊, not the same person as the regent). Sun Hao was 11 years old when his father died.

After Sun Liang was deposed by Sun Jun's cousin and successor Sun Chen in 258, another uncle of Sun Hao's, Sun Xiu, became emperor, and that year, Sun Xiu created Sun Hao and his brothers Sun De and Sun Qian marquises. Sun Hao's title was the Marquis of Wucheng, and he was sent to his fief in present-day Huzhou, Zhejiang. At some point, he befriended a magistrate of Wucheng County, Wan Yu, who believed him to be intelligent and studious.

In summer 264, Sun Xiu fell ill and was unable to speak but still could write, so he wrote an edict summoning the chancellor Puyang Xing (濮陽興) to the palace, where he pointed and entrusted his son, crown prince Sun Wan, to Puyang. Sun Xiu died soon thereafter. However, Puyang Xing did not follow his wishes. Rather, after consulting the general Zhang Bu, they believed that the people were, in the light of the recent fall of their ally state Shu Han in 263, yearning for an older emperor. (It is not known how old Sun Wan was at this point, but Sun Xiu himself died at age 29, so it was unlikely that Sun Wan was even a teenager.) At the recommendation of Wan Yu, who was by this point a general, Puyang Xing and Zhang Bu enthroned Sun Hao instead.