Sun Hao - Fall of Eastern Wu

Fall of Eastern Wu

In 279, after Sima Yan accepted the advice of Wang Jun and Du Yu did Jin finally launched a major attack aiming to conquer Eastern Wu. The attack was in six prongs, with the forces led by Sima Yan's uncle Sima Zhou, Wang Hun (王渾), Wang Rong, Hu Fen (胡奮), Du, and Wang Jun, with the largest forces under Wang Hun and Wang Jun's commands. Each of the Jin forces advanced quickly and captured the border cities that they were targeting, with Wang Jun's fleet heading east down the Yangtze and clearing the river of Wu fleets. The Wu chancellor Zhang Ti made a last-ditch attempt to defeat Wang Hun's force, but was defeated and killed. Wang Hun, Wang Jun, and Sima Zhou each headed for Jianye, and Sun Hao was forced to surrender in the spring of 280.

Sun Hao and his clan were escorted to the Jin capital Luoyang. Sun Hao, now a captive, humiliated himself by covering himself with mud and having himself bound behind his back. Sima Yan had him unbound and seated next to himself at the next imperial gathering, commenting "I have set this seat for you for a long time." Sun Hao's response was, "I also had a seat for your imperial majesty in Jianye." When the Jin official Jia Chong, seeking to humiliate Sun, asked him, "I heard that you had such cruel punishments as poking out people's eyes and peeling the facial skin off people. What kind of punishment is this?" Sun Hao's response was, "If a subordinate planned to murder his emperor or was treacherous, I would use those punishments on him." Jia Chong, who was instrumental in Wei's emperor Cao Mao's death, was humiliated and could not further respond.

Sima Yan pardoned Sun Hao and further granted the latter the title of "Marquis of Guiming". Sun Hao's sons were made junior officials in the Jin government. Sun Hao died in 284.