Sun Qian

Sun Qian (died c. 214), style name Gongyou, was an official serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

Life
Sun Qian was a native of Beihai (北海) commandery, whose capital was around present-day Shouguang, Weifang, Shandong. He was recommended by Zheng Xuan to serve under Liu Bei as an Assistant Officer (從事) when Liu Bei succeeded Tao Qian as the Governor (牧) of Xu Province in 194. He remained as a subordinate of Liu Bei since then.

In 198, when Liu Bei was planning to break free of Cao Cao's control by leaving the capital Xu (許; present-day Xuchang, Henan), he sent Sun Qian and Mi Zhu to secretly contact Cao's rivals Yuan Shao and Liu Biao and form alliances with them. After Yuan Shao's death in 202, Liu Biao once wrote to Yuan Shao's third son and successor, Yuan Shang, and mentioned the rivalry between Yuan Shang and his eldest brother Yuan Tan. Liu Biao wrote: "Whenever I discussed this issue (the rivalry between you and your brother) with General Liu (Liu Bei) and Sun Gongyou, I feel very upset and heartbroken." Sun Qian was held in high regard by Liu Bei and even Liu Biao.

In the 210s, after Liu Bei had successfully seized control of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) from its governor Liu Zhang and established his new base in Chengdu (Yi Province's capital), he promoted Sun Qian to the position of "General Who Upholds Loyalty" (秉忠將軍). Liu Bei's treatment towards Sun Qian was second to that of Mi Zhu, but equal to that of Jian Yong and others. Sun Qian died not long later. Sun Qian's year of death was not specified, but the Australian sinologist Rafe de Crespigny estimated that he died around 214.

Appraisal
Chen Shou, who wrote Sun Qian's biography, commented as follows: "Mi Zhu, Sun Qian, Jian Yong and Yi Ji were refined and cultured persons whose ideas were widely circulated. They were well known for their good observation of the proprieties."