Sun Quan was the second son of Sun Jian, the Governor of Changsha. Sun Jian was killed in a battle against Liu Biao.

With the assistance from Sun Jian's former aides and staff, his eldest son, Sun Ce, destroyed all the minor lords in the south of the Great River. He intended to occupy the 
entire Wu area and then the whole realm, but died of a sudden illness when he was only
 
After Su Ce's death, Sun Quan took over the estate left by his late father and elder brother. Sun Quan treated worthy men with respect and attracted many talented people to his service. In alliance with Liu Bei, Sun Quan won a stunning victory against Cao Cao in the Battle of Red Cliffs. From then on, with the natural barrier of the Great River and by employing just and able rule, he was ultimately able to establish the Kingdom of Wu in the south of China.