Sun Quan

The old chronicles say

In the fifteenth year of Jian’an, that is, 210, Sun Quan sent Bo Chat to be regional inspector of Giao Chau. The Tam quoc chi uses a very compact phrase for Si Nhiep’s response: he led his brothers in accepting Bo Chat’s direction. There was no battle. The Wu made Si Nhiep General of the Left; at the end of the Jian’an era Si Nhiep sent his son Si Ham to them as a hostage, and later rose to General of the Guard, with the title Marquis of Long Bien.¹

According to the biography of Si Nhiep, after Si Nhiep died Sun Quan split the province in two: the northern part, Quang Chau, he gave to Lu Dai; the southern part, Giao Chau, to Dai Luong; and he sent Tran Thi to replace Si Nhiep as governor of Giao Chi. Si Nhiep’s son, Si Huy, declared himself governor of Giao Chi and sent out his clan’s troops to resist.¹

The biography of Lu Dai tells it differently: Sun Quan does not simply strip Huy of office but makes him General Who Brings Peace to Distant Lands, governing Cuu Chan, which is to say moves him to another commandery; when Huy hears that Lu Dai is coming he is afraid, leads his brothers, six men, out stripped to the waist to meet him, and Dai beheads them all. Pei Songzhi’s commentary quotes Sun Sheng rebuking Lu Dai for taking the chance to destroy Huy and his brothers for the sake of merit, and saying that from this the gentleman knows Sun Quan had no far-sighted plans.²³