Sun Li

孫禮
Courtesy name: Deda (德達)
Died
250
Ancestral home
Rongcheng, Zhuo (Rongcheng County, Hebei)
Book mentions
32
Roles:
general
Factions:
Cao Wei (primary)
Links:
Appears in 7 chapters:
  • Chapter 95 — Ma Su's Disobedience Causes The Loss Of Jieting; Zhuge Liang's Lute Repulses The Army Of Sima Yi.
    Sent with Xin Pi and fifty thousand to assist Cao Zhen, and posted with him at the Gu Valley entrance to spring on anything that comes through.
  • Chapter 97 — Sending A Second Memorial, Zhuge Liang Renews The Attack On Wei; Forging A Letter, Jiang Wei Defeats The Northern Army.
    Detached with Guo Huai to hold a position west while Cao Zhen keeps the centre — part of the standing defence Cao Zhen sets before Chencang is threatened.
  • Chapter 98 — Pursuing The Shu Army, Wang Shuang Meets His Death; Raiding Chencang, Zhuge Liang Scores A Victory.
    Proposes and runs the decoy convoy: march out to Qishan as if escorting grain from the West Valley Land, the carts loaded with wood and reeds sprinkled with sulfur and saltpeter, so the starving Shu troops seize them and burn in their own camp. Introduced through a tiger story - out hunting with Cao Rui on Great Rock Hill he jumped from the saddle and killed a tiger in front of the royal chariot with his sword, and was given a Commandership for it; an intimate friend of Cao Zhen. The plan is turned inside out on him: Ma Dai fires the carts first, Ma Zheng and Zhang Ni close from behind and have him 'as in a net', and he cuts his way out through the smoke with a remnant. Later sent to hold Yongcheng.
  • Chapter 99 — Zhuge Liang Defeats The Wei Army; Sima Yi Invades The West River Land.
    Rides with Guo Huai on the flanking mission and gives the chapter's flat verdict on the two commanders: asked how Sima Yi compares with Zhuge Liang, he answers 'Zhuge Liang is by far the better.' He is also the one who smells the trap first - 'Why are they prepared for battle in the open when they hold two cities? We had better retire' - which is exactly when the bomb goes off. Escapes on foot, is sent to hold Meicheng, and rejoins for the AD 230 expedition.
  • Chapter 101 — Going Out From Longshang, Zhuge Liang Dresses As A God; Dashing Toward Saber Pass, Zhang He Falls Into A Snare.
    Brings the two hundred thousand foot and horse of Yongzhou and Liangzhou up by double marches at Guo Huai's request, and walks them straight into the worst possible reception - the forty thousand time-expired Shu soldiers who have just volunteered to stay. 'The weary soldiers could make no proper stand, and retired. The troops of Shu followed, pressing on them till corpses littered the whole plain and blood flowed in runnels.' Then joins the attack on Saber Pass.
  • Chapter 102 — Sima Yi Occupies The Banks Of River Wei; Zhuge Liang Constructs Mechanical Bullocks And Horses.
    Sent with Guo Huai to hold Beiyuan, and his part in the trap is to lose it convincingly - when Wei Yan and Ma Dai arrive at dusk, 'Sun Li abandoned his camp and fled', which tells Wei Yan he is expected a moment too late to get clear.
  • Chapter 103 — In Gourd Valley, Sima Yi Is Trapped; In Wuzhang Hills, Zhuge Liang Invokes The Stars.
    Struggling on the floating bridge with Guo Huai against the Shu force that has seized the south-bank camp, until Sima Yi's returning army drives them off and the bridges are burned.