Sun Ce, born in 175, is the eldest among five sons and one daughter of Sun Jian, a military general loyal to the emperor of the Han Dynasty.

When, in 190, a year after Emperor Ling died, the warlord Dong Zhuo usurped power, placing in the throne the puppet Emperor Xian, regional warlords in eastern China launches a campaign against Dong Zhuo.

Sun Jian renders his service to Yuan Shu, one of the leaders of the coalition.

The attempt to oust Dong Zhuo soon failed and China had slid into a series of massive civil wars.

In the next year, Sun Jian had been sent by Yuan Shu to attack Liu Biao, governor of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan), but had been killed in an ambush.

Sun Ce brought his father's body to Qu'e (present-day Situ Town, Jiangsu) for burial and settled his mother down before heading for Danyang (present-day Xuancheng, Anhui), where his uncle Wu Jing is the governor.

Here he has raised a small militia a few hundred in strength.

This small force is far from sufficient for him to establish his own power, so in 194 Sun Ce goes to Yuan Shu, who is very impressed with Sun Ce and often laments that he has no son like him.

He also returns Sun Jian's former Initially, Yuan Shu promises to appoint Sun Ce the governor of Jiujiang but eventually gives the governorship to Chen Ji.

Later, when Yuan Shu is denied a large loan of grains from the governor of Lujiang, he sends Sun Ce to attack the latter, promising to make Sun Ce the governor of Lujiang should he succeed.

When Sun Ce does, however, Yuan Shu again goes back on his words and appoints another else instead.

The disappointed Sun Ce now begins to contemplate leaving.