生平

掌握大权

孙綝一开始担任偏将军，太平元年（256年）孙峻过世后，担任侍中与武卫将军，掌控了东吴实质的权力。吕据害怕他的权力过大，上书推荐滕胤为丞相，想要与滕胤合作废掉孙綝。孙綝知道之后，派遣孙虑（有一说为孙宪）、文钦、刘纂与唐咨等人攻击吕据。滕胤召唤典军杨崇与将军孙咨，跟他们说孙綝作乱，杨孙二人却不与滕胤合作。孙綝则上书说滕胤谋反，滕胤本以为吕据会带兵助他，但他却音讯全无。于是孙綝便派将军刘丞带兵攻击滕胤，灭其三族。死后其妻与其妻兄孙壹投魏。

孙綝受封为永宁侯，担任大将军。其行事傲慢无礼而惹怒孙虑（有一说为孙宪），因此与将军王敦共谋杀害孙綝。而最后孙綝杀掉王敦，孙虑则被迫服药自杀。

嗜杀无道

曹魏大将军诸葛诞于寿春叛变曹魏，希望能够投降东吴。孙綝率文钦、唐咨、全端与全怿等人带领三万人去拯救。曹魏则派出二十多万军队包围诸葛诞的寿春。朱异率领三万人屯居安丰。曹魏兖州刺史州泰与朱异大战于阳渊，朱异大败。孙綝又派遣朱异率领丁奉、黎斐等人的五万军队攻打曹魏，但自己却畏敌，驻扎在巢湖舟中，不敢亲临前线，孙亮命他上岸援助唐咨，他也不动。朱异又被曹魏监军石苞、州泰与胡烈所打败，损失无数资粮。孙綝又再派兵三万命令朱异死战，朱异不从，孙綝就下令处死朱异，更因此认为诸葛诞无望抗魏而返回建业。孙綝没有成功拯救诸葛诞，却将自己的重要将领朱异杀死，使大家都感到愤恨不平。

擅行废立

太平二年（257年），孙亮正式亲政，孙綝害怕会对自己不利，回到建业并称病不上朝。然后在朱雀桥南边建房子，命令其弟孙据、孙恩、孙干、孙闓分别驻守各个营地。孙亮与鲁班公主、太常国丈全尚、将军刘承讨论诛杀孙綝。但孙亮的皇后全氏却向孙綝密报（一说密报者系孙綝堂姐、全氏之母），孙綝便带兵于晚上偷袭全尚，并派遣其弟孙恩杀害刘承，然后包围皇宫。命令光禄勋孟宗废掉孙亮，大家听到十分惊吓。孙綝派遣中书郎李崇去争夺玉玺，尚书桓彝不服从命令，则被孙綝杀害。典军施正劝孙綝立琅邪王孙休为皇帝。孙綝同意后就写了信给孙休，即《孙綝立孙休令》。

孙綝对于民间信仰相当不与尊重，烧掉伍子胥庙，又破坏各地的祠庙，斩杀道士。孙休即位后，孙綝上疏给孙休，自称「草莽臣」，来表示自己的忠心，即《孙綝上孙休疏》。孙休则下诏封孙綝为丞相与荆州牧，即《孙休与孙綝诏》。孙綝与其兄弟五人，皆管理禁军部队，权力远远超过皇帝，是东吴未曾出现的现象。

夷灭三族

有一次孙綝奉酒给孙休，孙休没有接受，孙綝就口出怨言。左将军张布将这件事情告诉孙休，孙休虽然讨厌孙綝，但害怕出问题，反而将告密者交给孙綝。还加孙綝弟孙恩为侍中，与孙綝同理政务。孙綝请求出镇武昌，孙休也同意。大夫魏邈与施朔等人告诉孙休说，孙綝长久下来一定会谋反，孙休意识到孙綝一旦去武昌就可能割据兵变。

孙休则秘密询问张布解决的办法，张布就和丁奉设宴来谋杀孙綝。孙綝本称病不想前往，但孙休十馀次派人来请，孙綝只得起行，众人阻止，孙綝让他们在官邸内放火，这样自己便可提前退席。入席不久，孙綝官邸果然起火，孙綝便要离席回家，孙休劝止，孙綝仍起身离席，丁奉与张布便一左一右将他绑起来。孙綝向孙休叩头求情说：「我愿流放到交州。」孙休则回答说：「那你当年为什么不将滕胤和吕据流放呢？」孙綝又说「我愿意当官奴。」孙休则回答说：「你又给滕胤和吕据当奴仆的机会了？」就当场下令诛灭其三族。孙綝死时28岁。

孙休耻于和孙峻、孙綝同族，除其宗籍，称之为「故峻」「故綝」。又下诏说：「诸葛恪、滕胤与吕据原来是无罪，而是受到孙峻与孙綝兄弟所残害，朕为此感到痛心，希望都能为他们改葬，并加以祭祀。因为他们而牵连被流放者，都可以回来。」

部下

刘丞，即刘承，256年，孙綝许将军刘丞以封爵，令刘丞带兵攻击滕胤，灭其三族。258年，孙亮与刘丞谋划诛杀执掌朝政的孙琳。谋泄，被孙琳之弟孙恩杀于苍龙门外。

参考

As a regent

Sun Chen and his predecessor Sun Jun were cousins; both were great-grandsons of the founding emperor Sun Quan's uncle Sun Jing. Very little is known about his career up to Sun Jun's sudden illness in 256, when the latter chose to transfer his power to Sun Chen. Sun Jun died soon thereafter, and Sun Chen became regent. The general Lü Ju was angry at the development (as Sun Jun was already resented for his dictatorial style and lack of accomplishments), and, in conjunction with the minister Teng Yin, he attempted to overthrow Sun Chen. Sun Chen struck back militarily, and his forces defeated Teng Yin and Lü Ju. Teng Yin and his clan were executed while Lü Ju committed suicide. In the light of his defeat of Teng Yin and Lü Ju, Sun Chen began to become extremely arrogant.

In 257, at the age of 14, Sun Liang began to personally handle some important matters of state. He established a personal guard corps, consistent of young men and officers with age similar to his, stating that he intended to grow up with them. He also sometimes questioned Sun Chen's decisions. Sun Chen began to be somewhat apprehensive of the young emperor.

Third Rebellion in Shouchun

Later that year, Cao Wei's general Zhuge Dan, believing that the Wei regent Sima Zhao was about to usurp the throne, declared a rebellion and requested Wu assistance. A small Wu detachment, led by Wen Qin, himself a former Wei general who had defected to Wu, quickly arrived to assist him, but Sun Chen led the main forces and chose to camp a long distance away from Shouchun, where Zhuge Dan was being besieged by Sima Zhao, and did nothing. When Sun Chen instead ordered the general Zhu Yi to try to relieve Shouchun with tired and unfed troops, Zhu refused — and Sun Chen executed him, bringing anger from the people, who had admired Zhu's military skills and integrity. With Sun Chen unable to do anything, Zhuge Dan's rebellion failed in 258, and Wen Qin's troops became captives of Wei.

Sun Chen knew that the people and the young emperor were both angry at him, and chose not to return to Jianye, but instead sent his confidants to be in charge of the capital's defences. Sun Liang became angrier, and plotted with his sister Sun Luban, the general Liu Cheng (刘丞/刘承), his father-in-law Quan Shang (全尚), and his brother-in-law Quan Ji (全记), to have Sun Chen overthrown. However, Quan Shang did not keep the plot secret from his wife, who was Sun Chen's cousin, and she told Sun Chen. Sun Chen quickly captured Quan Shang and killed Liu Cheng, and then surrounded the palace and forced the other officials to agree to depose Sun Liang — falsely declaring to the people that Sun Liang had suffered psychosis. Sun Liang was demoted to the status of a prince, "Prince of Kuaiji".

Downfall and death

Sun Chen then chose Sun Liang's elder brother Sun Xiu, the Prince of Langye, as the new emperor. Sun Xiu, in order to appease Sun Chen, added five counties to his fief and created his brothers marquises as well. However, Sun Chen soon had a fallout with the new emperor over a relatively small incident — Sun Chen had brought beef and wine to the palace, intending to feast with the emperor, but Sun Xiu refused the offering, and so Sun Chen took the food and wine to the house of the general Zhang Bu. He expressed to Zhang Bu his disappointment at Sun Xiu's refusal — including a remark that perhaps he should choose another emperor — and Zhang Bu reported Sun Chen's complaints to Sun Xiu. Sun Xiu became concerned about Sun Chen, but continued to outwardly show favour to Sun Chen. Sun Chen became concerned about his standing with the emperor and offered to leave the capital Jianye (present-day Nanjing) to head up the defence of the secondary capital Wuchang (in present-day Ezhou, Hubei). Sun Xiu approved.

However, Sun Xiu then became concerned that Sun Chen would take over that city and rebel. He conspired with Zhang Bu and the senior general Ding Feng to kill Sun Chen during the Laba Festival. Somehow, the news leaked, but Sun Chen, even though apprehensive, unable to decline the messengers Sun Xiu sent to invite him, showed up at the festival anyway, considering that he might leave under the excuse that his mansion had caught fire. But he failed to leave and was seized by Ding Feng and Zhang Bu's soldiers. Sun Chen begged Sun Xiu for his life, offering to be exiled to Jiao Province (present-day northern Vietnam) or to become a slave, but Sun Xiu declined — stating to Sun Chen that he did not give Teng Yin or Lü Ju those choices. Sun Chen was executed, along with members of his clan. Furthermore, Sun Xiu felt so shameful to share the clan of Sun Jun and Sun Chen that he had them posthumously banished from the Sun family, referring them as Gu Jun (故峻) and Gu Chen (故綝) instead.