▁nine ▁best ow ments . ▁ ▁Sun ▁Qu an ' s ▁submission ▁did ▁not ▁last ▁long . ▁After ▁Sun ▁Qu an ' s ▁forces , ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Lu ▁X un , ▁defeated ▁Sh u ▁forces ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁X ia oting ▁in ▁ 2 2 2 , ▁Sun ▁Qu an ▁began ▁to ▁distance ▁himself ▁from ▁Wei . ▁When ▁C ao ▁Pi ▁demanded ▁that ▁Sun ▁Qu an ▁send ▁his ▁he ir ▁apparent , ▁Sun ▁D eng , ▁to ▁Lu oy ang ▁as ▁a ▁host age , ▁Sun ▁Qu an ▁refused ▁and ▁formally ▁broke ▁t ies ▁with ▁Wei . ▁C ao ▁Pi ▁personally ▁led ▁an ▁expedition ▁against ▁Sun ▁Qu an , ▁and ▁in ▁response , ▁Sun ▁Qu an ▁declared ▁independence ▁from ▁Wei , ▁establish ing ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Eastern ▁Wu ▁( but ▁he ▁continued ▁r uling ▁as ▁" K ing ▁of ▁Wu " ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁declare ▁himself ▁em peror ▁until ▁ 2 2 9 ). ▁By ▁this ▁time , ▁having ▁defeated ▁Sh u , ▁the ▁Wu ▁forces ▁enjoyed ▁high ▁mor ale ▁and ▁effective ▁leadership ▁from ▁Sun ▁Qu an , ▁Lu ▁X un ▁and ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁other ▁capable ▁gener als . ▁C ao ▁Pi ' s ▁forces ▁were ▁not ▁able ▁to ▁make ▁significant ▁adv ances ▁against ▁them ▁despite ▁several ▁large - scale ▁attacks ▁in ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁years . ▁The ▁division ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁Han ▁Empire ▁into ▁three ▁states ▁has ▁become ▁firm ly ▁established , ▁particularly ▁after ▁Li u ▁Bei ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 2 2 3 . ▁The ▁Sh