In the 210s, after Liu Bei had successfully seized control of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) from its governor Liu Zhang and established his new base in Chengdu (Yi Province's capital), he promoted Sun Qian to General Who Upholds Loyalty (秉忠將軍). Liu Bei's treatment towards Sun Qian was second to that of Mi Zhu, but equal to that of Jian Yong. Sun Qian died not long after this promotion. Sun Qian's year of death was not specified, but the Australian Sinologist Rafe de Crespigny estimated that he died around 214.