Qin and Han · Royal Family Member

Eldest Princess 長公主

Zhang Gongzhu

Attested BC 200

Passages: 5
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Eldest Princess was a Royal Family Member.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 200 漢七年後
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 99, passages 56, 68

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Emperor Xiaohui (孝惠帝)
brother 兄 · Full siblings
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 99, passage 68
Child of Emperor Gao (高帝)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 99, passages 56, 68
Child of Empress Lü (呂后)
mother 母
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 99, passage 68

References in the histories

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 99Biographies of Liu Jing and Shusun Tong · 5 passages

劉敬對曰：「陛下誠能以適長公主妻之，厚奉遺之，彼知漢適女送厚，蠻夷必慕以為閼氏，生子必為太子。 Liu Jing replied, "If Your Majesty can truly give him the legitimate eldest princess as his wife and send her with generous gifts, then when he knows that Han has sent a legitimate daughter with such wealth, the barbarians will surely esteem her as Yanzhi, and any son she bears will certainly become crown prince.

若陛下不能遣長公主，而令宗室及後宮詐稱公主，彼亦知，不肯貴近，無益也。」 If Your Majesty cannot send the eldest princess, but orders the imperial clan and rear palace to falsely call someone princess, they will also know, and will not be willing to honor and approach her. It will be of no benefit.'

欲遣長公主。 He wished to send the eldest princess.

呂后日夜泣，曰：「妾唯太子、一女，柰何棄之匈奴！」 Empress Lu wept day and night, saying, "I have only the Crown Prince and one daughter. How can I cast her away to the Xiongnu?"

上竟不能遣長公主，而取家人子名為長公主，妻單于。 In the end, the Emperor could not bring himself to send the eldest princess. Instead, he took a girl from a common family, bestowed on her the title of eldest princess, and married her to the Chanyu.