Qin and Han · Landowner and Merchant

Zhuo Wangsun 卓王孫

Zhuō Wángsūn

Attested BC 144 - BC 129

Passages: 11
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Zhuo Wangsun was a Landowner and Merchant.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 144 to BC 140 臨邛多富人，卓王孫
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 66, passages 9, 12
BC 129 至蜀…卓王孫
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 67, passages 28, 35

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Zhuo Wenjun (卓文君)
daughter 女
daughter 女 · paternal line
Directly stated · Book of Han 67, passage 29; Book of Han 66, passage 18
Kin of Sima Xiangru (司馬相如)
Zhuo clan by marriage 卓氏
Directly stated · Book of Han 67, passages 29, 87

Kinship Role sons · Count 1
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 30
Kinship Role brothers and elders · 昆弟諸公 who remonstrated; count not stated · Quantity plural unknown · Count 2
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 30
Kinship Role daughters · Count 2
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 30
Kinship Role sons · Count 2
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 67, passage 29

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 66 Volume 57a: Sima Xiangru 9 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 67 Volume 57b: Sima Xiangru 2 passages

Career and standing

Held
Wealthy magnate
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 12

Places and affiliations

At Linqiang 臨邛 · Relation Resided in
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 12
At Linqiong 臨邛 · Relation Resided at
Directly stated · Book of Han 67, passage 28

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 24

Events and relationships

Gave dowry portion to Wenjun
Gift · Giver · With Zhuo Wenjun (卓文君)
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 33

Assessments and attributes

Item eight hundred household retainers 僮客八百人 · Relation Possessed
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 12

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 66Volume 57a: Sima Xiangru · 9 passages

臨邛多富人，卓王孫僮客八百人，程鄭亦數百人，乃相謂曰：「令有貴客，為具召之。 Linqiang swarmed with magnates. Zhuo Wangsun kept eight hundred household hands; Cheng Zheng commanded hundreds as well. They agreed: “The magistrate’s guest is a man of rank—we should lay a banquet and invite him.

令既至，卓氏客以百數，至日中請司馬長卿，長卿謝病不能臨。 When Wang Ji appeared, Zhuo’s hall held a hundred guests. At noon they sent for Sima Zhangqing; he pleaded illness and would not attend.

是時，卓王孫有女文君新寡，好音，故相如繆與令相重而以琴心挑之。 Zhuo Wangsun’s daughter Wenjun was newly widowed and loved music. Sima Xiangru therefore played up his friendship with the magistrate and, through what his qin implied, courted her.

及飲卓氏弄琴，文君竊從戶窺，心說而好之，恐不得當也。 During the feast at the Zhuo house, as he played, Wenjun stole a glance through a crack in the door—her heart leapt, yet she doubted she could ever be worthy of him.

卓王孫大怒曰：「女不材，我不忍殺，一錢不分也！」 Zhuo Wangsun raged, “My daughter has disgraced herself; I will not put her to death, but she shall not have a single coin from me!”

人或謂王孫，王孫終不聽。 Neighbors tried to reason with him; he refused to hear them out.

卓王孫恥之，為杜門不出。 Zhuo Wangsun found the spectacle mortifying and shut his gates, refusing to show his face.

昆弟諸公更謂王孫曰：「有一男兩女，所不足者非財也。 His brothers and kinsmen kept urging him: “You have a son and two daughters; you are not short of money.

卓王孫不得已，分與文君僮百人，錢百萬，及其嫁時衣被財物。 Zhuo Wangsun yielded at last: a hundred servants, a million cash, and her wedding trousseau went with her.

Book of Han, Chapter 67Volume 57b: Sima Xiangru · 2 passages

於是卓王孫、臨邛諸公皆因門下獻牛、酒以交歡。 Zhuo Wangsun and the leading families of Linqiong then sent cattle and wine through Xiangru's attendants to join the celebration.

卓王孫喟然而歎，自以得使女尚司馬長卿晚，乃厚分與其女財，與男等。 Zhuo Wangsun sighed that he had waited too long to gain Sima Changqing as a son-in-law; he now settled a lavish marriage portion on his daughter, equal to what he gave his sons.