Qin and Han · Family Member

Zhuo Wenjun 卓文君

Zhuō Wénjūn

Attested BC 144 - BC 117

Passages: 10
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Zhuo Wenjun was a Family Member.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 129 卓王孫…使其女尚司馬長卿
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 67, passages 29, 35
BC 144 to BC 140 卓王孫有女文君新寡
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 66, passage 18
BC 117 問其妻
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 67, passages 175-176

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Zhuo Wangsun (卓王孫)
daughter 女
daughter 女 · paternal line
Directly stated · Book of Han 67, passage 29; Book of Han 66, passage 18
Spouse of Sima Xiangru (司馬相如)
wife 妻 · Elopement then recognized marriage · BC 144 to BC 140 文君夜亡奔相如
wife 妻
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passages 22, 27, 34; Book of Han 67, passages 29, 87, 176

Kinship Role brothers and kin · 昆弟 from whom Wenjun proposed borrowing; count not stated · Quantity plural unknown · Count 2
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 26

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 66 Volume 57a: Sima Xiangru 8 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 67 Volume 57b: Sima Xiangru 2 passages

Career and standing

Entered
Wealthy
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 34
Held
Widow · newly widowed before elopement
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 18

Places and affiliations

At Chengdu 成都 · Relation Resided in
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passages 22, 34
At Linqiang 臨邛 · Relation Sojourned in
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passages 26-27

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Mode quotation Speaker Zhuo Wenjun (卓文君)
Directly stated · Book of Han 67, passages 176-178
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 26

Events and relationships

Fled by night to join Xiangru; returned to Chengdu
Elopement · Participant · With Sima Xiangru (司馬相如)
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 22

Assessments and attributes

Item hundred retainers, a million cash, and dowry goods 僮百人，錢百萬，及其嫁時衣被財物 · Relation Bestowed
Directly stated · Book of Han 66, passage 33

References in the histories

Search passages

History

10 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 66Volume 57a: Sima Xiangru · 8 passages

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.

文君夜亡奔相如，相如與馳歸成都。 That night Wenjun slipped away to join him, and the two raced back to Chengdu.

文君久之不樂，謂長卿曰：「弟俱如臨邛，從昆弟假貸，猶足以為生，何至自苦如此！」 After some time Wenjun grew miserable and said, “My dear, let us return to Linqiang. Even if we only borrow from our brothers on loan, we can still earn a living—anything is better than starving in pride like this.”

相如與俱之臨邛，盡賣車騎，買酒捨，乃令文君當盧。 They went back to Linqiang, sold their carriage and horses, opened a tavern, and put Wenjun behind the counter.

今文君既失身於司馬長卿，長卿故倦游，雖貧，其人材足依也。 Wenjun has given herself to Sima Zhangqing. He may be poor, but he is a man of talent who has long since wearied of mere roaming—she can rely on him.

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.

文君乃與相如歸成都，買田宅，為富人。 She and Sima Xiangru returned to Chengdu, bought land and manor, and settled among the wealthy.

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

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.

問其妻，對曰：「長卿未嘗有書也。 When they asked his wife, she said: "Changqing never kept books of his own.