Wang Zhenfu (王貞婦)

Overview

Wang Zhenfu was an Exemplary Woman.

Life and dates

Death

AD 1277 明年春
Threw herself from a cliff · At Qingfeng Ridge 青楓嶺
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 460, passage 293

Attested activity

AD 1276 德祐二年冬
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 460, passages 282-283
AD 1277 明年春
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 460, passages 292-293

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Father-in-law of Wang Zhenfu (王貞婦舅)
father-in-law 舅
Directly stated · History of Song 460, passage 283
Spouse of Husband of Wang Zhenfu (王貞婦之夫)
husband 夫 · Widowed
Directly stated · History of Song 460, passages 282-284
Kin of Mother-in-law of Wang Zhenfu (王貞婦姑)
mother-in-law 姑
Directly stated · History of Song 460, passage 283

Career and standing

Chaste Wife 貞婦
AD 1321 to AD 1323 至治中 · Bestowed
Directly stated · History of Song 460, passage 296

Places and affiliations

Polity Southern Song 南宋 · Relation Subject of
Strongly inferred · History of Song 460, passages 282-283
At Linhai 臨海 · Relation Married into
Directly stated · History of Song 460, passage 282

Works and attributed material

AD 1276 德祐二年冬
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 460, passages 286-290

Events and relationships

Attempted suicide but was restrained
AD 1276 德祐二年冬 · Personal · Subject
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 460, passage 284
Marched to Qingfeng Ridge
AD 1277 明年春 · Travel · Captive · At Qingfeng Ridge in Sheng 嵊青楓嶺
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 460, passage 292
Prefect erected a stone shrine; ridge renamed Clear Wind Ridge
AD 1321 to AD 1323 至治中 · Ritual · Honoree · At Clear Wind Ridge 清風嶺
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 460, passage 296
Seized
AD 1276 德祐二年冬 · Military · Captive · At eastern Zhe 浙東
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 460, passage 283
Wrote in blood on the cliff stone, gazed south, and jumped
AD 1277 明年春 · Personal · Subject · At Qingfeng Ridge 青楓嶺
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 460, passage 293

Assessments and attributes

Assessment chaste; preferred death to becoming the Yuan commander's wife · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Song 460, passages 284, 290, 293

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of Song 460, passage 282
Her blood seeped into the stone and turned wholly to stone; when rain was coming the writing rose as first inscribed.
Field miraculous-remains
Directly stated · History of Song 460, passages 294-295

References in the histories

History of Song, Chapter 460Volume 460 Biographies 219: Exemplary Women: Zhu E, Zhang Shi, Peng Lienu, Hao Jiee, Zhu Shi, Cui Shi, Zhao Shi, Ding Shi, Xiang Shi, Wang Shierfu, Xu Shi, Rong Shi, He Shi, Dong Shi, Tan Shi, Liu Shi, Zhang Shi, Shi Shi, Chen Tangqian, Jie Fuliaoshi, Liu Dangkemu, Ceng Shifu, Wang Maoqi, Tu Duanyouqi, Zhan Shinu, Liu Shengqi, Xie Biqi, Xie Fangdeqi, Wang Zhenfu, Zhao Huaiqie, Tan Shifu, Wu Zhongfuqi, Lu Zhong Zhunu, Lin Laonu, Tong Shinu, Han Shinu, Wang Shifu, Liutong Ziqi Mao Xixi · 6 passages

Open chapter

王貞婦，夫家臨海人也。 The chaste widow Wang—her husband's family were natives of Linhai.

德祐二年冬，大元兵入浙東，婦與其舅、姑、夫皆被執。 In the winter of the second year of Deyou, Yuan troops entered eastern Zhe; she, her father-in-law, mother-in-law, and husband were all seized.

既而舅、姑與夫皆死，主將見婦皙美，欲內之，婦號慟欲自殺，為奪挽不得死。 Later her in-laws and husband all died; the commander, seeing her fair, wished to take her. She wailed and tried to kill herself, but they restrained her.

婦乃陽謂主將曰：“若以吾為妻妾者，欲令終身善事主君也。 She then feigned to the commander: 'If you take me as wife or concubine, you wish me to serve you faithfully for life.

婦待守者少懈，齧指出血，書字山石上，南望慟哭，自投崖下而死。 When the guards slackened, she bit her finger until blood flowed, wrote on the cliff stone, gazed south and wailed, and threw herself from the cliff.

至治中，朝廷旌之曰“貞婦”，郡守立石祠嶺上，易名曰清風嶺。 During the Zhizhi era the court commended her as 'Chaste Wife'; the prefect erected a stone shrine on the ridge and renamed it Clear Wind Ridge.