Zhang Wenjun (張文瓘)

Overview

The translated histories identify Zhang Wenjun as a judge, official, and statesman. This record brings together 26 passages from 2 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Zhang Wenjun	張文瓘	Zhang Wenguan
Given	Wenjun	文瓘	Wenguan
Given	Wenqian	文瓘	Wenqian
Posthumous name	Yi	懿
Posthumous name	Yi	懿	Yi
Surname	Zhang	張	Zhang
Personal name	Zhang Wenjun	張文瓘	Zhang Wenguan
Personal name	Zhang Wenqian	張文瓘	Zhang Wenqian
Courtesy name	Zhigui	稚圭	Zhigui

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0072, xintangshu:113:s0004

Roles

Judge
Official
Statesman

Life and dates

Death

Age: Value: 73 · Reckoning: sui
Explicit · xintangshu:113:s0110
Age: 73 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 儀鳳二年 · Western Year: AD 677
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0105

Age

Age: 73 · Reckoning: sui
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0105

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 乾封二年 · Regnal Year: 2 · Western Year: AD 667
Explicit event contextual date · xintangshu:113:s0083
Source Date: Text: 上元二年 · Western Year: AD 675
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0094
Source Date: Text: 儀鳳二年 · Western Year: AD 677
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0105
Source Date: Text: 咸亨三年 · Western Year: AD 672
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0089
Source Date: Text: 貞觀初 · Western Interval: Start: AD 627 · End: AD 630
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0075
Source Date: Text: 貞觀初 · Western Year: AD 627
Explicit event contextual date · xintangshu:113:s0072
Source Date: Text: 隋大業末 · Western Interval: Start: AD 605 · End: AD 618
Explicit event contextual date · xintangshu:113:s0070
Source Date: Text: 龍朔 · Western Interval: Start: AD 661 · End: AD 663
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0079

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Sibling of Zhang Wenzong (張文琮)
Kinship Term: elder brother / 兄 · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Relative Age: elder
Child of Father of Zhang Wencong
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological
Child of Father of Zhang Wenjun
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological
Child of Mother of Zhang Wenqian
Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son · Line: maternal
Child of Mother of Zhang Wenjun
Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: mother
Parent of Zhang Qia (張洽)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Birth Order: 3
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
Parent of Zhang Pei (張沛)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Birth Order: 2
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
Parent of Zhang Qian (張潛)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Birth Order: 1
Parent of Zhang She (張涉)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Birth Order: 4
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
Parent of Zhang Qian (張潛)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological

Kinship Role: sons · Count: 4
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0107, xintangshu:113:s0112, xintangshu:113:s0113, xintangshu:113:s0114, xintangshu:113:s0115

Career and standing

Label: Chief minister / 宰相 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 乾封二年 · Regnal Year: 2 · Western Year: AD 667
Explicit · xintangshu:113:s0083
Label: Attendant-in-Chief / 侍中 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 上元二年 · Western Year: AD 675
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0094
Label: Participant in Governance / 參知政事 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 龍朔 · Western Interval: Start: AD 661 · End: AD 663
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0079
Label: Military aide in Bingzhou / 并州參軍 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xintangshu:113:s0072
Label: Minister of Punishments / 大理卿 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xintangshu:113:s0093
Label: Palace Attendant / 侍中 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xintangshu:113:s0097
Label: posthumous governor of Youzhou / 幽州都督 · Action: bestowed
Explicit · xintangshu:113:s0110
Label: posthumous name Yi / 謚曰懿 · Action: granted
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0105

Places and affiliations

Label: Tang / 唐 · Relation: served
Explicit · xintangshu:113:s0069
Place: Wucheng in Beizhou / 貝州武城
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0072, xintangshu:113:s0069
Place: Changle in Weizhou / 魏州昌樂 · Relation: migrated-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大業末 · Western Year: AD 617
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0073
Place: Changle in Weizhou / 魏州昌樂 · Relation: migrated-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 隋大業末 · Western Interval: Start: AD 605 · End: AD 618
Explicit · xintangshu:113:s0070
Place: Gongling / 恭陵 · Relation: buried-at
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0106, xintangshu:113:s0111

Learning and skills

Credential: Mingjing / 明經 · Action: earned · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 貞觀初 · Western Interval: Start: AD 627 · End: AD 630
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0075
Credential: Mingjing / 明經 · Action: earned · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 貞觀初 · Western Year: AD 627
Explicit · xintangshu:113:s0072

Works and attributed material

Kind: memorial · Role: author · Quote: true
Explicit · xintangshu:113:s0086, xintangshu:113:s0087, xintangshu:113:s0088, xintangshu:113:s0089, xintangshu:113:s0090, xintangshu:113:s0091
Kind: remonstrance · Role: author · Other Person Id: Gaozong (高宗)
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0082, jiutangshu:085:s0083, jiutangshu:085:s0084, jiutangshu:085:s0085, jiutangshu:085:s0086, jiutangshu:085:s0087
Kind: speech · Role: author · Other Person Id: Gaozong (高宗)
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0101, jiutangshu:085:s0102, jiutangshu:085:s0103
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Quote: true
Explicit · xintangshu:113:s0105

Events and relationships

Relation: compared-to · Person Id: Dai Zhou (戴胄)
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0093

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: fair and merciful judge compared to Dai Zhou · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0093

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 85Volume 81 Biographies 31: Cui Dunli, Lu Chengqin, Liu Xiangdao, Li Jingxuan, Li Yiyan, Sun Chuyue, Le Yanwei, Zhao Renben · 13 passages

Open chapter

張文瓘，貝州武城人。 Zhang Wenjun, a native of Wucheng in Beizhou.

瓘幼孤，事母兄以孝友聞。 Orphaned young, he was known for devotion to his mother and elder brother.

時兄文琮為戶部侍郎，舊制兄弟不許並居台閣，遂出為雲陽令。 His brother Wenzong was Vice Minister of Revenue; regulations barred brothers from the central secretariat, so Wenjun was posted as magistrate of Yunyang.

文瓘因進諫曰：“人力不可不惜，百姓不可不養，養之逸則富以康，使之勞則怨以叛。 Wenjun remonstrated: "Do not waste labor or neglect the people. Ease makes them prosperous; overwork breeds resentment and revolt.

上深納其言，於是節減廄馬數千匹，賜文瓘繒錦百段， The emperor took this to heart, cut thousands of horses from the stables, and gave Wenjun a hundred bolts of brocade.

文瓘至官旬日，決遣疑事四百餘條，無不允當，自是人有抵罪者，皆無怨言。 Within ten days he resolved more than four hundred doubtful cases to general satisfaction; thereafter convicts ceased to complain.

文瓘常有疾，係囚相與齋禱，願其視事。 When he fell ill, prisoners fasted together and prayed for his return.

大理諸囚聞文瓘改官，一時慟哭，其感人心如此。 Ministry prisoners, hearing of his promotion, wept together—such was their regard.

文瓘性嚴正，諸司奏議，多所糾駁，高宗甚委之。 Stern and upright, he corrected many memorials from other offices; Gaozong relied on him heavily.

或時臥疾在家，朝廷每有大事，上必問諸宰臣曰：“與文瓘議未？” When ill at home, on great affairs the emperor asked his chancellors, "Have you consulted Wenjun?"

時文瓘疾病在家，乃輿疾請見，奏曰：“比為吐蕃犯邊，兵屯寇境，新羅雖未即順，師不內侵。 Wenjun was ill at home but had himself carried in to see the emperor. He said, "Tibetans are raiding the frontier and troops are massed there. Silla has not yet submitted, but their armies are not marching inland.