Wen Wang (d. ca. 1073 BCE), the Literary King, struggled against the corruption of Zhou Xin of the Shang dynasty. It was Wen Wang's son 武王 Wu Wang who finally defeated them, but he then declared Wen Wang the posthumous ruler.

Wen Wang is associated with several qin melodies.

1. Wen Wang Cao
   The Yuefu Shiji entry for lyrics of this name says Wen Wang himself wrote it.

2. Juyou Cao, also called 離憂操 Liyou Cao
   Zhu Changwen says Wen Wang wrote this,³ but that the Wen Wang Cao that Confucius played was not actually by Wen Wang himself.

3. Gufeng Cao.
   Shen Qi Mi Pu also credits Wen Wang with this melody

4. Weibin Yin
   Concerns Wen Wang meeting Lü Shang⁴ at the Wei Riverbank.

5. Shi Xian
   Also concerns Wen Wang meeting Lü Shang at the Wei Riverbank.

6. Wen Wang Shou Ming
   Qin Cao, Hejian Zage, #3; has commentary.

7. Wen Wang Si Shi
   Qin Cao, Hejian Zage, #4; has commentary.

8. Qianjin Qing
   A Song dynasty melody list says only that Wen Wang wrote it.

The original biography in Qin Shi is as follows.

Further details in preparation. ⁵

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 (Return)

2 (Return)

3 YFSJ p.829f) (Return)

4 呂尚 Lü Shang (At right he has caught a fish without using a hook)
Lü Shang, commonly called 太公 Tai Gong or 太公呂 Taigong Lü, is said to have been a high official who broke his sword and retired into voluntary exile to avoid serving the tyrannous last Shang emperor, 紂辛 Zhou Xin. After Wen Wang (King Wen), who was serving as Chief of the West for the Duke of Zhou, met Lü by the Wei River (see Weibin Yin and Shi Xian) and, recognizing his merit, enticed him out of exile. Lü then helped Wen's son Wu Wang (King Wu) overthrow the Shang and establish the Zhou dynasty (ca. 1122 BCE). The image at right is from the Ming dynasty Liexian Quanzhuan, see under Liexian Zhuan. Further biographical details are in his biography in Liexian Zhuan and elsewhere. (Return)

5 (Return)

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