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Wang Jun 王駿

Feb 21, 2012 © Ulrich Theobald

Wang Jun 王駿 (d. 15 BCE) was a high minister of the late Former Han period 前漢 (206 BCE-8 CE).

He hailed from Langya 琅琊 (modern Jimo 即墨, Shandong) and was the son of Wang Ji 王吉, an expert in the Confucian Classics. For his excellent education he was appointed court gentleman (lang 郞) and obtained a scholarship to study the Classic Yijing 易經 "Book of Changes" with the famous erudite Liangqiu Lin 梁丘臨.

Counsellor-in-chief (chengxiang 丞相) Kuang Heng 匡衡 recommended him for promotion, and Wang Jun was made Grand Master of Remonstrance (jian dafu 諫大夫) and then administrator (neishi 內史) of the Prince of Zhao 趙. For a while he retired from office because of illness and was then appointed regional inspector (cishi 刺史) of Youzhou 幽州, then he became metropolitan commandant (sili xiaowei 司隸校尉) and held the post of Chamberlain of the palace revenues (shaofu 少府).

Emperor Cheng 漢成帝 (r. 33-7 BCE) highly esteemed him, appointed Wang Jun metropolitan magistrate (jingzhao yin 京兆尹) and allowed him to participate in political discussions at the court. In 20 BCE Wang Jun was transferred to the post of Censor-in-chief (yushi dafu 御史大夫). He died in office, and the officialdom lamented that he had never been endowed with the title of marquis.

Source:
Cang Xiuliang 倉修良, ed. (1996). Hanshu cidian 漢書辭典 (Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe), 71.