Sima Xiangru was a renowned rhapsody poet of the Western Han Dynasty.
In his youth, Sima Xiangru served as a minor official, but he soon resigned and returned home, too poor to support himself. His close friend Wang Ji, the magistrate of Linqiong, invited him to stay, saying, "Come to Linqiong—I'll help you get back on your feet."
Wang Ji treated Xiangru with great respect, visiting him daily. At first, Xiangru received him, but later he simply claimed illness and refused to meet, yet Wang Ji became even more respectful. The wealthy magnates of Linqiong, Zhuo Wangsun and Cheng Zheng, thought: "This must be an honored guest. If the county magistrate treats him like this, we should entertain him well."
Zhuo Wangsun then hosted a grand banquet, inviting several hundred guests. At noon, he sent for Xiangru, who declined, citing illness. The magistrate of Linqiong, Wang Ji, dared not sit down to eat and personally went to fetch Xiangru, who reluctantly came. All the guests were filled with admiration and envy.
As the wine flowed freely, Wang Ji proposed, "Xiangru plays the zither beautifully—let's ask him for a tune." Sima Xiangru reluctantly obliged, playing a piece or two. Knowing that Zhuo Wangsun's daughter, Wenjun, a recent widow, was musically gifted, Xiangru used his zither to convey his admiration. Wenjun peeked in from outside, captivated by his refined and elegant demeanor, and thought, "As the magistrate's honored guest, he must be extraordinary." After the music, Xiangru bribed her attendants to express his affection. Deeply moved, Wenjun eloped with him that very night. Enraged, Zhuo Wangsun thundered, "My daughter has disgraced herself! I won't kill her, but she'll get not a single coin from me."
Wenjun and Xiangru returned to their hometown in Chengdu, finding the house empty with nothing inside. As days passed, Wenjun grew unhappy and said, "If we went to Linqiong, we could live well with help from our brothers—how could we be as miserable as we are now?"
Zhuo Wenjun agreed, so Sima Xiangru sold their carriage and horses, bought a small tavern, and began selling wine. Wenjun stood by the stove warming the wine, while Xiangru, wearing only short pants, worked alongside hired laborers, washing dishes in full view of the street.
Zhuo Wangsun, mortified by the disgrace, shut himself indoors. The elders of Linqiong urged him, "You have only one son and two daughters, and no shortage of wealth. Now that Wenjun and Xiangru are married—the rice is already cooked—Xiangru is merely tired of officialdom, not a base man. Though poor, he is learned and talented, someone you can rely on. Besides, he is the magistrate's guest. Why make things difficult for each other?" With no other choice, Zhuo Wangsun granted them a hundred servants, a million in cash, and all the dowry Wenjun had brought to her first marriage.
After returning to Chengdu, Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru used their wealth to purchase fields and a grand estate, becoming prosperous landowners.
Later, the idiom "Wenjun and Sima" came to refer to a devoted couple or lovers.
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Biography of Sima Xiangru"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "文君司马" came to describe a devoted couple or lovers.