History
Born Ji Chang (姬昌), Wen was the son of Tai Ren and Ji Jili, the king of a small state along the Wei River in present-day Shaanxi. His father was betrayed and executed by the Shang emperor Wen Ding in the late 12th century BC.
He married Taisi and had at least ten sons. One of them was reported to have been made into a soup he was forced to eat.
At one point, King Zhou of Shang, fearing Wen's growing power, imprisoned him in Youli (present-day Tangyin in Henan). However, many officials respected Wen for his honorable governance and they gave King Zhou so many gifts – including gold, horses, and women – that he released Wen.
King Wen subsequently planned to overthrow King Zhou, but he died before he could accomplish this. His second son, King Wu, followed his father's wishes and crushed the Shang at Muye, creating the imperial Zhou dynasty.
Read more about this topic: King Wen Of Zhou
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