Wenrui

Overview

Wenrui is a figure under the Wen clan entry in Volume 73 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*. The original text records him as a bondservant of the Bordered White Banner, originally from Jiashanbao, who surrendered to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty and served as an eighth-rank interpreter. Volume 73 lists the Wen clan as a Korean surname under the Manchu banner system; this clan affiliation must be described separately from their specific banner affiliation after being incorporated into the Eight Banners.

His eldest son, Suoshini, served as a sixth-rank bondservant; his second son, Yishini, served as a seventh-rank interpreter; and his third son, Boshini, also served as a sixth-rank interpreter. His grandson, Wohe, served as an eighth-rank interpreter; Sange served as a first-class bodyguard; and Qige served as a chief clerk during the compilation of the genealogy. His great-grandson, Deguang, served as a registrar; Wenbing served as an eighth-rank interpreter; and Dexin was a *juren* (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations). The repeated appearance of the interpreter position constitutes a distinctive feature of this family's records, but the original text does not specify what documents Wenrui and his descendants translated, participated in any diplomatic events, or undertook any translation tasks.

"Returning to the State at the Beginning of the Dynasty" is not a precise reign title and cannot be used to fill in a fixed year. The Wen family's Goryeo surname background, their status as bondservants of the Bordered White Banner, and their generations of service as interpreters should be preserved separately. It cannot be inferred from one of their identities that all their descendants used the same language or served as translators.