Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/687

668 After murdering her mother-in-law and the Heir Presumptive, she was herself slain in 300 by Ssū̆-ma Lun, Prince of Chao, who for a short time usurped the throne. The Emperor was dragged about by contending Princes, until at last he was poisoned. Canonised as

1753 Ssū̆-ma Hsiang-ju (T. )  Died B.C. 117. A native of Ch'êng-tu in Ssū̆ich'uan. In his youth he was fond of books and sword-play, and early distinguished himself as a poet. His personal name was originally Puppy, and was changed by him to Hsiang-ju, from his admiration of the cha- racter of Lin Hsiang-ju. After holding office for a short time under the Emperor Chiug Ti, who reigned B.C. 156 — 140, he joined the establishment of Prince Hsiao of Liang, but was ere long compelled by ill-health to resign his post; and the Prince dying about the same time, he was left almost penniless. Wandering homewards, he reached Lin-chiung, where he was hospitably received by the Magistrate Wang Chi, and introduced to a wealthy man, named Cho Wang-sun , who entertained him at a banquet. When the wine had circulated freely, Ss-ma began to play and sing; by which he so captivated Cho's daughter WSn-chun, a young widow, that she left her father's house that very night and threw herself upon Ssū̆-ma's protection. The pair fled to Ch'êSng-tu; but having nothing to live upon, they returned to Lin-chiung and set up a small wine-shop, in which she served the customers while he, dressed in the short drawers of a coolie, washed the cups. His father-in-law, unable to bear the shame of this, gave them a large sum of money, with which they went back again to Ch^êng-tu and lived in affluence. Meanwhile the &me of Ss-ma as a poet reached the Emperor Wu Ti, who was fascinated by his. The author was summoned to Court and appointed to high office, from which he was dismissed for receiving bribes,