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 孝惠皇帝
1753 Ssū̆-ma Hsiang-ju 司馬相如 (T. 長卿) 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 犬子 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 孝 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 王吉 Wang Chi, and introduced to a wealthy man , named 卓王孫 Cho Wang-sun , who entertained him at a banquet. When the wine had circulated freely, Ss{{subst:u-brever}}-ma began to play and sing; by which he so captivated Cho's daughter 文君 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 Ssû-ma as a poet reached the Emperor Wu Ti, who was fascinated by his 子虛賦. The author was summoned to Court and appointed to high office, from which he was dismissed for receiving bribes,
