Sima Xiangru (179-117 B.C.E.)

Born to a wealthy family in Ch'eng-tu of the commandery of Shu in 179 B.C.E., Sima Xiangru's aptitude for study and swordplay earned him the praenomen "Puppy" 犬子.

Sima later changed his praenomen to Xiangru inspired by the example of Lin Xiangru, a gentleman distinguished in the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.E.) for his harrowing recovery of the jade rightfully owed to the Zhao court in exchange for fifteen cities by the incumbent Qin king.

司⾺相如者，蜀郡成都⼈也，字⻑卿。少時好讀書，學擊劍，故其 親名之⽈⽝⼦。相如既學，慕藺相如之為⼈，更名相如。

By virtue of his familial wealth, he was appointed to serve as an Armed Mounted Horseman in Regular Attendance at the court of Emperor Hsiao Jing 孝景帝. Emperor Jing and his legalist advisors, however, cared little for Sima's poetry.

Though Sima had few opportunities to develop his craft in Emperor Jing's court, his status as a gentleman facilitated a chance encounter with visiting King Hsiao 孝 of Liang 梁 and his wandering rhetoricians. In their company, Sima found ready employment and comradery.

以訾為郎，事孝景帝，為武騎常侍，非其好也。

Upon retiring from the service of Emperor Jing, Sima found lodging amongst like-minded, wandering rhetoricians and intellectuals in Liang. Financed by the King of Liang, Sima honed his craft and composed his famous "Fu on Master Empty."

會景帝不好辭賦，是時梁孝王來朝，從游說之士齊人鄒陽、淮陰枚乘、吳嚴忌夫子之徒，相如見而說之，因病免，客游梁，得與諸侯游士居，數歲，乃著子虛之賦

After the death of King Hsiao, Sima was invited to join his long-time friend, Wang Chi, prefect of Lin-ch'iung, in his home. There, Sima met aristocrat Cho Wangsun and his daughter Wen-chün. Sima wooed Wen-chün with his original musical compositions and lavish gifts. After a brief period of courtship, they eloped in the middle of the night and stole away to Cheng-tu.

會梁孝王薨，相如歸，而家貧無以自業。素與臨邛令王吉相善，吉曰：「長卿久宦游，不遂而困，來過我。」於是相如往舍都亭。臨邛令繆為恭敬，日往朝相如。相如初尚見之，後稱病，使從者謝吉，吉愈益謹肅。臨邛多富人，卓王孫僮客八百人，程鄭亦數百人，乃相謂曰：「令有貴客，為具召之。并召令。」令既至，卓氏客以百數，至日中請司馬長卿，長卿謝病不能臨。臨邛令不敢嘗食，身自迎相如，相如為不得已而強往，一坐盡傾。酒酣，臨邛令前奏琴曰：「竊聞長卿好之，願以自娛。」相如辭謝，為鼓一再行。是時，卓王孫有女文君新寡，好音，故相如繆與令相重而以琴心挑之。相如時從車騎，雍容閒雅，甚都。及飲卓氏弄琴，文君竊從戶窺，心說而好之，恐不得當也。既罷，相如乃令侍人重賜文君侍者通殷勤。

Outraged by his daughter's sudden marriage to a man of no particular renown, Cho Wang-sun denied Wen-chün a dowry. Sima and Wen-chün thus found themselves penniless on the streets of Ch'eng-tu.

文君夜亡奔相如，相如與馳歸成都。家徒四壁立。卓王孫大怒曰：「女不材，我不忍殺，一錢不分也！」人或謂王孫，王孫終不聽。

Without a stable source of income Sima and his bride returned to Lin-ch'iung where they begged for money from Wen-chün's cousins and operated an alehouse.

文君久之不樂，謂長卿曰：「弟俱如臨邛，從昆弟假貣，猶足以為生，何至自苦如此！」相如與俱之臨邛，盡賣車騎，買酒舍，乃令文君當盧。相如身自著犢鼻褌，與庸保雜作，滌器於市中。

Taking pity on the newlyweds, Cho finally conceded to grant his daughter her owed inheritance. With their newfound wealth, Sima and Wen-chün purchased property in Ch'eng-tu and established themselves amongst the aristocracy.

卓王孫恥之，為杜門不出。昆弟諸公更謂王孫曰：「有一男兩女，所不足者非財也。今文君既失身於司馬長卿，長卿故倦游，雖貧，其人材足依也。且又令客，奈何相辱如此！」卓王孫不得已，分與文君僮百人，錢百萬，及其嫁時衣被財物。文君乃與相如歸成都，買田宅，為富人。

After living for several years in comfortable, relative obscurity, Sima was invited to serve as a gentleman in the palace of Emperor Wu at Chang'an. Having been introduced to Sima's Fu on Master Empty by his Master of the Hounds, a man from Sima's home province of Shu, Emperor Wu summoned Sima at once to compose for the court.

居久之，蜀人楊得意為狗監，侍上。上讀子虛賦而善之，曰：「朕獨不得與此人同時哉！」得意曰：「臣邑人司馬相如自言為此賦。」上驚，乃召問相如。相如曰：「有是。然此乃詩侯之事，未足觀，請為天子游獵之賦。」上令尚書給筆札，相如以「子虛」，虛言也，為楚稱；「烏有先生」者，烏有此事也，為齊難；「亡是公」者，亡是人也，欲明天子之義。故虛藉此三人為辭，以推天子諸侯之苑囿。其卒章歸之於節儉，因以風諫。奏之天子，天子大說

Sima served as a poet in Emperor Wu's court for several years until the envoy to the regions of Shu and Pa invoked the power of the emperor in his use of martial law against the chieftains of those regions. Emperor Wu appointed Sima his personal envoy to Shu to reprimand the disloyal envoy and reassure the people of Shu of Emperor Wu's benevolence towards them.

相如為郎數歲，會唐蒙使略通夜郎、僰中，發巴蜀吏卒千人，郡又多為發轉漕萬餘人，用軍興法誅其渠率。巴蜀民大驚恐。上聞之，乃遣相如責唐蒙等，因諭告巴蜀民以非上意

His first mission in Shu completed, Sima returned to Chang'an with reports of an ongoing project to incorporate the Southwestern nomadic peoples into the Western Han dynasty through a system of roads. Ease of transportation between Shu and "barbarian" territory would facilitate the establishment of commanderies and counties.

Emperor Wu appointed Sima Commander of the Gentlemen of the Palace and dispatched him once more to Shu.

相如還報。唐蒙已略通夜郎，因通西南夷道，發巴、蜀、廣漢卒，作者數萬人。治道二歲，道不成，士卒多物故，費以巨萬計。蜀民及漢用事者多言其不便。是時邛筰之君長聞南夷與漢通，得賞賜多，多欲願為內臣妾，請吏，比南夷。天子問相如，相如曰：「邛、筰、冉、駹者近蜀，道亦易通，秦時嘗通為郡縣，至漢興而罷。今誠復通，為置郡縣，愈於南夷。」

Upon his return to Shu, Sima was greeted by the Grand Administrator of Shu, Emperor Wu's vice-envoys, and Cho Wang-sun, all of whom bore gifts and celebrated feasts in Sima's honor. Cho Wang-sun even granted his daughter an inheritance equal to that of his male heirs'.

With his newfound authority and wealth, Sima sought to pacify the Western barbarians and admit Ch’iung, Tso, Jan, Mang, and Ssu-yü as vassal states. He undertook a roadbuilding project which extended preexisting frontier passages to connect Shu with the main settlement of Ch'iung.

天子以為然，乃拜相如為中郎將，建節往使。副使王然于、壺充國、呂越人馳四乘之傳，因巴蜀吏幣物以賂西夷。至蜀，蜀太守以下郊迎，縣令負弩矢先驅，蜀人以為寵。於是卓王孫、臨邛諸公皆因門下獻牛酒以交驩。卓王孫喟然而嘆，自以得使女尚司馬長卿晚，而厚分與其女財，與男等同。司馬長卿便略定西夷，邛、筰、冉、駹、斯榆之君皆請為內臣。除邊關，關益斥，西至沬、若水，南至牂柯為徼，通零關道，橋孫水以通邛都。還報天子，天子大說。

Sima returned to Chang'an to announce his accomplishments, rebuffing the criticisms of Shu elders who considered Southwestern expansion an imprudent enterprise.

Shortly thereafter, an anonymous report accusing Sima of accepting bribes as an envoy provided grounds for his dismissal from court. He retired and lived privately for over a year before Emperor Wu welcomed him back to the palace as a gentleman. He never attained the same level of sociopolitical status he enjoyed prior to his conviction.

其後人有上書言相如使時受金，失官。居歲餘，復召為郎

As Sima aged, he grew less ambitious in seeking sociopolitical advancement. Though his health steadily declined due to diabetes, he accompanied Emperor Wu on several hunting trips. On one particular expedition to Chang-Yang Xian, Sima famously remonstrated against the Emperor's eagerness to hunt wild bears and boars at close range, recalling the words of his Fu on Master Empty, a warning against haste and profligacy.

相如口吃而善著書。常有消渴病。與卓氏婚，饒於財。故其事宦，未嘗肯與公卿國家之事，常稱疾閒居，不慕官爵。嘗從上至長楊獵。是時天子方好自擊熊豕，馳逐野獸，相如因上疏諫

Stopping by Yi-ch'un Palace on their return from this same hunting trip, Sima presented Emperor Wu with a fu on the many failings of the second emperor of Qin.

還過宜春宮，相如奏賦以哀二世行失也

Upon their return to Chang'an, Sima was appointed Prefect of the Grave Garden of Emperor Wen. He was allowed to simultaneously complete what he considered to be his magnum opus, his "Fu on the Great Man."

相如拜為孝文園令。天子既美子虛之事，相如見上好僊道，因曰：「上林之事未足美也，尚有靡者。臣嘗為大人賦，未就，請具而奏之。」相如以為列僊之傳居山澤閒，形容甚臞，此非帝王之僊意也，乃遂就大人賦。

Sima retired in Mao-ling with his wife due to recurring health issues. He died in his home without completing any further writings in 117 B.C.E.

相如既奏大人之頌，天子大說，飄飄有凌雲之氣，似游天地之閒意。相如既病免，家居茂陵