Sima Xiangru

Sima Xiangru (pronounced [sɹ̩́mà ɕjáŋɻǔ], c. 179 – 117 BC) was a Chinese musician, poet, and politician who lived during the Western Han dynasty.

[2] Most sources agree that he was born in Chengdu, although the 19th-century scholar Wang Peixun proposed he may actually have been from Pengzhou (modern Peng'an County).

[2] The prince's court already held a number of prominent literary men of the era, including Mei Sheng (枚乘; d. 141 BC), Zou Yang (鄒陽; fl.

Sima stayed in Liang until Prince Liu Wu's death in 143 BC, after which he returned to his home area of Shu.

[4] The well known, traditional account of this incident states that the emperor happened across a copy of Sima's "Fu of Sir Vacuous", and was so impressed by it that he exclaimed, "Why do I not have the privilege of being this man's contemporary?!

[10] During Sima's brief tenure as General of the Gentlemen of the Household, Emperor Wu dispatched him back to Shu to oversee a roadbuilding project in the southwest.

[8] Between 130 and 120 BC, Sima's primary activities were writing poetry and occasionally accompanying Emperor Wu on imperial outings.

[10] Around 120 BC, Sima accepted an appointment as director of Emperor Wen of Han's funerary park, though the position was probably a sinecure.

[11] Around 119 BC, Sima resigned this position due to increasing illness (likely diabetes), and retired to Maoling, a town where Emperor Wu had members of wealthy and influential families live so he could surveil them.

[12] In 117 BC, word reached the imperial court that Sima was dying, and Emperor Wu dispatched an official to visit his home and collect his writings to preserve them.