Late Reign
In 394, Emperor Xiaowu honored his mother, Consort Li, as empress dowager.
By 395, the conflict between Emperor Xiaowu and Sima Daozi had flared into the open, but because of the intercession of Empress Dowager Li, Emperor Xiaowu did not remove his brother. After further mediation by Xu Miao (徐邈), the relationship between the brothers seemed to be restored.
By 396, Emperor Xiaowu was spending so much of his time in drinking and women that he was not seeing his officials on important matters of state on a regular basis. His favorite consort was the beautiful Consort Zhang. In late fall 396, at a feast, Emperor Xiaowu joked at her, who was then almost 30 years old, "Based on your age, you should yield your position. I want someone younger." She was very angered, but hid her emotions. That night, after Emperor Xiaowu again fell drunk, she ordered all the eunuchs away, bribing them with wine, and then ordered her servant girls to suffocate Emperor Xiaowu by putting a blanket over his face. She then further bribed many attendants and claimed that the emperor died suddenly in his sleep. Because Sima Dezong the crown prince was developmentally disabled, and Sima Daozi was foolish and unthinking, no one investigated the death of the emperor. The next day, Sima Dezong assumed the throne as Emperor An, with Sima Daozi as regent.
Read more about this topic: Emperor Xiaowu Of Jin
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