Tragedy of Matsu Uji

The Tragedy of Matsu Uji was the title of many plays, stories, and pillow-books that recounted the tale of Matsu Uji, who fell in love with a beautiful Scorpion woman, Shosuro Sushanume, and married her. The faithless Sushanume conspired with Uji's karo, Sojuno, to murder her husband and take over the province. The story ended in a massacre, with all parties dead.

Mercy
A different version of the story was depicted in the play Mercy, written by Matsu Sinoku, a playwright with a Scorpion mother. In that version Sushanume was a loyal wife, but her husband spent his time at war and solaced with geishas. His temper and bull-headedness finally drove his wife into the arms of the karo.