Empress Chu Suanzi
| Chu Suanzi | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regent of the Eastern Jin Dynasty | |||||
| Monarch | Emperor Mu Emperor Ai Emperor Fei Emperor Xiaowu |
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| Born | 324 | ||||
| Died | 384 (aged 59–60) | ||||
| Spouse | Emperor Kang of Jin | ||||
| Issue | Emperor Mu of Jin | ||||
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| Father | Chu Pou | ||||
| Mother | Lady Xe | ||||
| Posthumous name | |
|---|---|
| Empress Kangxian 康獻皇后 |
Chu Suanzi (Chinese: 褚蒜子; 324–384), formally Empress Kangxian (康獻皇后, literally "the joyful and wise empress"), at times as Empress Dowager Chongde (崇德太后), was an empress of Jin Dynasty (265-420). Her husband was Emperor Kang, and, outliving him by 40 years, she was an empress dowager during the reigns of five emperors, including serving as regents for three of them: her son Emperor Mu, her nephew Emperor Ai, and her cousin Emperor Xiaowu. Despite the power she held, she appeared to largely yield to the judgement of high-level officials who advised her and rarely made decisions on her own.
Chu Suanzi's father Chu Pou (褚裒) was a mid-level official during the reign of Emperor Kang's brother Emperor Cheng, successively on the staffs of Sima Yang (司馬羕) the Prince of Xiyang and then of Sima Yue the Prince of Wu—the future Emperor Kang. He was respected for the appropriateness of his speech. As Chu Suanzi herself grew, she was known for her intelligence and foresight, and she was married to Sima Yue, who had then become the Prince of Langye, as his princess. When Emperor Cheng chose to pass the throne to his brother rather than his sons at his death in 342, Sima Yue became emperor, and he created her empress in early 343, when he was 21 and she was 18. That year, she also bore him his only son, Sima Dan. He died just one year later, however, and her infant son Sima Dan, whom he created crown prince just before his death, became emperor (as Emperor Mu).
Due to Emperor Mu's young age, Empress Dowager Chu was quickly called upon to serve as regent. He Chong (何充) was her key advisor. He Chong initially wanted to share that authority with her father Chu Pou, but Chu Pou believed that as the empress dowager's father, it was inappropriate for him to serve in that capacity, and therefore remained a provincial governor. Eventually, in 345, that role went to Emperor Mu's granduncle Sima Yu the Prince of Kuaiji. After He Chong's death in 346, the authority was shared between Sima Yu and Cai Mo (蔡謨). After the general Huan Wen conquered Cheng Han in 347, effectively, the imperial government lost authority over the western provinces, with Huan being only nominally submissive. In response, Sima Yu invited the equally renowned Yin Hao to join as a key advisor to the empress dowager.
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