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Chu Suanzi (; 324According to Empress Chu's biography in Book of Jin, she was 61 (by East Asian reckoning) when she died. (太元九年，崩于显阳殿，年六十一...) Jin Shu, vol.32. Thus by calculation, her birth year should be 324. – 5 July 384According to Sima Yao's biography in Book of Jin, Empress Chu died on the guichou day in the 6th month of the 9th year of the Taiyuan era of Yao's reign. This corresponds to 5 Jul 384 in the Julian calendar. (太元九年)六月癸丑朔，崇德皇太后褚氏崩。 Jin Shu, vol.09), 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 the Eastern Jin. Her husband was Emperor Kang, and, outliving him by 40 years, she was an empress dowager during the reigns of five , including serving as for three of them: her son Emperor Mu (344–357), her nephew Emperor Ai (364–366), and her cousin Emperor Xiaowu (373–376). 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.
As Chu Suanzi herself grew older, 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 on 10 February 343,According to Sima Yue's biography in Book of Jin, Lady Chu was made empress on the renzi day of the 12th month of the 8th year of the Xiankang era of Emperor Cheng's reign. This corresponds to 10 Feb 343 in the Julian calendar. (咸康八年十二月壬子，立皇后褚氏。) Jin Shu, vol.07 when he was 21 and she was 18. At the same time, Lady Chu's mother Lady Xie was also created "Xiangjun of Xunyang" (寻阳乡君).(封母谢氏为寻阳乡君。) Jin Shu, vol.32 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 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. 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.
In 348, after he led a failed campaign against the collapsing Later Zhao with major losses, Chu Pou died in humiliation on 1 Jan 350. During the next few years, however, without major campaigns on Jin's part, many of Later Zhao's southern provinces switched their allegiance to Jin, but not firmly so. Huan repeatedly requested permission to march north, but was constantly rebuffed by Sima Yu and Yin, who were concerned that he would be even harder to control if he recovered central and northern China for Jin.
In 350, when Empress Dowager Chu was bestowing a greater honor on Cai, Cai repeatedly declined—so much so that, as the emperor, the empress dowager, and the officials waited at the palace for the messengers that the empress dowager sent to his home to return with him, they waited from morning to evening, causing the seven-year-old emperor to be drained. Yin used this opportunity to accuse Cai of disrespect and had him excluded from government and reduced to commoner status.
In 352 and 353, Yin made two failed attempts at northern expeditions against Former Yan and Former Qin—and after the second failure, which was caused by Yin's arrogance toward one of the former Later Zhao generals who surrendered to Jin, Yao Xiang, causing Yao to rebel in fear and anger—Huan submitted a petition accusing Yin of crimes, and with popular sentiment against Yin, Sima Yu was forced to exile Yin. From that point on, the imperial government rarely went against Huan's wishes. In 354, Huan attacked Former Qin and enjoyed some initial successes, moving within miles of the Former Qin capital Chang'an, but eventually hesitated when he was close, and Former Qin fought back and forced him to retreat. In 356, Huan marched north again and was able to force Yao out of the Luoyang region, which he had occupied, and this allowed Jin to regain control of the territory south of the Yellow River (except for modern Shandong, where the warlord Duan Kan (段龕) had been a nominal Jin vassal since 351 but was conquered by Former Yan's emperor Murong Jun in 356).
In 357, as Emperor Mu turned 14 and went through his rite of passage ( jiaguanli (加冠禮)), Empress Dowager Chu officially stripped herself of her role as regent, and moved to Chongde Palace (崇德宮), which would be her residence for the rest of her life.
In 361, Emperor Mu died at the age of 18. As he had no sons, Empress Dowager Chu ordered that his cousin Sima Pi the Prince of Langye (Emperor Cheng's oldest son) be made emperor, and he took the throne as Emperor Ai.
Huan was initially apprehensive that Empress Dowager Chu might not submit to his plan, so he was happy that she agreed despite her tone. Huan then removed Emperor Fei and replaced him with his granduncle Sima Yu the Prince of Kuaiji (as Emperor Jianwen). Empress Dowager Chu initially created the former emperor the Prince of Donghai—a title he had held previous to becoming Prince of Langye and then emperor—but Huan pressured her into demoting him further to Duke of Haixi, a title that he would be known by in many historical accounts.
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