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. During Emperor Jianwen's reign As the niece of Emperor Jianwen, Empress Dowager Chu had few roles during his reign—particularly because he himself had to negotiate a treacherous path that Huan had laid for him, as Huan himself intended to take the throne. Emperor Jianwen honored her as Empress Dowager Chongde, based on the name of her palace. After he died in 372, he was succeeded by his son and crown prince Sima Yao (as Emperor Xiaowu), and while she initially instinctively thought that Huan should be named regent, Wang Tanzhi (王坦之) and Xie An, officials loyal to the imperial clan and trying to prevent a Huan usurpation, persuaded her to become regent again. She agreed, but did not take official regent capacity initially. During Emperor Xiaowu's reign In 373, Huan Wen visited the capital Jiankang, and the rumor at the time was that he was going to execute Wang Tanzhi and Xie An, and then take over the throne. However, after Wang and Xie met him, he apparently changed his mind and returned to his defense post at Gushu (姑孰, in modern Ma'anshan, Anhui), although he continued to pressure the imperial government to grant him the nine bestowments, but Wang and Xie dragged on, and after Huan died later in 373, his territories were divided among his brothers Huan Huo and Huan Chong, and his nephew Huan Shixiu (桓石秀). As Huan Chong was loyal to the imperial government, the threat of a Huan usurpation dissipated. After Huan Wen's death, Empress Dowager Chu formally took over as regent. In 376, after Emperor Xiaowu turned 14 and had his rite of passage, Empress Dowager Chu again gave up her regent authorities and was again referred to as Empress Dowager Chongde. She died in 384 and was buried with honors due an empress, with her husband Emperor Kang. References 324 births 384 deaths Jin