Empress Xiaosu

Empress Xiaosu (1430 – 17 March 1504), of the Zhou clan, was a consort of the Ming Dynasty's Emperor Yingzong and the mother of the Chenghua Emperor. Her birth date is recorded as 1430, and she died on March 17, 1504. She was the daughter of Zhou Neng, a farmer from Changping County.

According to historical accounts, Zhou's encounter with Emperor Yingzong occurred when he was hunting and accidentally entered her home. Her family was reportedly surprised by the emperor's presence; however, Zhou remained composed, which led to her being noticed by the emperor. Subsequently, she entered the imperial palace with the high rank of consort.

In 1446, Zhou gave birth to Princess Chongqing, Emperor Yingzong's first daughter, and his eldest son, Zhu Jianshen, who would later become the Chenghua Emperor. During Emperor Yingzong’s captivity by the Mongols in 1449, Empress Dowager Sun decreed that Zhou's eldest son be designated Crown Prince. However, when Zhu Qiyu (later Emperor Jingtai) became emperor, he deposed Zhu Jianshen as Crown Prince. In 1455, Zhou had another son, Zhu Jianze, who was the sixth son of Emperor Yingzong.

In 1457, upon Zhu Qizhen’s (Emperor Yingzong) restoration to the throne, Zhou was granted the rank of Noble Consort. When her son, Zhu Jianshen, ascended the throne as the Chenghua Emperor, Zhou and Empress Qian received the status of empress dowager. A disparity emerged over the empress dowager emblem—Zhou's supporters arranged for her to be awarded the emblem to honor her status. On April 23 of the Chenghua calendar, she was officially titled 'Empress Dowager Shengcirenshou' (聖慈仁壽皇太后).

Throughout the Chenghua Emperor's reign, Zhou was documented as practicing kindness and respecting those around her. The emperor, her son, held her in high regard and was said to not disobey her commands. Practices concerning imperial burial customs initially only permitted the empress to be buried with the emperor, with both their names fixed beforehand. Following Empress Qian’s death, Zhou sought to modify this tradition; she secretly altered the mausoleum design to ensure her burial alongside Emperor Yingzong. As a result, although Empress Qian and Emperor Yingzong shared a tomb, they were separated by different entry tunnels.

During the Hongzhi Emperor's reign, Zhou was honored as Grand Empress Dowager, and Empress Wang was appointed as standard empress dowager. The Hongzhi Emperor was known to have shown respect and filial piety toward Zhou. In the eleventh year of Hongzhi's reign, the Qingning Palace was destroyed, and Zhou moved to Renshou Palace.

Regarding titles, her progression was as follows: She was known as Lady Zhou from 1430, then Palace Lady in 1437, followed by Consort, Consort Emerita during the Jingtai Emperor's reign, then Noble Consort in 1457, and ultimately Empress Dowager upon her son's ascension. During the Hongzhi period, she was titled Grand Empress Dowager, and later, her posthumous title was elevated to Grand Empress Dowager Xìaosù Zhēnshùn Kāngyì Guāngliè Fǔtiān Chéngshèng in 1504. Subsequently, under the Jiajing Emperor, her posthumous title was modified to Empress Xiàosù Zhēnshùn Kāngyì Guāngliè Fǔtiān Chéngshèng.

She bore three children: Princess Chongqing, Zhu Jianshen (the future Chenghua Emperor), and Zhu Jianze, Prince Jian of Chong.

Upon her death in 1504, scholars debated her eligibility for ancestor worship in the imperial ancestral temples, given she was never officially declared empress during her lifetime. Nonetheless, she was posthumously granted titles reflecting her empress status and was buried with Emperor Yingzong, with the burial arrangements including a separate tunnel from Empress Qian's tomb to prevent her from sharing the mausoleum site directly. Her final posthumous titles were granted by successive emperors, including the Hongzhi and Jiajing, recognizing her as an empress posthumously.