Sun Chuyue was from Ru Prefecture (汝州, roughly modern Runan, Henan).
It was said that Li You lacked virtues, and Sun often submitted suggestions to him to change his behavior.
Sun Chuyue later was promoted, during the reign of Emperor Taizong's son and successor Emperor Gaozong, to be Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), one of the mid-level officials at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng).
That year, the head of the legislative bureau, the chancellor Du Zhenglun,[2] requested that one more official be commissioned as Zhongshu Sheren, but Emperor Gaozong responded, "Sun Chuyue is enough to accomplish the task.
In 664, he was made the deputy principal of the imperial university, when he requested to retire on basis of old age.