Empress Yin Yuying

Who was Empress Yin Yuying?

Empress Yin Yuying was briefly an empress of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song. Her husband was Liu Shao, the crown prince of Emperor Wen who killed his father in 453 and briefly became emperor.

Yin Yuying was the daughter of Yin Chun, an official under Emperor Wen, who died in 434 at the age of 31. Emperor Wen married her to Liu Shao, already his crown prince at that point, in 438, when he was 12; she was likely around that age as well. She carried the title of crown princess thereafter. It appears likely, although far from certain, that his oldest son Liu Weizhi, was her son.

In spring 453, after Liu Shao had become aware that his father intended to depose him because he and his brother Liu Jun the Prince of Shixing had engaged the witch Yan Daoyu to curse him to death, he carried out a coup d'etat, assassinated Emperor Wen, and took over as emperor. There was no evidence that Crown Princess Yin was involved in the plot, although her uncle Yin Chong thereafter became a key official for Liu Shao. Liu Shao created Crown Princess Yin empress and Liu Weizhi crown prince. During the subsequent war between Liu Shao and his brother Liu Jun the Prince of Wuling, Yin Chong was heavily involved in the logistics planning and propaganda for Liu Shao.