| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 刘盈, 劉盈, Liú Yíng |
| Other name | Hán Huệ Đế Lưu Doanh |
| Courtesy name | 子盈, 子盈, Zǐyíng, Zi Ying, tự Tử Doanh |
| INFORMATION | |
| Born | 210 BC |
| Birth Place | Feng County, Pei (沛郡丰县; huyện Phong, quận Bái) |
| Died | 188 BC |
| Death Reason | Depression / Illness at age 22 |
| FAMILY | |
| Father | |
| Mother | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Western Han |
Liu Ying (刘盈, Lưu Doanh; 210–188 BC; posthumously Emperor Hui of Han 汉惠帝), was the second monarch of the Western Han Dynasty, eldest son of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang and Empress Lü (Empress Lü).
Possessing an exceptionally gentle, compassionate, and benevolent temperament, Liu Ying was nearly demoted from crown prince because Liu Bang regarded him as too soft for imperial rule, saved only by the intervention of the Four Sages of Mount Shang. Ascending the throne at age sixteen in 195 BC, Liu Ying courageously tried to protect his younger brother Liu Ruyi from Empress Lü’s murderous jealousy, sharing his bed and meals with Ruyi day and night. When Empress Lü poisoned Ruyi while Liu Ying was hunting at dawn, Liu Ying was devastated.
Soon afterward, Empress Lü summoned Emperor Hui to a pit in the palace latrines, inviting him to view her ‘Human Swine’ (人彘). Gazing upon the mutilated, blinded, limbless body of his father’s beloved concubine Consort Qi writhing in the waste, Emperor Hui was seized with suffocating horror. Weeping uncontrollably until he vomited blood, he cried to Empress Lü: ‘This is not the deed of a human being! As Your Majesty’s son, I am no longer fit to govern the empire!’ Shattered by trauma, Emperor Hui abandoned state governance, took refuge in wine and palace pleasures, and died in melancholy at age twenty-two, an immortal tragic figure of filial heartbreak.
Role in History (Shiji)
Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji, vol. 9, Annals of Empress Lü): “Emperor Hui saw the Human Swine; he broke down in bitter tears, weeping: ‘This is the deed of a beast! How can I rule the world?!’ From that day forth, he attended court no more, drowning his grief in wine.”
Liu Ying — Historical & Literary Timeline
210 BC
Birth in Pei County
Son of Liu Bang and Empress Lü.
205 BC
Flight from Pengcheng
Saved by Xiahou Ying after Liu Bang kicks him from the carriage.
195 BC
Accession at Age 16
Ascends the imperial throne; repeals book bans and begins building Chang’an walls.
194 BC
The Traumatic Horror
Witnesses the poisoning of Liu Ruyi and the Human Swine; abandons governance in despair.
188 BC
Passing at Age 22
Dies of grief in Weiyang Palace; succeeded by child puppets beneath Empress Lü.
Key Relationships
Family
- Mother Empress Lü (吕后, Lữ hậu): Ruthless mother whose atrocities shattered his soul.
- Father Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu): Founding emperor.
- Beloved Brother Liu Ruyi (刘如意): Younger brother whom Liu Ying attempted to save with his own body.
- Sister Princess Luyuan (鲁元公主): Elder sister whose daughter was forced to marry him.
- Wife / Niece Empress Zhang Yan (张嫣): Tragic young empress forced into marriage by Empress Lü.
Friends
- Life Savior Xiahou Ying (夏侯婴): Charioteer who saved him at Pengcheng.
- Founding Chancellor Cao Shen (曹参): Chancellor who enacted ‘governance through non-action’ (*wuwei*).
Enemies
- Palace Cruelty The murderous atmosphere of Chang’an: Broke his gentle spirit.
Other
- Four Sages Four White-Haired Sages of Mount Shang (商山四皓): Secured his crown prince position.
In Shiji
The Cry of Broken Humanity
"Liu Ying wept before his mother: 'You have done what no beast under Heaven would do; do not ask your son to sit upon a throne stained with the blood of innocents!'"
Historical Context
Emperor Hui is remembered as a ruler of pure Confucian benevolence whose humane sensitivity proved incompatible with the brutal power politics of the early Han court.
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