Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s4.t3.2

v1.c7.s4.t3.2

Liu Ying (about 26-71 CE) was the King of Chu and a Buddhist believer in Eastern Han Dynasty. He was the son of Liu Xiu (5 BCE-57 CE), Emperor Guangwu of Han. His biography was recorded in *Scroll 72, Book of Eastern Han History*. In the 15^th year of Jianwu (39 CE), he was conferred the title of Duke of Chu, awarded as King of Chuin in the 17^th year and acquired his own fief in the 28^th year. Since his mother, Madam Xu, was not favoured in Emperor Liu Xiu’s eyes, Liu Ying’s fief was the smallest and weakest. When Emperor Ming of Han Liu Zhuang was the crown prince, Liu Ying was friendly to him and relied on him. Liu Zhuang also liked Liu Ying and he repeatedly granted rewards to Liu Ying after he became the Emperor. In the 13^th year of Yongping (70 CE), Liu Ying was reported that he associated with necromancers, intended to conspire against the Emperor and should be beheaded. But Emperor Ming remembered his former friendship, took back Liu Ying’s fief and downgraded him to Jingxian, Danyang (present-day Jingxian, Anhui), where he was granted with a small fief of Tangmu Town with 500 tenants. Unfortunately, in April of the next year, Liu Ying committed suicide in Danyang (present-day in Xuanzhou City, Anhui).