Liu Ying is the great-grandson of Xuan Di, the great-grandson of Liu Xiao, the king of Chu, and the son of Liu Xian, the prince of Guangqi. Before he became emperor, Wang Mang called him an "obedient child" and the world called him an "obedient baby".

Liu Ying was the Crown Prince for only three years in his life, and was imprisoned at the age of four, and was forbidden to talk to anyone. The obedient baby grew up, and the six animals could not understand and speak clearly, and became fools. In February of the third year (AD 25), he was killed by Song Li in Lin Jing.

Because Liu Ying was only two years old when he became emperor, he was called a boy. He was promoted to emperor at the age of two, usurped by Wang Mang when he was not sensible, and killed by Liu Xuan's subordinates when he was just sensible at the age of 20. In fact, this Liu Xuan was also the emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. He was appointed as the new emperor for overthrowing Wang Mang. However, Liu Xuan was almost as lucky as Liu Ying, the emperor at the end of the Western Han Dynasty. Although he overthrew Wang Mang, he was later killed by his younger brother, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu.