Family Background and Marriage To Liu Xiu
Yin Lihua was born and grew up in Nanyang Commandery (roughly modern Nanyang, Henan) -- the same commandery that her eventual husband came from. While they were young, he was enamored with her beauty. According to Hou Han Shu, when Liu Xiu was visiting the capital Chang'an, he became impressed with the mayor of the capital (zhijinwu, 執金吾) and, already impressed by Yin's beauty, he made the remarks: "If I were to be an official, I want to be zhijinwu; if I were to marry, I want to marry Yin Lihua".
Yin's father died early, when she was six, and his name is not recorded. Her mother's family name was Deng (鄧). She had at least four brothers—Yin Xing (陰興), Yin Jiu (陰就), Yin Shi (陰識), and Yin Xin (陰訢). (Yin Xing and Yin Xin were born of the same mother as she; Yin Shi was born of her father's previous wife; it is not clear who was the mother of Yin Jiu.) According to Hou Han Shu, the Yins were descended from the famed Spring and Autumn Period Qi prime minister Guan Zhong.
In 23, while Liu Xiu was an official in the newly reestablished Han government of Emperor Gengshi, he was married to Yin Lihua. Later, when he was dispatched by Emperor Gengshi to the region north of the Yellow River, she returned home.
Read more about this topic: Empress Yin Lihua
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