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Emperor Ming 宋明帝 (r. 465-472), personal name Liu Yu 劉彧 (439-472), courtesy name Xiujing 休景, childhood name Rongming 榮期, was an emperor of the Liu-Song dynasty, one of the Southern Dynasties. He was the eleventh son of Emperor Wen 宋文帝 (r. 424－453) and Lady Shen 沈婕妤 (see female offices) and succeeded Liu Ziye 劉子業 (r. 464-465) to the throne.
Unlike his predecessor, Liu Yu was cultivated and loved literature. In 448, he was invested as Prince of Huaiyang 淮陽, and in 451 transferred to the Princedom of Xiangdong 湘東. During the rule of Emperor Xiaowu 宋孝武帝 (r. 453-464), he was Defender-General (zhenjun jiangjun 鎮軍將軍) and regional inspector (cishi 刺史) of the province of Yongzhou 雍州. When Emperor Xiaowu's son Liu Ziye mounted the throne, he was ordered to reside at the imperial court. Fearing that he, like many of his relatives, was murdered by Liu Ziye, he conspired with the wardrobe head, Shou Jizhi 壽寂之 (d. 471), who killed the emperor.
Liu Yu took the title of emperor and changed the reign motto to Taishi 泰始. For more than half a year, his rule was challenged by Liu Zixun 劉子勛 (456-466), who had also formally adopted the title of emperor, but Liu Yu defeated him, even though his military strength was at a disadvantage.
However, Liu Yu continued the fratricidal family policy of Liu Ziye, who had killed many princes to eliminate competitors to the throne. He had killed his nephews Liu Zisui 劉子綏, the Prince of Anlu 安陸; Liu Zixuan 劉子頊, the Prince of Linhai 臨海; Liu Ziyuan 劉子元, the Prince of Shaoling 邵陵; Liu Ziren 劉子仁, the Prince of Yongjia 永嘉; Liu Zizhen 劉子真, the Prince of Shi'an 始安; Liu Zimeng 劉子孟, the Prince of Huai'an 淮安; Liu Zichan 劉子產, the Prince of Nanping 南平; Liu Ziyu 劉子輿, the Prince of Luling 廬陵; and Liu Zifang 劉子房, the Marquis of Songci 松滋侯; and his younger brothers Liu Xiuren 劉休仁, the Prince of Jian'an 建安; Liu Xiuruo 劉休若, the Prince of Baling 巴陵; and Liu Xiuyou 劉休祐, the Prince of Jinping 晉平.
The Northern Wei dynasty 北魏 (386-534) used this period of inner turmoil to launch a southern campaign in the Huai River 淮河 region and conquered Licheng 歷城 and Dongyang 東陽 and the provinces of Qingzhou 青州, Jizhou 冀州, Yanzhou 兗州 and Xuzhou 徐州 and parts of Yuzhou 豫州. Moreover, the state treasury was depleted, forcing the government to sell offices and order the people to contribute grain to cover the officials' salaries.
In the middle of this war, Liu Yu died in 472. He was buried in the tomb mound Gaoling 高寧陵 (close to present-day Nanjing 南京, Jiangsu). His posthumous title is Emperor Ming 明皇帝, and his temple name Taizong 宋太宗. He was succeeded by his son Li Yu 劉昱, the Second Deposed Emperor 宋後廢帝 (r. 472-477).