Liu Ying was Empress Lu's son.
Empress Lu did not treat Liu Ying well. Empress Lu killed Liu Ying's rival, Liu Ruyi, during her reign. She also planned to kill Liu Ying's illegitimate son, Liu Fei. In addition, Empress Lu also treated Madam Qi cruelly and abused her like a human pig. Empress Lu even invited Liu Ying to see Madam Qi's tragic state, which was considered excessive behavior. Therefore, according to the information provided, Empress Lu did not treat Liu Ying well.
After Liu Ying died, Empress Lu did not show any sadness. Someone noticed Empress Lu's expression and asked Zhang Pijiang, the son of Prime Minister Zhang Liang. Zhang Pijiang pointed out that Empress Lu only had one son, Emperor Hui of Han, Liu Ying. Now that he had passed away, Empress Lu did not show any sadness because she was afraid of the ministers. He suggested that the Prime Minister request to appoint Lu Tai, Lu Chan, and Lu Lu as generals to command the northern and southern armies. Only after the Lu family entered the court and held real power could the ministers escape from the disaster. This meant that Empress Lu was not a person with real power. She only relied on the identity of the young master Liu Ying to act as regent. Therefore, Empress Lu did not show any sadness because she was worried that the ministers would threaten her power.
Liu Ying was Lu Zhi's biological son. Liu Ying was the son of Lu Zhi and Liu Bang after Han Gaozu. He was Lu Zhi's only son and also Lu Zhi's biological son.
Empress Lu cried after Liu Ying's death, but she did not shed any tears. This showed that Empress Lu did not really feel sad. Empress Lu's crying was more out of fear for the future, the pursuit of power, and the need for self-protection. Therefore, Empress Lu was not really sad.
The relationship between Liu Ying and Empress Lu was complicated and disharmonious. As Liu Ying's mother, Empress Lu did not protect her son well. Instead, she used his weakness and filial piety to achieve her own goals. Empress Lu took away Liu Ying's power, sent people to assassinate his younger brother Liu Ruyi, whom he wanted to protect, and forced his marriage on his niece. When Liu Ying passed away, Empress Lu did not show any sadness. She only cared about her power and whether the person she arranged could sit on the throne. Therefore, it could be said that Liu Ying and Empress Lu were not close. Empress Lu did not play the role of a virtuous mother in Liu Ying's life.
Empress Lu showed a reaction of crying but not tears when Liu Ying died. This reaction was strange, because as a mother, Empress Lu should be sad about her son's death. However, based on the information provided, we are unable to determine why Empress Lu did not cry or what her true feelings were.
Yes, Liu Gong and Liu Hong were Liu Ying's sons.