Chen Miaodeng was from a household that was viewed lowly by the society at the time—a butcher's household—at the Liu Song capital Jiankang.
When the attendant arrived at the house, only Chen Miaodeng was home; she was about 12 to 13 (by East Asian reckoning at the time).
He, however, later took her back, and she gave birth to his oldest son Liu Yu (different character than Emperor Ming) in March 463.
(However, the fact that his wife Princess Wang Zhenfeng had two daughters, although no sons, may argue against such allegations, because it appeared rather unlikely that Liu Yu would do this over female children—indeed, the allegations stated that he would only do this if his brothers' concubines bore males—or that the morally upright Princess Wang would engage in sexual relations with others, thus suggesting that the allegations were made to delegitimize Emperor Ming's sons Liu Yu and Emperor Shun (Liu Zhun) vis-à-vis Southern Qi.)
Crown Prince Yu was an impulsive child who appeared to be hyperactive and emotional, often putting himself into physical danger.