Empress Yu's father Yu Chen (庾琛) was the governor of Kuaiji Commandery along the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay and later served on the staff of Sima Rui the Prince of Langye (later Emperor Yuan) when Sima Rui was posted at Jianye.
Initially, he left a balance of power between high-level officials with whom he entrusted the four-year-old Crown Prince Yan, who later succeeded to the throne as Emperor Cheng on 19 October 325.
He became apprehensive of the generals Su Jun, Zu Yue, and Tao Kan, each of whom suspected Yu of erasing their names from Sima Shao's will, which promoted and honored a large number of officials.
Empress Dowager Yu died in distress and fear at the age of 32 (by East Asian reckoning).
The empress dowager's body was eventually recovered and she was buried together with Emperor Ming at Wuping Mausoleum on 19 May 328.