Lu Zhi (Han dynasty)

Lu Zhi
Lu Zhi
盧植
Master of Writing (尚書)
	In office; ?–189
Monarch	Emperor Ling of Han
North General of the Household (北中郎將)
	In office; 184
Monarch	Emperor Ling of Han
Consultant (議郎)
	In office; ?–?
Monarch	Emperor Ling of Han
Administrator of Lujiang (廬江太守)
	In office; ?–?
Monarch	Emperor Ling of Han
Administrator of Jiujiang (九江太守)
	In office; 175–?
Monarch	Emperor Ling of Han
Academician (博士)
	In office; ?–?
Monarch	Emperor Ling of Han
Personal details
Born	140s; Zhuozhou, Hebei
Died	192
Children	Lu Yu (卢毓; youngest son); three other sons;
Relatives	see Lu family of Fanyang; Lu Qin (卢钦) (grandson; son of Lu Yu) ; Lu Ting (卢珽) (grandson; younger brother of Lu Qin)
Occupation	Historian, military general, philosopher, politician
Courtesy name	Zigan (子幹)

Lu Zhi (before late 140s?^[4]–192),^[5] courtesy name Zigan, was a Chinese historian, military general, philosopher, and politician during the Eastern Han dynasty. According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, he was the mentor of Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan. He was described as a tall man (approximately 1.89 metres or 6'2") with a sonorous voice.^[6]

Life

Lu Zhi was born in Zhuo Commandery (涿郡, Zhuōjùn; present-day Zhuozhou, Hebei).^[5] He studied under Ma Rong and Zheng Xuan was one of his classmates.^[7] As Ma Rong was a consort kin,^[8] his family was wealthy and his household had many songstresses and dancers. During his time studying with Ma Rong, Lu Zhi concentrated on his studies and never once looked at the songstresses and dancers, earning his teacher's respect.^[9]

In 175, a rebellion led by "barbarians" in Jiujiang broke out. On account of his literary and martial abilities, Lu Zhi was made Administrator of Jiujiang. The rebels surrendered to Lu peacefully; Lu later resigned, citing an illness.^[10]　　

He was among the most pre-eminent scholars of the era, known for his study of texts on Chinese rituals and his assistance in compiling the Han Records of the Eastern Lodge (t 東觀漢記, s 东观汉记, Dōngguān Hànjì).^[5] His students included Gao You, later a scholarly commentator on the Chinese classics;^[5] Liu Bei, later the emperor of Shu during the Three Kingdoms;^[11] his relative Liu Deran;^[11] and Gongsun Zan, later a regional warlord.^[11] While in the service of the Han government, Lu Zhi led imperial forces to attack the Yellow Turban rebels in 184, but was removed from command after the eunuch Zuo Feng (左豐) made false accusations against him; Lu Zhi had refused to bribe Zuo Feng.^[12]

Huangfu Song, who took over command of the imperial troops from Lu Zhi, continued to use Lu as a strategist and reported his contributions to the imperial court. Thus, in the same year, Lu Zhi regained his post as Master of Writing (尚书).^[13] Later, he warned against Dong Zhuo's sudden displacement of Emperor Shao.

After Dong Zhuo's rise to power, Lu eventually resigned from court, citing his old age and ill health. As he feared that he may be harmed, he left the capital via a secluded route. Indeed, Dong Zhuo did send troops after him, but did not manage to capture him. Lu Zhi then became a hermit in Shanggu Commandery, refusing all contact with outsiders, even as Yuan Shao invited him to become an advisor. Lu Zhi then passed away in 192.^[14]

Family and descendants

Lu Zhi's youngest son, Lu Yu, later served in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. Lu Yu had at least 2 sons: Lu Qin and Lu Ting. Lu Ting's son Lu Zhi (盧志; note the different character from his great-grandfather's name) was a confidant and strategist of Sima Ying, one of the princes associated with the War of the Eight Princes.^[15]

References

Citations

^ (植有四子，毓最小。) Xu Hanshu annotation in Sanguozhi vol.22. Lu Yu has a biography in the same volume of Sanguozhi.
^ (祖植，汉侍中。父毓，魏司空。) Jin Shu, vol.44
^ (钦弟珽) Jin Shu, vol.44
^ The earliest record on Lu Zhi's life which can be dated was that as a civilian, he wrote to Dou Wu, advising him not to accept the titles given to him and his family for his role in crowning Emperor Ling; Dou rejected the advice. Volume 56 of Zizhi Tongjian dated the day the Dous received their titles to the guisi day of the 6th month of the 1st year of the Jianning era of Emperor Ling's reign, which corresponds to 8 August 168 in the Julian calendar. ([建宁元年]六月....。癸巳，录定策功，封窦武为闻喜侯，武子机为渭阳侯，兄子绍为鄠侯，靖为西乡侯，中常侍曹节为长安乡侯，侯者凡十一人。涿郡卢植上书说武曰：“足下之于汉朝，犹旦、奭之在周室，建立圣主，四海有系，论者以为吾子之功，于斯为重。今同宗相后，披图案牒，以次建之，何勋之有！岂可横叨天功，以为己力乎！宜辞大赏，以全身名。”武不能用。) In addition, his teacher Ma Rong died in 166. If Lu Zhi was born in 159, he would have been 9 years old at the time he sent the letter to Dou Wu, and 7 when Ma Rong died. Lu Zhi's biography recorded that he was a civilian (布衣) when he sent his letter to Dou Wu. Thus, he should be an adult (i.e. at least in his early 20s). Thus, it is more likely that Lu Zhi's birth year is in the late 140s or earlier.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Knoblock & al. (2000), p. 671.
^ (身长八尺二寸，音声如钟。) Hou Han Shu vol.64
^ Coblin (1983).
^ Ma Rong's paternal grandfather Ma Yu was an elder brother of the famed general Ma Yuan, and Ma Yuan's daughter was Emperor Ming's empress.
^ (融外戚豪家，多列女倡歌舞于前。植侍讲积年，未尝转眄，融以是敬之。) Houhanshu, vol.64
^ (熹平四年，九江蛮反，四府选植才兼文武，拜九江太守，蛮寇宾服。以疾去官。) Houhanshu vol.64
^ ^a ^b ^c Chen Shou, "Biography of the Former Lord", Records of the Three Kingdoms. (in Chinese)
^ (帝遣小黄门左丰诣军观贼形埶，或劝植以赂送丰，植不肯。丰还言于帝曰：“广宗贼易破耳。卢中郎固垒息军，以待天诛。”帝怒，遂槛车征植，减死罪一等。) Houhanshu, vol.64
^ (及车骑将车皇甫嵩讨平黄巾，盛称植行师方略，嵩皆资用规谋，济成其功。以其年复为尚书。) Houhanshu, vol.64
^ (植以老病求归，惧不免祸，乃诡道从轘辕出。卓果使人追之，到怀，不及。遂隐于上谷，不交人事。冀州牧袁绍请为军师。初平三年卒。) Houhanshu, vol.64
^ (成都王颖之镇邺也，爱其才量，委以心膂，遂为谋主。) Jin Shu, vol.44