Lu Yu (盧毓, 183? – 257) was a Chinese politician of the Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period, whose courtesy name was Zijia (子家) and who was a native of Zhuo County (涿縣), Zhuo Commandery (涿郡), Youzhou (幽州).1 He was the fourth son of the late Eastern Han politician Lu Zhi (盧植).
Career
Lu Yu's father died when he was ten years old. The period was one of chaos at the end of the Later Han, and two of his elder brothers died. Yuan Shao (袁紹) and Gongsun Zan (公孫瓚) fought each other, and Youzhou and Jizhou (冀州) suffered famine. Lu Yu raised the families his brothers left behind, and he gained a reputation for his learning and conduct. When Cao Pi (曹丕) became Gentleman of the Five Offices (五官中郞將), Lu Yu served as Thief Officer of the Gate Office (門下賊曹) under him, his first official post. Cui Yan (崔琰) recommended him as Clerk of Jizhou (冀州注簿).2
At that time, a new order was being established amid the wars, and the laws punishing deserting soldiers were strict, so that their wives and children were also implicated. Around this time, the wife of a deserter named Bai (白) and others were captured. Although they had been married only a short time and had not yet seen their husbands, the Minister of Justice (大理) proposed that they be executed by public exposure (棄市). Lu Yu cited the Book of Odes (詩經) and the Book of Rites (禮記) to argue that a woman who had married but not yet seen her husband was not yet a wife, and that such implication was unjust. The Chancellor (丞相) Cao Cao (曹操) admired his argument and learning. Lu Yu therefore became Assistant Commandant of Legal Affairs (丞相法曹掾屬) and later was transferred to Assistant Commandant of the Western Office (西曹掾屬).2
When the Wei was established as a vassal state of the Han, Lu Yu was promoted to Gentleman of the Board of Personnel (吏部郞). When Cao Pi assumed the imperial title and established a new reign era (Emperor Wen of Wei), Lu Yu became Gentleman Attendant of the Yellow Gate (黃門侍郞). He then held provincial posts as Minister of Jiyin (濟陰相), Administrator of Yangjun (陽郡太守), and Administrator of Chujun (楚郡太守). Emperor Wen wished to strengthen Chujun, his home region, by relocating people there, but Lu Yu submitted a memorial pointing out that Chujun was desolate and that the migrants suffered hardship, and requested that these settlers be moved to the nearby state of Yang. The emperor approved, but because Lu Yu had gone against his wishes, he demoted him to Colonel of Shouyang Agriculture (壽陽典農校尉). Lu Yu aided the interests of the people, and the people relied on him. Later, he served as Administrator of Anping (安平太守) and Administrator of Guangping (廣平太守), bestowing favor on the people and devoting himself to moral instruction.2
In the second year of Qinglong (靑龍) (234), he was transferred to the central post of Attendant Gentleman (侍中). He submitted a memorial expressing concern that the ambiguity of legal interpretation might cause problems, concerning the lack of refinement in Xu You's (劉邵) statutes. Over three years in office he frequently debated the revision of laws, and he earned the praise of Emperor Ming, and was promoted to Minister of the Board of Personnel (吏部尙書).2
On several occasions Emperor Ming consulted Lu Yu on the appointment of talented men. The first such occasion came when the post of Attendant Gentleman became vacant, and Lu Yu was asked to recommend a successor. Lu Yu recommended Zheng Chong (鄭沖), but when Emperor Ming did not accept him, Lu Yu recommended Wan Wu (完武) and Sun Yong (孫邕), and Sun Yong was appointed.2 At that time, a faction of frivolous men, including Zhuge Dan (諸葛誕), Xiahou Xuan (夏侯玄), and Deng Yang (鄧颺), praised one another as "the Four Hubs and Eight Thoroughfares" (四聰八達) and gained fame.34 Emperor Ming disliked this trend. When a problem arose concerning a Secretary of the Central Secretariat (中書郞), the emperor issued an edict stating, "Only Mr. Lu (Lu Yu) can determine whether a person is suitable or not," which revealed his trust in Lu Yu. He also said, "Fame is like a painted cake; it cannot be eaten," thereby expressing his hatred of the false reputations built by the faction. Lu Yu replied that fame is useful for gathering ordinary scholars and that these men also possessed virtue, so it should not be entirely dismissed. Emperor Ming accepted this and created the Evaluation Regulations (考課法). In the first year of Jingyuan (景元) (237), the Minister of Works (司徒)... [note: the source states 司徒 for 사도; rendered as the Grand Tutor] Chen Jiao (陳矯) died, and the post of Grand Tutor remained vacant for a time.5 Emperor Ming entrusted Lu Yu with making a recommendation. Lu Yu had once criticized, when he was Administrator of Guangping, the excessive courtesy shown to the recluse Guan Ning (管寧),6 but he now recommended Guan Ning. When Guan Ning refused to take office, Lu Yu recommended Han Ji (韓暨), Cui Lin (崔林), and Chang Lin (常林), and the emperor chose Han Ji. When recommending people, Lu Yu prioritized their character and conduct over their talent and words. When Li Feng (李豊) asked about his intention, Lu Yu replied that talent exists in order to do good, and that if a person could not do good, then even a talented person could not be employed.
When Cao Fang (曹芳) ascended the throne, Lu Yu was made a Marquis of the Inner Circle (關內侯). When Cao Shuang (曹爽) took power, he replaced Lu Yu with his own faction member, the Attendant Gentleman He Yan (何晏), and made Lu Yu Vice Director of the Secretariat (尙書僕射). Before long he was driven out to become Minister of Justice (廷尉), and he was dismissed after falling out with another of Cao Shuang's confidants, the Supervisor of Military Affairs Bi Gui (畢軌). However, facing public criticism, Lu Yu was reemployed and appointed Chamberlain for Imperial Entertainments (光祿勳). When Sima Yi (司馬懿) staged a coup and brought down Cao Shuang, Lu Yu was appointed Supervisor of Military Affairs and entrusted with punishing Cao Shuang's faction (Gaoping Tomb Incident). He was restored to the post of Minister of the Board of Personnel, was further granted the title of Commandant of the Fengju (奉車都尉), and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Gaole (高樂亭侯)... [note: the source names the marquisate as 고악정후, rendered as Marquis of Gaoyue]. He was promoted to Vice Director of the Secretariat and placed in charge of official selection, and the title Grand Master for Court Consultation (光祿大夫) was added. In the first year of Zhengyuan (正元) (254), when Cao Mao (曹髦) ascended the throne, his noble rank was raised and he became Marquis of Daliang (大梁鄕侯). The following year, when Sima Shi (司馬師) went to suppress the rebellion of Guanqiu Jian (毌丘儉) and Wen Qin (文欽), he left Lu Yu behind to handle affairs at the rear and added the post of Attendant Gentleman. In the first year of Ganlu (甘露) (256), he became Grand Minister of Works (司空)... [note: 사공 rendered as Minister of Works]. He declined in favor of Wang Chang (王昶), Wang Guan (王觀), and Wang Shang (王上), but his declinations were refused, and his noble rank was raised again, making him Marquis of Yongcheng (容城侯). He died in the second year of Ganlu (257), and was posthumously named Marquis Cheng (成侯).2
Works
- Treatise on the Nine Categories of Talent (《九州人士論》): Classified under the School of Names (名家) in the New Book of Tang (《新唐書》).7
Family
Related Figures
Lu Zhi
Footnotes