Lu Yi (Tang dynasty)

Lu Yi was born in 847, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong; he was originally named Lu Yundi, and it is not known when his name was changed to Lu Yi. His family was originally from the former Wu Commandery (around modern Suzhou, Jiangsu) but had, by Lu Yi's time, relocated to Shan Prefecture (陝州, in modern Sanmenxia, Henan). == Early career ==

Lu Yi passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi () class in 886, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong's grandson Emperor Xizong, and later in the year was part of Emperor Xuānzong's procession to Xingyuan (興元, in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi) Later that year, the chancellor Wei Zhaodu, who also served as the director of the salt and iron monopolies, made Lu a surveyor under him. In 887, another chancellor, Kong Wei, made Lu a copyeditor (校書郎, Xiaoshu Lang) for the imperial histories. Soon thereafter, Lu's mother died, and he left governmental service to observe a mourning period for her. In 889, by which time Emperor Xizong had died and been succeeded by his brother Emperor Zhaozong, Lu was recalled to government service to serve as the sheriff of Lantian County (藍田, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi), but also to serve as a scholar at Hongwen Pavilion (). Thereafter, he was made Zuo Shiyi (), an advisory official at the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng), as well as a scholar at Jixian Pavilion (). Soon thereafter, at the request of Liu Pi () the deputy chief imperial censor, Lu was made an imperial censor with the title Jiancha Yushi (). In 891, he was made an imperial scholar (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi) as well as Tuntian Yuanwailang (), a low-level official at the ministry of public works (工部, Gongbu). In 892, he was made Cibu Langzhong (), a supervisory official at the ministry of rites (禮部, Libu) and put in charge of drafting edicts. In 893, he was made Zhongshu Sheren (), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). It was said that Lu thought and wrote quickly, and his writings were both well-written and well-reasoned. On an occasion when Emperor Zhaozong wrote a poem and asked the imperial scholars to write responses, Lu wrote one quickly, impressing Emperor Zhaozong, who compared him to Lu Zhi and Wu Tongxuan (), another talented official who served Emperor Dezong. In 894, Lu Yi was made the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang). In 895, he was made the deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang); he was also given the honorary title of Yinqing Guanglu Daifu () and created the Baron of Jiaxing. In 896, he was made the chief imperial scholar (翰林學士承旨, Hanlin Xueshi Chengzhi), and soon thereafter Shangshu Zuo Cheng (), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). == First chancellorship ==

Later in 896, Emperor Zhaozong made Lu Yi the deputy minister of census again, and made him a chancellor with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (). Traditionally, an officials from one of the three bureaus i.e., the executive, the legislative, and the examination (門下省, Menxia Sheng) were elevated to chancellorship, he would give an amount of money to the officials under him to thank them for their service under him, but that tradition did not include the office of the imperial scholars (翰林院, Hanlin Yuan). Lu, in a break with that tradition, gave money to the officials at the office of the imperial scholars to thank them, and they felt honored. however, as Lu's elevation to the chancellorship came after Li Maozhen's attack, that appears to be unlikely.) == Between chancellorships ==

In summer 897, Lu Yi was recalled to serve as the minister of public works (工部尚書, Gongbu Shangshu). In fall 897, he was made the minister of defense (兵部尚書, Bingbu Shangshu), and soon thereafter he subsequently accompanied Emperor Zhaozong on the emperor's return to Chang'an. == Second chancellorship ==

In 899, Lu Yi was again made chancellor, replacing Cui Yin. Subsequently, Han and Zhang, fearing that Emperor Zhaozong and Cui were going to slaughter the eunuchs, kidnapped Emperor Zhaozong and took him to Fengxiang. Zhu, at Cui's request, put Fengxiang's capital Fengxiang Municipality under siege. Lu's actions during the Fengxiang siege were not recorded in history. However, after Zhu returned Emperor Zhaozong to Chang'an, Emperor Zhaozong issued an edict to the circuits — but specifically left Fengxiang out of the edict's distribution list. Lu argued that singling Fengxiang out showed a lack of magnanimity. Cui, in anger, suggested to Emperor Zhaozong that Lu be demoted, and Lu thereafter was made the teacher of Emperor Zhaozong's son Li Yan () the Prince of Yi, but with his office at Luoyang. He was also reduced in his honorary title of Tejin () down to Zhengyi Daifu (). == After second chancellorship ==

In 904, after Zhu Quanzhong killed Cui Yin and forced Emperor Zhaozong to move the capital to Luoyang, Lu Yi was made the minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, Libu Shangshu) and restored to the rank of Tejin, but was not again chancellor. He accompanied Emperor Zhaozong on the journey to Luoyang. Later in the year, Zhu had Emperor Zhaozong assassinated and replaced with his son Emperor Ai. In 905, Zhu, at the advice of his close associates Liu Can and Li Zhen, began demoting and killing Tang aristocrats en masse, and Lu was first demoted to be the census officer at Pu Prefecture (濮州, in modern Heze, Shandong), and then ordered to commit suicide at Baima Station (白馬驛, in modern Anyang, Henan), with fellow former chancellors Pei Shu, Dugu Sun, Cui Yuan, Wang Pu, as well as the officials Zhao Chong () and Wang Zan (). At Li Zhen's request (as Li Zhen, who was unable to pass the imperial examinations, resented these traditional aristocrats for claiming to be free from taint), Zhu had their bodies thrown into the Yellow River (as Li Zhen put it, to taint them). == Notes and references ==

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 179. • New Book of Tang, vol. 183. • Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 260, 261, 262, 264, 265.