Lu Guangqi
(盧光?) (died March 6, 903
[1]
[2]
),
courtesy name
Zizhong
(子忠), was an official of the
Chinese
Tang Dynasty
, serving briefly as
chancellor
from 901 to 902, while
Emperor Zhaozong
was under the physical control of the warlord
Li Maozhen
the military governor (
Jiedushi
) of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern
Baoji
,
Shaanxi
) and Li's
eunuch
allies, led by
Han Quanhui
. After Li Maozhen was forced to surrender Emperor Zhaozong to another warlord,
Zhu Quanzhong
the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern
Kaifeng
,
Henan
), Lu was forced to commit suicide.
Background and early career
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]
It is not known when Lu Guangqi is born, and it is not known where he, or even his family, was from.
[3]
All that is known about his family, which was not connected to the families of other
Tang Dynasty
chancellors
named Lu, are that his grandfather was named Lu Zhi (盧質), his father was named Lu Zhou (盧晝), and that he had at least one older brother named Lu Guangji (盧光濟); none of the three was listed with any official titles.
[4]
Lu Guangqi passed the
imperial examinations
in the
Jinshi
(進士) class at some point and was favored by the chancellor
Zhang Jun
. He went through a series of promotions, eventually reaching the post of deputy minister of defense (兵部侍?,
Bingbu Shilang
).
[3]
As chancellor
[
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]
In late 901, the powerful
eunuchs
, led by
Han Quanhui
, fearing that then-reigning
Emperor Zhaozong
and the leading chancellor
Cui Yin
were about to massacre them, seized Emperor Zhaozong and took him to Fengxiang Circuit, ruled by Han's ally
Li Maozhen
. All of the chancellors, led by Cui, remained at the imperial capital
Chang'an
to await the arrival of Cui's ally
Zhu Quanzhong
, but some imperial officials followed Emperor Zhaozong to Fengxiang. While Emperor Zhaozong was still en route to Fengxiang, he (or the eunuchs, in his name) put Lu Guangqi in charge of the office of the chancellors, thus making him, in effect, a chancellor, albeit without the usual chancellor designation
Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi
(同中書門下平章事). After Emperor Zhaozong's arrival in Fengxiang, Lu was given the more formalized chancellor designation
Canzhi Jiwu
(參知機務), but still not
Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi
; he was also made a
You Jianyi Daifu
(右諫議大夫), a high-level advisor at the legislative bureau of government (中書省,
Zhongshu Sheng
).
[5]
In 902, while Emperor Zhaozong was still at Fengxiang, Lu was removed from his chancellor position and made a senior advisor to the
Crown Prince
.
[6]
Death
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]
In 903, with Fengxiang under siege by Zhu Quanzhong, Li Maozhen was forced to slaughter the eunuchs and sue for peace by agreeing to surrender the emperor to Zhu.
[6]
Lu accompanied Emperor Zhaozong back to Chang'an, and after arrival in Chang'an, was, at Cui Yin's instigation, forced to commit suicide, along with another chancellor commissioned at Fengxiang,
Su Jian
.
[1]
Notes and references
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]