Lu Guangqi

Lu Guangqi (盧光啟) (died March 6, 903 ), courtesy name Zizhong (子忠), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, who briefly served 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 It is not known when Lu Guangqi is born, and it is not known where he, or even his family, was from. 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.

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 (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang). 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.

Death 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. 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.

Notes and references

New Book of Tang, vol. 182. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 262, 263, 264.