Lu Yu 盧毓

Lu Yu 盧毓 (182-257), courtesy name Zijia 子家, was a high minister of the Wei period 曹魏 (220-265).

His native town was Zhuoxian 涿縣 in the commandery of Zhuojun 涿郡 (today in northern Hebei) and was the son of the Confucian scholar Lu Zhi 盧植, but became orphaned at the age of 10 sui. He first made his life by teaching, and then obtained small posts in the administration of the province of Jizhou 冀州 (approx. Hebei and Shanxi), then in the capital. Under Emperor Wen 魏文帝 (r. 220-226) of the Wei dynasty he obtained a post as gentleman attendant at the palace gate (huangmen shilang 黃門郎侍), and was then made administrator (xiang 相) to the Prince of Jiyin 濟陰, then governor (taishou 太守) of the commandery of Liang 梁 and then of Qiao 譙, Anping 安平 and finally of Guangping 廣平.

In 234 he was promoted to the post of palace attendant (shizhong 侍中). When Cao Fang 曹芳 (r. 239-254) mounted the throne, Lu Yu was granted the title of Marquis within the Passes (guanneihou 關內侯), yet when Cao Shuang 曹爽 took over the regency for the young emperor, Lu Yu was dismissed. After the downfall of Cao Shuang and the consolidation of Sima Yi's 司馬懿 power, Lu Yu was appointed Minister of Personnel (libu shangshu 吏部尚書), granted the title of Commandant-in-chief of chariots (fengche duwei 奉車都尉), and was given the title of Neighbourhood Marquis of Gaole 高樂亭侯.

Lu Yu's next appointments were chief administrator (puye 僕射) and examination manager (dian xuanju 典選舉). In this function he compiled regulations for the evaluation of office candidates (kaokefa 考課法), in which he laid stress on moral principles rather than competence. He was rewarded with the title of Grand Master for Splendid Happiness (guanglu dafu 光祿大夫). Emperor Cao Mao 曹髦 (r. 254-260 CE) granted him the title of Township Marquis of Daliang 大梁鄉侯 and gave him the title of palace attendant (shizhong 侍中). In 255 he retired, but was given the honorific title of Minister of Works (sikong 司空) and that of Marquis of Rongcheng 容城侯. His posthumous title of nobility was Marquis Cheng 容城成侯.