Lü Xizhe

Life

Lü Xizhe was the eldest son of Lü Gongzhu (呂公著), and his mother was of the Lu (魯) family. As a young man he studied under Jiao Qianzhi (焦千之), Sun Fu (孫復), Shi Jie (石介), and Hu Yuan (胡瑗), and later followed Cheng Hao (程顥), Cheng Yi (程頤), and Zhang Zai (張載), greatly broadening his knowledge. He gave up the civil examinations and devoted himself to ancient learning. Entering office through the yin privilege, he spent nearly ten years in lowly storehouse posts before being appointed to the Dengwen Drum Office (登聞鼓院).

In the sixth year of Yuanyou (1091) he became a vice director of the Ministry of War (兵部員外郎); in 1092, on the recommendation of Fan Zuyu (范祖禹), he was appointed expositor at the Chongzheng Hall (崇政殿說書); and in 1093 he was promoted to right remonstrance official (右司諫). In the early Shaosheng era he was sent out as prefect of Taipingzhou (太平州); when the factional controversy arose he was placed in charge of Huaizhou (懷州) as a collator of the Palace Library (祕閣校理), and was then attached to the Southern Capital (分司南京) and banished to live at Hezhou (和州). At the end of the Yuanfu era he was again appointed prefect of Danzhou (單州). On Emperor Huizong's accession he was summoned to be vice director of the Palace Library (秘書少監); the appointment being thought too abrupt, he was made vice director of the Court of Imperial Entertainments (光祿少卿); asking for a provincial post, he went as prefect of Caozhou (曹州) with the title of auxiliary of the Palace Library (直祕閣). In the first year of Chongning (1102) the party persecution struck again: he was stripped of office as prefect of Xiangzhou (相州) and transferred to Xingzhou (邢州). After his dismissal he held a temple sinecure and lived between the Huai and Si rivers for more than ten years, until his death. His name was entered on the register of the Yuanyou party (元祐黨籍).

His wife was a daughter of Zhang Wenzhi (張昷之); his younger brothers were Lü Xichun (呂希純) and Lü Xiji (呂希績); his sons were Lü Haowen (呂好問) and Lü Qiewen (呂切問); his grandsons included Lü Benzhong (呂本中) and Lü Kuizhong (呂揆中).

Scholarship and works

His biography appears in chapter 7 of the Yiluo yuanyuan lu (伊洛淵源錄) and is appended to the biography of Lü Gongzhu in chapter 336 of the Song History (宋史). Among those who studied under him were Xie Yi (謝逸), Xie Ke (謝薖), Rao Jie (饒節), Wang Ge (汪革), Yan Qi (顏岐), and Li Que (黎確). His works include Faming yili (發明義理), Chuanjiang zaji (傳講雜記), Lü shi zaji (呂氏雜記), and Shijiang riji (侍講日記); the Faming yili and the Lü shi zaji, in two juan, are extant, and six of his poems also survive.