Lü Zuqian

Life

He was the son of Lü Daqi, the grandson of Lü Pengzhong, and the maternal grandson of Zeng Ji; his younger brother was Lü Zujian and his agnatic cousin was Chen Liang. The fathers of his three wives were Han Yuanji, Han Yuanji, and Rui Ye, respectively; his wives were Han Fu, a Han woman, and a Rui woman. He had a daughter, Lü Huanian, a son, Lü Yannian, a son-in-law, Pan Jingliang, and a direct-line descendant, Lü Yun.

In 1163, the first year of the Longxing era, he passed the jinshi examination and then the Boxue Hongci examination; he was appointed professor at the Southern External School of the Imperial Clan (南外宗學教授), a title also given as 南外宗正司教授. He is also associated with the zhi ju examinations and a zhishi yinbu appointment.

In the fifth year of Qiandao (1169), he became an additional professor at Yanzhou; in the sixth year, he was summoned as Taixue boshi, Guoshiyuan bianxiu, and Shiluyuan jiantaoguan. In the first year of Chunxi (1174), he was put in charge of the Chongdao Abbey in Taizhou; in the second year, he took part in the Ehu gathering of Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan; in the third year, he was recalled as Mishu lang while retaining his other duties. After the revision of the Veritable Records of Emperor Huizong was completed, he was promoted to Zhuzuo zuolang.

His career also included Zhuzuo lang, Mishu sheng zhuzuo lang, Libu langguan, Zhi Mige, and Anfu shisi canyi guan; he also served as a county lieutenant, Dianzhong sheng Shangshe fengyu, and supervisor of Daoist establishments. By imperial order, he classified the Huangchao Wenhai; when the work was completed in the sixth year of Chunxi, it was given the title Huangchao Wenjian, and he was appointed Zhi Mige and placed in charge of the Chongyou Abbey on Mount Wuyi.

Scholarship

He was learned and broadly informed. His learning took the Guan and Luo schools as its foundation while drawing widely on other learning; he emphasized clarifying principle and putting it into practice, opposed empty talk about mind and nature, and helped open the Zhejiang school. He was a friend of Zhu Xi and Zhang Shi, with whom he was ranked among the Three Worthies of the Southeast.

Works and editorial activity

He took part in revising the Veritable Records of Emperor Huizong and, by imperial order, classified the Huangchao Wenhai, which was given the title Huangchao Wenjian when completed; he also compiled the Jinsi lu. He wrote dozens of works. Major works transmitted to later generations include 《書說》 in 35 juan, 《左氏傳說》, 《續說》 in 32 juan, 《左氏博議》 in 25 juan, 《歷代制度詳說》 in 15 juan, 《麗澤論說集錄》 in 10 juan, 《詩律武庫》 in 30 juan, and the collected writings, supplementary collection, and external collection in 36 juan. Other works include 《少儀外傳》, 《春秋集解》, 《古易音訓》, 《呂氏家塾讀詩記》, 《東萊呂太史春秋左傳類編》, 《東萊先生左氏博議》, and 《增修東萊書說》. The volume counts for the collected writings differ: one gives 《東萊呂太史文集》 in 15 juan, the supplementary collection in 16, and the external collection in 5, while another gives 《東萊呂太史文集》, 《別集》, and 《外集》 together as 36 juan.

Death and posthumous title

He died in the eighth year of Chunxi (1181), aged forty-five; his posthumous title was first Cheng and later revised to Zhongliang.