Lü Gongbi

Life

In the second year of the Mingdao era (1033), Lü Gongbi entered government through his father’s protection and was granted presented-scholar status; he successively served as associate judge of the Court of State Finance and the Directorate of Works, then moved to the Directorate of Historiography. While serving as Transport Commissioner for Hebei, he opened the grain-transport route, moved garrison troops to obtain provisions in eastern Jingdong, attracted Emperor Renzong’s attention, and was promoted to Chief Transport Commissioner.

Under Renzong he served as Transport Commissioner for Hebei and Chief Transport Commissioner, was additionally made a Longtuge Academician, and held the posts of acting prefect of Kaifeng and governor of Wei, Yan, and Chengdu prefectures. His other appointments included Tianzhangge daizhi (天章閣待制), Shumi zhixueshi (樞密直學士), the Three Libraries (三館), Jishizhong (門下省給事中), offices in the Ministries of War and Works, Guanglu Dafu (光祿大夫), Commissioner of Herds (群牧使), and a Household Section post in the Three Offices (三司戶部判官); he also served as pacification commissioner for the Gaoyang Pass Circuit and held the commands of Military Commissioner and Cavalry-and-Infantry Commander.

His dated appointments include the military prefecture of Luzhou in 1039–1041, Transport Commissioner for Hebei in 1050–1051, Weizhou in 1058–1060, Yanzhou in 1060, and the administration of Qinzhou in 1072; his service in Kaifeng continued until 1054. At the beginning of Emperor Yingzong’s reign he was recalled as Acting Commissioner of the Three Offices and given the additional rank of Jishizhong; in the second year of the Zhiping era (1065), he became Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs.

After Emperor Shenzong’s accession he became Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs; this appointment is dated either the first year of Xining (1068) or 1067. Opposing Wang Anshi’s reforms, he was sent out in the third year of Xining (1070) as a Wenwendian Academician to administer Taiyuan; he was later transferred to Zhengzhou and then assigned to administer Qinzhou as Commissioner of the Southern Court of the Xuanhui Institute.

While serving as Commissioner of the Western Taiyi Palace, he died in the sixth year of Xining (1073), aged sixty-seven. He was posthumously awarded Grand Commandant and given the name Huimu.

Family and associations

His family included his father Lü Yijian, his elder brother Lü Gongchuo, and his younger brothers Lü Gongzhu and Lü Gongru; the father of his second wife was Wang Dan. Among his descendants and affinal relations were his second son Lü Xiyan, the husband of a niece, Shao Chi, and Lü Jiawen, described as both a nephew’s grandson and a collateral grandson; his eldest and third daughters, born in 1039 and 1042 respectively, were both wives of Han Zhongyan, while Xiang Ji was the husband of his second daughter.

Song Daolong was among his disciples. Lü Gongbi served alongside Chen Shengzhi and Han Jiang and opposed policies associated with them, including reducing the stipends of guards over forty and transferring them to Huainan, as well as restoring corporal punishment. His relationship with Wang Anshi appears in contrasting forms: he was both pushed aside by Wang and opposed to Wang’s policies, while a separate association makes him Wang’s retainer in 1071.

After his death, Fan Zhen composed his funerary inscription, Wang Anli wrote his biography, and Han Qi wrote commemorative poems and lyrics; he also exchanged letters and memorials with Ouyang Xiu and Han Wei, while Wu Shimeng composed inscriptions, notes, or names for buildings associated with him.

Poetry

Three poems are preserved under his name.