Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 01-13-12 05:54
利刀割體傷猶合,---Li4 dao ge ti3 shang you2 he2,
言語傷人恨不消.---Yan2 yu3 shang ren2 hen4 bu4 xiao.
Wound and scars can be healed,
Words marks the sort damage that will last forever.
-----------------------------------------
The 43rd most common Chinese surname Lu 呂 (043)
Lu means: a name of an ancient State in China; a musical tone.
The surname Lu is about 2,700 years old.
The surname Lu originated in an area referred to during the Han Dynasty
(漢朝 206BC to 220AD) as the Hedong prefecture (河東郡). The present day
Hedong prefecture is in the northern area of Xia Xian (夏縣 111.2 degree
East and 35.1 degree North on the world map) of Shanxi province (山西省).
In around 2297BC, there was a horrendous event happening in China. It rained
for a long time. All the rivers in the land overflowed their banks. Houses
and farmlands were submerged. People and animals were drowned and the survivors
fled to the highlands. The flood inundated all the inhabited land. It was
called "The Deluge" (大洪水) by historians.
Yao Di (堯帝), the legendary chief of federated tribes, appointed Si Gun
(姒鯀) as the leader in charge of dredging the rivers. Gong Gong (共公),
a descendant of Shen Nong Shi (神農氏), was a charismatic leader of a tribe.
Gong Gong and his people were ordered by Yao Di to assist Si Gun.
For nine years they failed to dredge the rivers and could not ease the flow
of water to the sea. Yao Di had Si Gun and Gong Gong executed for being
incompetent, wasting national resources and time.
The followers of Gong Gong were the only people who had the know-how and
the skill in irrigation works. Yao Di had no choice but to re-employ them.
Ironically the new leader in charge of water works was Si Wenming (姒文命
), the son of the executed Si Gun. Bo Yi (伯夷) the grandson of Gong Gong,
was appointed to assist the new leader.
After 13 years of hard work, water began to recede and the rivers flowed
smoothly to the sea. The land was drying up and the flood was over. The
workers were rewarded with big stipends and awards.
Yao Di rewarded Bo Yi by making him in charge of the four tribes who lived
near the vicinity of the capital, Pingyang (平陽 present day Linfen county
臨汾縣 in Shanxi province). Yao Di also gave him the authority to rule
a settlement called Lu (呂 in the western part of present day Nanyang county
南陽縣 of Henan province 河南省). The settlement of Lu was renamed as the
State of Lu (呂國).
Throughout the periods of the two Dynasties of Xia (夏朝 2205BC to 1766BC)
and Shang (商朝 1783BC to 1122BC) the people in the State of Lu lived peacefully.
It was during the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋時代 722BC to 481BC) that
the State of Lu was conquered and annexed by the State of Chu (楚國 present
day Jiangling county 江陵縣 of Hubei province 湖北省). Members of the Lu
royal family adopted LU (呂) as their surname in remembrance of the extinct
State.
The couplet of surname
望族河東.---Wang4 zu2 Hedong.
鄉賢世澤,---Xiang xian2 shi4 ze2,
Our clan originated fro Hedong,
And its virtuous members are all over the world.
........................................................................
The prominent persons produced by the Lu Clan:
(1) Lu Buwei (呂不韋 ? to 235BC)
春秋既成,------Chunqiu ji4 cheng2,
難增減一字.---Nan2 zeng jian3 yi zi4.
The Spring and Autumn Period was fixed,
It was hard to add in one word to it or subtract one word from it.
Lu Beiwei was born in the State of Wei (衛國 present day Puyang 濮陽 in
Hebei province 河北省) during the Warring States Period (戰國時代 453BC
to 221BC). He was the most political minded businessman in the land. When
he was young he was a student of Gui Guzi (鬼谷子), a very learned man.
Lu Buwei learned from him the art of fortune telling. He was not a resident
of the State of Zhao (趙國 present day Handan county 邯鄲縣 in Hebei province
河北省). While doing business in Handan (邯鄲), the capital of the State
of Zhao, Lu Buwei befriended Ying Yiren (嬴異人) who was a prisoner of
war captured by the Zhao soldiers during a war between the States of Zhao
and Qin (秦國 present day Xian Yang 咸陽 in Shaanxi province 陜西省). Ying
Yiren was the grandson of the 34th ruler of the State of Qin, Zhao Wang
Ying Ji (昭王嬴稷) and the son of Crown Prince Ying Zhu (嬴柱).
Ying Yiren, a good friend of Lu Buwei, married Zhu Ji (朱姬), the mistress
of Lu Buwei. Zhu Ji was already pregnant carrying Lu Buwei's child when
she married Ying Yiren. Lu Buwei helped Ying Yiren to escape from the State
of Zhao back to the State of Qin with his pregnant wife. Zhu Ji gave birth
to a baby boy who was named Ying Zheng (嬴政), who was, later, to become
the First Emperor of China.
Qin Zhao Wang, the ruler of Qin, died in 251BC and Ying Zhu, the father
of Ying Yiren became the ruler of Qin. Ying Yiren was made the Crown Prince.
Three days after his investiture as the ruler of Qin, Ying Zhu died. Ying
Yiren was installed the 36th ruler of Qin. Lu Buwei was appointed the Prime
Minister of Qin. Ying Zheng became the Crown Prince of Qin. Ying Yiren died
in 247BC and Ying Zheng was installed the 37th ruler of Qin. Since Ying
Zheng was only 13 years old Lu Buwei was made the Regent of the State of
Qin.
Lu Buwei established his own private court and he employed more than three
thousand people as his "食客 Shike or those who sponged on him". They helped
him by fair means or foul to stay in power. They were the experts of all
the professions. Among them were the first class politicians, masters in
current affairs, historians, financial experts, story and fable story writers.
Their livelihoods depended on Lu Buwei.
Putting their brains together they compiled a book of more than two hundred
thousand words. The book was called,
"呂氏春秋 Lu Shi Chun Qiu or The Spring and Autumn Annals of Mr Lu"
This book was the sum total of all human knowledge at that time. Lu Buwei
used this book as a guide to conquer other States and to unify this vast
land into a big empire. He wanted the citizens of the State of Qin to read
this book. He hanged up the scripts of this book on the walls of the city-gate
walls of Xianyang (咸陽), the capital of Qin. He promulgated that if anyone
could erase or change a word in the book he promised that he would reward
him with a thousand pieces of gold for each word he had erased or changed
"能有增損一字者予千金". It was a perfect book. For over ten days not a single
word was changed or deleted.
In 240BC Ying Zheng resumed the power as the ruler of the State of Qin.
Three years later, Lu Buwei was sacked by Ying Zheng as the Prime Minister
and replaced by Li Si (李斯). In 235BC, Ying Zheng forced Lu Buwei to take
his own life by taking poison.
In 221BC, Ying Zheng subjugated all the other States in the land and established
the Qin Dynasty. He proclaimed himself the First Empire of Qin (秦始皇帝
).
....................................................................
(2) Lu Dong Bin (呂洞賓 798AD to ?)
One of the 8 legendary immortals
Lu Dongbin was born on the 14th day of the 4th Month in the 19th year reign
of Emperor De Zong Li Shi (德宗皇帝李適 780AD to 804AD) in Jingzhao (京兆
the present day city of Xian 西安市 in Shaanxi province 陜西省) during
the Tang Dynasty (朝唐 618AD to 907AD). Legend has it that as soon as he
was born a white crane flew into the house and then disappeared. His father
was a high official in the Tang Court. During the reign of Emperor Wu Zong
Li Yan (武宗皇帝李炎 841AD to 846AD) he sat for the Palace Examination twice
and he failed twice. By then, he was already a middle-aged man.
Disappointed with his literary work, he wandered from place to place. He
met a man by the name of Zhong Liquan (鐘離權) in Yueyang (岳陽 in present
day Hunan province 湖南省). It is believed that the present day Fei Yin
Ting pavilion (飛吟亭) in Yueyang was the place where they met. Zhong Liquan
taught him the art of how to stay strong and healthy. Then he went to live
in the mountain of Zhongnanshan (終南山) in the present day province of Shaanxi.
He studied Taoism and practiced the art of fighting with sword. He shifted
to live in Heling (鶴嶺) for a short period.
After being a hermit for several years he left the mountain and traveled
widely in the two provinces of Hunan (湖南省) and Hubei (湖北省) preaching
Taoism. He called himself Huidaoren (回道人), the man of Taoism. People
called him "岳陽仙客 the immortal from Yueyang" and believed that he was
one of the eight immortals (八仙) in China. Many temples were erected in
China and Overseas to commemorate him,
呂純陽祖事師 (Lu chun yang zu shi).
................................................................
(3) Lu Meng Zheng (呂蒙正 944AD to 1011AD)
Lu Mengzheng was born in Luoyang (洛陽) of Henan province (河南省). During
the second year reign of Emperor Tai Zong Zhao Guang Yi (太宗皇帝趙光帝
976AD to 997AD) Lu Mengzheng passed the Palace Examination with Number One
in First Grade that was he became the Zhuang Yuan (狀元) of that year. He
was appointed the Prime Minister from 988AD to 995AD, before he was replaced
by Lu Duan (呂端). When Lu Duan died in 1000AD, Lu Mengzheng was reappointed
as the Prime Minister a second time by Emperor Zhen Zong Zhao Heng (真宗
趙恆 998AD to 1022AD). However, three years later in 1003AD, Lu Meng Zheng
retired. His best known couplet was,
弭兵省才,---Mi3 bing sheng3 cai2,
古今上策.--- Gu3 jin shang3 ce4."
An armistice will save the country's talents,
It is the best policy since ancient and modern times.
..............................................................
Posted to Overseas Chinese Forum at asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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