Lu Mai

chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong

chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong's great-grandson Emperor Dezong. Lu Mai's direct male-line ancestors, for several generations, including his grandfather Lu Keming (盧克明) and father Lu Zhao (盧沼), served as local officials.^[4] Lu Mai was described as filially pious, loving to his siblings, and careful in his youth, and his maternal uncle Cui Youfu, also a chancellor during Emperor Dezong's reign, loved and respected him.^[2]

Yangtze River region, because at that time his uncle and siblings were all in that region. He was thus made the prefect of Chu Prefecture (滁洲, in modern Chuzhou, Anhui). He later returned to the capital Chang'an to serve as Simen Langzhong (司門郎中), a supervisorial official at the ministry of justice and then You Jianyi Daifu (右諫議大夫), an advisor at the legislative bureau. While serving there, he often submitted suggestions to the emperor. He later served as imperial attendant (給事中, jishizhong), when he was set to be evaluated for a further evaluation for promotion. He declined, on the basis that he had not served long as jishizhong and therefore should not be considered for yet another promotion at that time. For this, he was much respected by others, and he was later promoted to be Shangshu You Cheng (尚書右丞), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). While he was serving there, there was an occasion when the minister of palace affairs, Yuan Gen (元亙), was supposed to serve as the ceremonial sacrifice leader for sacrifices to Emperor Dezong's deceased wife Empress Wang.^[6] Yuan declined on the basis that the sacrifices to Empress Wang were set on a day that one of his parents had died, and the imperial censors submitted an indictment against Yuan for insubordination. A number of officials were convened to discuss the indictment, and Lu pointed out that Yuan's duty should be first to the state, and he should not have declined on the basis of a family matter. Yuan was thus fined.^[2]

Zhao Jing.^[7] As Lu Zhi and Zhao effectively were the lead chancellors, Lu Mai was not much involved in the major decisions, and he was said to be cautious and obedient to the law. He was also praised for personally attending the funeral of a cousin, as at that time, chancellors often considered themselves too important to attend the funerals of distant relatives.^[2]

eunuchs to the office of the chancellors to make sure that the affairs of the state were being attended to.^[8] Lu Mai subsequently submitted five petitions offering to resign, and in 797, Emperor Dezong approved his resignation and made him Taizi Bingke (太子賓客), an advisor to his crown prince Li Song.^[2][8] Lu died in 798 and was given posthumous honors. As his two marriages did not yield a son, his heir Lu Ji (盧紀) was a son of a cousin.^[2]