Lu Yin

Historical Record

Lu Yin, styled Jingzong, was the younger brother of Lu Kai, a renowned minister of the state of Wu. His career began early: he once held such posts as Imperial Censor and Gentleman of the Selection Bureau of the Department of State Affairs. At that time, the Crown Prince Sun He, hearing of his worthy reputation, treated him with particular courtesy^[1]. However, the political situation of Wu was turbulent: Quan Ji, Yang Zhu and others ingratiated themselves with the Prince of Lu, Sun Ba, contending with the Crown Prince Sun He for the position of heir and secretly framing one another. Lu Yin was implicated as a result, arrested and imprisoned, and subjected to severe torture, but he remained steadfast and unyielding throughout, never uttering a single word harmful to the Crown Prince^[1].

According to the *Wu Lu*, the Crown Prince Sun He felt his position as heir to be insecure, while the Prince of Lu, Sun Ba, grew daily more covetous of it. The Great Emperor of Wu, Sun Quan, once summoned Yang Zhu, dismissed his attendants, and questioned him alone about his view of Sun Ba. Yang Zhu strongly extolled Sun Ba as possessing both civil and martial talents and held that he ought to be the legitimate heir; Sun Quan, after hearing this, actually promised to install Sun Ba as Crown Prince. This was overheard by a runner lying beneath the couch, who reported it to the Crown Prince. When Lu Yin was about to set out for Wuchang, he went to take leave of the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince did not receive him openly, but, in plain clothes, came to Lu Yin's carriage and conferred with him in secret, hoping that Lu Xun would submit a memorial of remonstrance. Later, Lu Xun did indeed submit a memorial of strong remonstrance, and Sun Quan therefore suspected that Yang Zhu had leaked the matter. Yang Zhu would not accept this, so Sun Quan sent him out to ascertain the truth. Yang Zhu returned and reported that at the time only Lu Yin had traveled west, so the leak must have been by him. Sun Quan then sent men to ask Lu Xun how he had learned of the matter, and Lu Xun answered that it was Lu Yin who had told him. Sun Quan thereupon summoned Lu Yin for interrogation. To protect the Crown Prince, Lu Yin counter-accused Yang Zhu of having disclosed the matter to him. The two were therefore imprisoned together. Yang Zhu could not bear the severe torture, and in the end admitted that it was he who had leaked the news. Sun Quan, having at first suspected Yang Zhu of the leak, took his confession as true and had Yang Zhu beheaded^[1].

After his release from prison, Lu Yin was appointed Commandant of the Army Supervisor of Hengyang. In the eleventh year of Chiwu (248 CE), barbarian bandits in Jiaozhi and Jiuzhen stormed the towns, throwing the Jiaozhou region into turmoil. Sun Quan thereupon appointed Lu Yin Inspector of Jiaozhou and Colonel Who Pacifies the South, sending him to put down the rebellion. After Lu Yin arrived in Jiaozhou, he soothed the local people with kindness and good faith and actively accepted those who came over and surrendered. The chieftain Huang Wu and others of the Gaoliang region, more than three thousand households, surrendered upon hearing his approach. Lu Yin then led his troops south, again proclaiming the court's sincerity and bestowing goods upon them. More than a hundred bandit chiefs dwelling in remote and perilous places, and more than fifty thousand households of common people, all bowed in submission, and the Jiaozhou region was thereby made peaceful and settled. For this merit Lu Yin was further enfeoffed as General Who Pacifies the South. Thereafter he campaigned against the bandits of Jianling County in Cangwu Commandery and crushed them. Lu Yin sent out in all more than eight thousand troops, replenishing the military strength of Wu^[1].

In the first year of Yong'an (258 CE), Lu Yin was summoned back to court to serve as Supervisor of Xiling, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Duting Precinct. Later he transferred to be Commander of the Left Hulin^[2]. The Aide to the Palace Writers, Hua He, once submitted a memorial recommending Lu Yin^[2].

In the Novel

(No material from the novel.)

Key Relationships

* Lu Kai (sibling_of): Lu Yin was the younger brother of Lu Kai, a renowned minister of Wu^[1]. Both brothers served the state of Wu and made achievements in their respective spheres.
* Eastern Wu (serves): Lu Yin served the Sun Wu regime loyally all his life, holding many posts including Imperial Censor, Gentleman of the Selection Bureau of the Department of State Affairs, Commandant of the Army Supervisor of Hengyang, Inspector of Jiaozhou, Colonel Who Pacifies the South, General Who Pacifies the South, Supervisor of Xiling, and Commander of the Left Hulin^[1][2]. He put down the rebellion in Jiaozhou for Sun Wu and stabilized the frontier, with outstanding contributions.
* Sun He (friend_of): Lu Yin had a close relationship with the Crown Prince Sun He. Sun He once treated him with special courtesy on account of his worthy reputation. In the political storm of the succession struggle between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Lu, Lu Yin was imprisoned and subjected to torture for defending Sun He, yet held firm to his position throughout and never betrayed him^[1].
* Lu Shi (parent_of): Lu Shi was the son of Lu Yin.

Signature Scenes

* Steadfast and Unyielding in Prison: In the succession struggle between the Crown Prince Sun He and the Prince of Lu, Sun Ba, Lu Yin was implicated and imprisoned, and subjected to severe torture. But he never yielded, resolutely refusing to utter any word harmful to the Crown Prince, displaying his loyal and steadfast character^[1].
* Protecting His Lord with Clever Words: When Sun Quan suspected the Crown Prince of leaking the inside story of the succession struggle, Lu Yin, to protect the Crown Prince, cleverly shifted the responsibility onto Yang Zhu, ultimately causing Yang Zhu to be beheaded while the Crown Prince was preserved. This act reflects Lu Yin's stratagem and his loyalty to Sun He^[1].
* Putting Down the Rebellion in Jiaozhou: In the eleventh year of Chiwu, the barbarian bandits of Jiaozhi and Jiuzhen rose in rebellion, throwing Jiaozhou into turmoil. Lu Yin took up the charge in the face of crisis, serving as Inspector of Jiaozhou and Colonel Who Pacifies the South. He penetrated deep into the southern marches, soothing and winning over with kindness and good faith, ultimately causing the Gaoliang chieftain Huang Wu and others, more than three thousand households, along with more than a hundred bandit chiefs and more than fifty thousand households of common people, to submit, successfully putting down the rebellion in Jiaozhou and making the Jiao region peaceful and settled—displaying his outstanding military talent and ability to govern^[1].