Lu You Lu You (1125–1210), courtesy name Wuguan, from Shanyin in Yuezhou, was a poet of the Southern Song. He was struck from the list by Qin Hui in his youth, then served under Emperor Xiaozong, in Sichuan on Wang Yan's staff and under Fan Chengda, always urging a campaign north. He retired to Shanyin and died in 1210 at the age of eighty-five. Lu You was a poet of the Southern Song. The History of Song says his courtesy name was Wuguan and that he came from Shanyin in Yuezhou. Wikidata's Chinese label is also Lu You, so the heading stays the personal name. This entry records his life as 1125 to 1210 and gives Kaifeng as his birthplace.[^wikidata][^zhengshi] ## Early years The History of Song says he could write poetry and prose at twelve and was made a gentleman by hereditary privilege. In the special examination for officials already in post he was recommended first, but Qin Hui's grandson Qin Xun placed just below him. Qin Hui was furious and even punished the examiners. The next year, in the ministry of rites examination, the examiners again placed Lu You among the top, and Qin Hui openly struck him out, so that he was hated by Qin Hui from then on. Only after Qin Hui died did he go to Ningde in Fuzhou as a registrar, and on recommendation he became an editor in the bureau of edicts. The Chinese Wikipedia article dates the Ningde post to 1158 and adds that he learned swordsmanship and read military books in youth, with a mind set on recovering the north.[^zhengshi][^zhwiki] ## At court and in posts outside The History of Song records that he argued strongly against Yang Cunzhong's long hold on the imperial guard, which the emperor praised, and Yang was dismissed. He also memorialized against eunuchs buying northern curios for the throne. When Emperor Xiaozong took the throne he became a compiler in the privy council. Shi Hao and Huang Zushun recommended him as skilled in literary composition and versed in precedent. Xiaozong received him, said he had learned much and spoke to the point, and conferred a jinshi degree on him. Later, when Long Dayuan and Zeng Di were seizing influence, he spoke of it to the privy councillor Zhang Dao. The matter reached the emperor, who was angered and sent Lu You out as vice-prefect of Jiankang, soon moved to Longxing. Critics then charged him with befriending the censors, stirring up controversy and pressing Zhang Jun to make war, and he was dismissed. After a long time he became vice-prefect of Kuizhou.[^zhengshi] ## Sichuan and later posts When Wang Yan was pacification commissioner of Sichuan and Shaanxi, he took Lu You on as a staff officer. Lu You laid out a plan of advance: any campaign in the central plains should begin from Chang'an, and Chang'an should be taken by way of Longyou, with grain stored and troops trained, attacking when an opening came and holding otherwise. When Fan Chengda governed Shu, Lu You was a staff counsellor. They were friends through writing, and Lu You paid little heed to etiquette. People mocked him as dissolute, so he called himself Fangweng. He rose to supervisor of the ever-normal granaries in Jiangxi, and during a flood there memorialized to release grain from the charity granaries. He then governed Yanzhou and became junior director of armaments. In the first year of Shaoxi he became director in the ministry of rites and compiler in the veritable records office. In 1202, because the records of the Xiaozong and Guangzong reigns and the history of three reigns were unfinished, he was ordered to take part in compiling the national history, not required to attend court, and was soon made director of the palace library. When the work was done the next year, he was raised to scholar awaiting orders of the Baozhang pavilion and retired.[^zhengshi] ## His poetry and death The History of Song says his talent was soaring and that he excelled above all at poetry. In old age he came out again and wrote the Nanyuan record and the record of the Yuegu spring for Han Tuozhou, which drew criticism. Zhu Xi once said that his ability was too high and his footprints too near, and he feared Lu You would be pulled along by the powerful and not keep his late integrity. Lu You died in the second year of Jiading at the age of eighty-five. The Chinese Wikipedia article gives the date as 26 January 1210, says he wrote the poem Shi Er (To My Sons) near the end, and lists among his works the Jiannan poem manuscript, the Weinan collected writings and the Laoxue'an notes.[^zhengshi][^zhwiki] ## Basic facts - Name: Lu You[^zhengshi] - Courtesy name: Wuguan[^zhengshi] - Sobriquet: Fangweng[^zhengshi] - Dates recorded on this entry: 1125–1210[^wikidata] - Era: Southern Song[^wikidata] - Birthplace according to Wikidata: [[place_cn_410200|Kaifeng]][^wikidata] Updated: 2026-10-25 Tags: - 中国古代 Relations: - Born in: Kaifeng Sources: - Wikidata Q1069914 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1069914 - 陆游（维基百科） https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%99%B8%E6%B8%B8 - 宋史/卷395（维基文库） https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E5%AE%8B%E5%8F%B2/%E5%8D%B7395