Lu Wan (盧綰) | 24 Histories

Overview

Lu Wan was a king and General.

Life and dates

Death

BC 194 居歲餘
At among the Xiongnu 胡中
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 111

Attested activity

BC 195 四月，高祖崩
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 109
BC 202 漢五年八月
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 79

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Ancestor of Tazhi (他之)
grandson 孫 · 2 generations
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 115
Parent of Child of Lu Wan (盧綰之子/女)
child 子/女
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 115
Spouse of Lu Wan's wife (盧綰妻)
wife 妻 · Widowed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passages 112, 114

wife and children (plural) fled and surrendered to Han
Kinship Role children · Count 2
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 112

Career and standing

Grand Commandant 太尉
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 69
Marquis of Chang'an 長安侯
Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 70
King of Yan 燕王
BC 202 漢五年八月 · Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 79
King Lu of the Eastern Hu 東胡盧王
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 109
Accused
Rebel
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 106

Places and affiliations

At Feng 豐
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 63

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passages 98-101

Events and relationships

Relation Close friend of · Person Gaozu (高祖)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 69

Assessments and attributes

Assessment greatest intimate imperial favor · Mode historian-narrative
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 69

References in the histories

Search passages

History

26 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 93Biographies of Han Xin (King of Han) and Lu Wan · 26 passages

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盧綰者，豐人也，與高祖同里。 Lu Wan was a native of Feng and came from the same village as the High Ancestor.

盧綰親與高祖太上皇相愛，及生男，高祖、盧綰同日生，里中持羊酒賀兩家。 Lu Wan's parents were close friends with the High Ancestor's father, the Grand Supreme Emperor. When both families had sons, the High Ancestor and Lu Wan were born on the same day, and the villagers brought lamb and wine to congratulate both households.

及高祖、盧綰壯，俱學書，又相愛也。 When the High Ancestor and Lu Wan came of age, they studied together and grew fond of each other.

高祖為布衣時，有吏事辟匿，盧綰常隨出入上下。 When the High Ancestor was still a commoner and had to go into hiding over legal troubles, Lu Wan always accompanied him wherever he went.

及高祖初起沛，盧綰以客從，入漢中為將軍，常侍中。 When the High Ancestor first rose in revolt at Pei, Lu Wan followed as a retainer. He entered Hanzhong, was made a general, and attended constantly at court.

從東擊項籍，以太尉常從，出入臥內，衣被飲食賞賜，群臣莫敢望，雖蕭曹等，特以事見禮，至其親幸，莫及盧綰。 He followed the eastward campaign against Xiang Ji, serving as Grand Commandant and constantly at the Emperor's side, even entering the private chambers. In clothing, bedding, food, drink, and gifts bestowed, no minister dared aspire to his level. Even Xiao He and Cao Shen were only accorded respect on account of their official duties—when it came to intimate favor, none could match Lu Wan.

綰封為長安侯。 Lu Wan was enfeoffed as Marquis of Chang'an.

漢五年冬，以破項籍，乃使盧綰別將，與劉賈擊臨江王共尉，破之。 In the winter of the fifth year of the Han dynasty, after the defeat of Xiang Ji, the Emperor dispatched Lu Wan to command a separate force. Together with Liu Jia, he attacked and defeated Gong Wei, the King of Linjiang.

欲王盧綰，為群臣觖望。 He wished to make Lu Wan a king, but this aroused resentment among his ministers.

群臣知上欲王盧綰，皆言曰：「太尉長安侯盧綰常從平定天下，功最多，可王燕。」 The ministers, knowing the Emperor wished to make Lu Wan king, all declared: 'The Grand Commandant, the Marquis of Chang'an, Lu Wan, has followed the Emperor throughout the pacification of the realm and has the greatest merit. He should be made King of Yan.'

漢五年八月，乃立虜綰為燕王。 In the eighth month of the fifth year of the Han dynasty, Lu Wan was established as King of Yan.

諸侯王得幸莫如燕王。 Of all the vassal kings, none enjoyed greater imperial favor than the King of Yan.

漢十一年秋，陳豨反代地，高祖如邯鄲擊豨兵，燕王綰亦擊其東北。 In the autumn of the eleventh year, Chen Xi rebelled in the territory of Dai. The High Ancestor marched to Handan to attack Chen Xi's forces, and the King of Yan, Wan, also struck at his northeastern flank.

燕王綰亦使其臣張勝於匈奴，言豨等軍破。 The King of Yan also sent his minister Zhang Sheng to the Xiongnu to report that Chen Xi's army had been defeated.

燕王綰疑張勝與胡反，上書請族張勝。 The King of Yan suspected Zhang Sheng of conspiring with the Xiongnu to rebel and submitted a memorial requesting that Zhang Sheng's entire clan be executed.

燕王寤，乃詐論它人，脫勝家屬，使得為匈奴閒，而陰使范齊之陳豨所，欲令久亡，連兵勿決。 The King of Yan came to understand and so framed another man in Zhang Sheng's place, freed Sheng's family, and had Sheng serve as a liaison with the Xiongnu. Meanwhile, he secretly sent Fan Qi to Chen Xi's camp, intending to prolong the conflict and keep the armies locked in an unresolved stalemate.

其裨將降，言燕王綰使范齊通計謀於豨所。 One of Chen Xi's subordinate generals surrendered and revealed that the King of Yan had sent Fan Qi to coordinate plots with Chen Xi.

高祖使使召盧綰，綰稱病。 The High Ancestor sent a messenger to summon Lu Wan, but Wan pleaded illness.

上又使辟陽侯審食其、御史大夫趙堯往迎燕王，因驗問左右。 The Emperor then sent the Marquis of Biyang, Shen Shiqi, and the Grand Censor Zhao Yao to receive the King of Yan and to investigate and interrogate his attendants.

綰愈恐，閉匿，謂其幸臣曰：「非劉氏而王，獨我與長沙耳。 Wan grew even more fearful and shut himself away. He confided to his trusted ministers: 'Of those who bear the title of king without being of the Liu surname, only I and the King of Changsha remain.

於是上曰：「盧綰果反矣！」 At this, the Emperor declared: 'Lu Wan has indeed rebelled!'

燕王綰悉將其宮人家屬騎數千居長城下，侯伺，幸上病愈，自入謝。 The King of Yan gathered all his palace women and family members, along with several thousand horsemen, and camped below the Great Wall, watching and waiting, hoping that the Emperor would recover so he could go in person to beg forgiveness.

四月，高祖崩，盧綰遂將其眾亡入匈奴，匈奴以為東胡盧王。 In the fourth month, the High Ancestor died. Lu Wan then led his followers across the border into Xiongnu territory. The Xiongnu made him King Lu of the Eastern Hu.

綰為蠻夷所侵奪，常思復歸。 Among the barbarians, Wan was constantly harassed and plundered, and he never stopped longing to return home.

高后時，盧綰妻子亡降漢，會高后病，不能見，舍燕邸，為欲置酒見之。 During Empress Gao's regency, Lu Wan's wife and children fled and surrendered to Han. But as it happened, Empress Gao was ill and could not receive them. She lodged them at the Yan residence, intending to hold a banquet to meet them.

太史公曰：韓信、盧綰非素積德累善之世，徼一時權變，以詐力成功，遭漢初定，故得列地，南面稱孤。 The Grand Historian remarks: Han Xin and Lu Wan came not from families that had long cultivated virtue and accumulated merit. They seized upon the expedient shifts of their time, winning success through cunning and force. It was only because they happened to live at the founding of the Han dynasty that they were able to receive territories, face south, and bear the title of king.