Background

It is not known when Lü Yongzhi was born, but it is known that he was from Poyang (鄱陽, in modern Shangrao, Jiangxi) and that he came from a family of tea merchants. Because of the family's merchant tradition, he had visited and was familiar with Huainan Circuit's capital Guangling (廣陵). After his father's death, he became dependent on his maternal uncle, but at some point stole his uncle's money and fled to Mount Jiuhua, where he became a student of the sorcerer Niu Honghui (牛弘徽), who taught him magic. Lü subsequently returned to Guangling and peddled herbs and medicines on the street. He became acquainted with the army officer Yu Gongchu (俞公楚), who was a close associate of the military governor Gao Pian. After he convinced Yu that his magical abilities were genuine, Yu introduced him to Gao. Gao, who was himself dabbling in magic, came to believe in Lü's abilities as well, particularly since Lü also made a number of policy recommendations to him. He thus made Lü an officer in his army and became close to Lü.

Rise to power

After Lü Yongzhi gained Gao Pian's trusts, he began to bribe Gao's attendants to keep Gao under surveillance, so that he could falsely claim to Gao that what he knew was based on his magical powers. He also alienated Gao from those officers that Gao had previously been close to — causing Gao to strip Liang Zuan (梁纘) of his command, kill Chen Gong (陳珙) and his household, and distance himself from Feng Shou (馮綬), Dong Jin (董瑾), Yu Gongchu, and Yao Guili (姚歸禮). He further introduced fellow sorcerers Zhang Shouyi (張守一), Zhuge Yin (諸葛殷), and Xiao Sheng (蕭勝) to Gao, grouping together to seize more and more of the actual power at Huainan's headquarters. He encouraged Gao to spend much of the army's wealth on building temples, and further established a group of secret police to spy on the people, using what they found as excuses to incriminate people and seize their wealth. Under Lü's suggestion, Gao established an elite Moxie Corps (莫邪), with Lü and Zhang in command. Lü lived luxuriously, and gained a group of over 100 concubines, such that even with the great amount of wealth that Gao was giving him, he still had insufficient funds to maintain his households, so he embezzled the funds that Gao had access to as the director of Tang's governmental monopolies on salt and iron, for his own use. It was said that due to Lü's urging that Gao spend his time on seeking divinity, Gao no longer paid any attention to governance and rarely met his staff members, and the people began to not know who he was any more.

As it was Yu who initially introduced Lü to Gao, many of Gao's officers blamed Yu for this situation. Yu thus periodically met with Lü to urge him to change his ways, drawing Lü's resentment. Lü was also resentful of Yao for often publicly rebuking him and trying, on one occasion, to assassinate him. In 883, Lü decided to eliminate Yu and Yao. He had Gao issue an order that they attack the agrarian rebels at Shen County (慎縣, in modern Hefei, Anhui), and then falsely informed Yang Xingmin (who would later change his name to Yang Xingmi) the prefect of Lu Prefecture (廬州, in modern Hefei) that Yu and Yao were going to attack him. Yang reacted by ambushing Yu and Yao, killing them, and then informing Gao that Yu and Yao were intending to rebel. Gao, not knowing that this was all Lü's treachery, rewarded Yang. In 884, when Gao Pian's nephew Gao Yu (高澞) met with Gao Pian and submitted a list of 20 crimes of Lü's, Gao Pian confronted Lü with them, but Lü managed to convince Gao Pian that Gao Yu had only accused him of crimes because Gao Yu had previously tried to borrow money from Lü but Lü declined. Gao Pian expelled Gao Yu from his household, made him the prefect of Shu Prefecture (舒州, in modern Anqing, Anhui), and later, after Gao Yu suffered defeats at the hands of agrarian rebels, executed Gao Yu.

In 886, when Gao supported the claim of the pretender Li Yun for the Tang throne (in competition with the commonly recognized Emperor Xizong), Li Yun, whose main proponent Zhu Mei then-controlled the imperial capital Chang'an and forced Emperor Xizong to flee, bestowed on Gao various honors, but also gave Lü the title of military governor of Lingnan East Circuit (嶺南東道, headquartered in modern Guangzhou, Guangdong). Because of this title, Lü, who made no attempts to report to Lingnan East, openly established his own headquarters, rivaling Gao's. Gao began to realize that Lü had too much power, but also was apprehensive that he no longer had enough power himself to eliminate Lü. However, Lü nevertheless realized Gao's loss of trust in him, and therefore began to plot to murder Gao and take over the circuit, although he did not carry out the plot at the time. Gao's officers have, by this point, all fearful of Lü's authority. Bi Shiduo, who had formerly been a follower of the agrarian rebel Huang Chao, was particularly anxious because of that fact. Further, Bi had a dispute with Lü over an incident involving one of Bi's concubines, who was known for being beautiful; because of her reputation of beauty, Lü had wanted to see her appearance, and Bi refused, but on one occasion when Bi was not at home, Lü went to see her anyway, and Bi, in anger, threw her out of the household.

Battle against Bi Shiduo

In summer 887, the warlord Qin Zongquan, who had rebelled against Emperor Xizong's rule at Cai Prefecture (蔡州, in modern Zhumadian, Henan), was sending generals out to attack the nearby circuits. Gao, hearing news that Qin was sending an army his way, commissioned Bi to take the special Baiqi Corps (百騎) to Gaoyou to prepare to resist the Qin advance. As Bi was about to leave, Lü treated him especially well, which led Bi to fear that Lü was intending to get his guards down to act against him. Even Bi's mother was fearful, and she sent a messenger to him to state, "If something like that happens, you should strive for yourself. Do not worry about your mother or children." When Bi consulted the defender of Gaoyou, Zhang Shenjian (張神劍), whose daughter had married Bi's son, Zhang believed that Lü would not act against Bi. However, at that time, one of Gao's sons wanted Bi to act against Lü so that he could use this chance to show Lü's evil nature, intentionally sent Bi a message stating, "Lü Yongzhi had frequently met with the Chancellor Gao, who carried an honorary chancellor title) and wants to act against you. An order has already been sent to Minister Zhang Zhang, who carried an honorary minister title). Be careful!" Bi confronted Zhang, who knew nothing about it, but subsequently agreed, along with Bi and Bi's friend Zheng Hanzhang (鄭漢章), to rise against Lü.

On May 1, 887, Bi and Zheng, after issuing public declarations denouncing Lü, departed Gaoyou and advanced toward Yang Prefecture. Lü oversaw the defense and was initially able to repel Bi's attacks. Bi, who believed that his army was not strong enough to capture Yang Prefecture, sent a letter to Qin Yan, who was then the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙, headquartered in modern Xuancheng, Anhui), offering the military governorship of Huainan to him and asking for aid. Qin sent his officer Qin Chou (秦稠) to reinforce Bi. Meanwhile, Gao and Lü had a falling out inside the city, and Gao put up a defense at his headquarters, commanded by his nephew Gao Jie (高傑), to guard against Lü. Gao Pian subsequently sent the officer Shi E (石鍔) to meet with Bi, along with Bi's youngest son. Bi ordered his young son to return to Gao Pian, stating, "If the Chancellor executes Lü Yongzhi and Zhang Shouyi to show me his intent, I will surely not turn back on his grace, and I am willing to have my wife and children serve as hostages." Gao Pian, worried that Lü might preemptively slaughter Bi's family, put Bi's family under protective custody.

On May 17, Bi made a fierce attack on Yang Prefecture, but Lü's counterattack defeated him. However, at this juncture, Gao Jie launched an attack from Gao Pian's headquarters, intending to capture Lü to deliver to Bi. Lü, hearing the news, abandoned Yang Prefecture and fled. Bi took over Yang Prefecture, slaughtered Lü's associates, put Gao and his family under effective arrest, and welcomed Qin Yan to Yang Prefecture to take over as military governor.

After leaving Yang Prefecture, Lü attacked Zheng's base of Huaikou (淮口, in modern Huai'an, Jiangsu), where Zheng had left his wife in charge, but could not capture it. Meanwhile, during the siege, Lü had issued an order in Gao's name making Yang Xingmi the commander of the circuit forces and ordering him to come to Yang Prefecture's aid. Yang mobilized the troops of Lu Prefecture and that of neighboring He Prefecture (和州, in modern Chaohu, Anhui) and headed for Yang Prefecture. When Lü heard that Yang had arrived at Tianchang (天長, in modern Chuzhou, Anhui), he went there to rendezvous with Yang, as did Zhang, when he got into a dispute with Bi over the pillages and decided to join Yang as well.

Alliance with Yang Xingmi and death

Yang Xingmi put Yang Prefecture under siege for months, but could not capture it, despite a terrible famine that developed inside the city. (During the siege, Qin Yan put Gao Pian and his family to death.) Yang thus considered withdrawing. However, on November 18, Lü Yongzhi's former subordinate Zhang Shenwei (張審威) opened the city gates and welcomed Yang's army in. The city thus fell to Yang; Qin and Bi Shiduo fled.

Meanwhile, during the siege, Lü had falsely claimed to Yang that he had a secret stash of silver that he would offer to Yang's soldiers as rewards when the city fell. After the city fell and Lü failed to come up with the silver, Yang put him under arrest and had Yang's subordinate and friend Tian Jun interrogate Lü. Lü confessed to previously planning to murder Gao and take over the circuit. On the same day (December 29), Yang had Lü put to death by cutting him in two at the waist and slaughtered his followers. It was said that those who hated Lü came to cut off the flesh off his bones and, quickly, only a skeleton was left.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 182.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 224, part 2.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 254, 255, 256, 257.

生平

其父呂璜以賣茶為生，穿梭於淮河南北和浙江之間。呂用之早孤，依附舅家，因犯罪亡命九華山，師事方士牛弘徽。自稱學得「點石成金、役使鬼神之術」，於廣陵市場上賣藥為生。淮南節度使劉鄴法辦巫蠱者，呂用之害怕，逃到江浙，正逢高駢求長生術，就去造訪高駢的部將俞公楚，得以謁見，高駢甚喜，遂延入幕府。駢好「神仙」之術，呂用之又介紹同夥張守一、諸葛殷等人給高駢，從此高駢日日修習道術，疏於過問政事。眾將也被高駢剝奪兵權甚至殺害，因此責怪俞公楚。俞公楚因而規勸呂用之收斂行為，呂用之反而恨他，也恨經常為難自己的姚歸禮，便趁俞、姚二將出兵平亂，騙廬州刺史楊行愍二將是要襲擊他，楊行愍信以為真，伏兵全殲了二將的軍隊，呂用之又奏稱二將謀亂被誅，高駢也信了。

呂用之專斷獨行，宿將多為所誅，上下離心，「有異己者，縱謹靜端默，亦不免其禍，破滅者數百家。將校之中，累足屏氣焉。」中和四年秋，有商人劉損攜同家眷至揚州，其妻裴氏有國色。呂用之將劉損投入獄中，霸占裴氏。呂用之在淮南官至右都押牙、和州刺史，與張守一分任左右莫邪軍使。高駢的侄子高澞彈劾呂用之二十大罪，呂用之卻說這是高澞因為先前借錢不果而懷恨陷害，高駢于是驅逐高澞，外放為舒州刺史，當高澞屢次被變軍所敗，就處決了高澞。

光啟二年（886年），在長安稱帝的李煴以呂用之為檢校兵部尚書、兼廣州刺史、嶺南東道節度使。呂用之無意赴任，但以此為由自以為節度使，建設府邸，且與高駢的相當。當高駢意識到呂用之勢力太大時，他已經沒有能力剷除他了。呂用之發覺高駢對他失去信任，也就圖謀殺害高駢，奪取淮南。

黃巢降將畢師鐸有一愛妾，呂用之趁畢師鐸外出，闖入畢府強姦得逞，師鐸敢怒不敢言。光啟三年（887年）畢師鐸遂反，聯合諸將，返攻揚州。高駢得知實情，當面責難呂用之。呂用之率兵闖入高駢府邸，被其責難，倉惶出逃。雖能抵禦畢師鐸進攻，但被高駢從子高傑攻打，于是奔歸他以高駢名義召來平亂的楊行密（即楊行愍）處，不久故態復萌。他謊稱城內有自己私藏的銀子可以犒軍，楊行密破城後，他卻未能拿出銀子。被楊行密腰斬處死於三橋，族滅，同夥張守一亦被斬殺。

呂用之死後，仇家將他屍體酼刑，即剁成肉醬。

注釋

參考書目

• 《舊五代史》卷一百三十四

• 《太平廣記》卷第二百八十九 妖妄二（「呂用之」應在《太平廣記》卷第三百九十 妖妄三）

• 羅隱：《廣陵妖亂志》

• 《九華山志》卷八