背景

卢承庆的祖父卢思道是隋朝武阳太守、散骑侍郎。隋炀帝末年大将李渊在太原起兵反隋时，卢承庆之父卢赤松任河东令，先前就认识李渊，李渊兵到后立刻投降，成为李渊的僚属。李渊建立唐朝后，封卢赤松为范阳郡公。卢承庆相貌英俊，仪态大方，博学有才。卢承庆年少时，父亲去世，他继承了范阳郡公的爵位。

唐太宗年间

唐太宗继位初期，卢承庆任秦州参军，一次入朝奏报河西军情，说得很清楚，太宗称奇，升他为考功员外郎，后又数次升迁至民部侍郎。一次，太宗问及历代户口之事，卢承庆对以夏朝、商朝乃至北周、隋朝的人口增减，太宗再次表示赞赏，不久让他兼任检校兵部侍郎，知五品选。卢承庆不接受，认为选官是尚书的职责，自己不能越权，但太宗没有答应，说：「朕相信你，你为什么不相信你自己呢？」后来卢承庆又历任雍州别驾、尚书左丞。

二十二年（648年），太宗封禅泰山，以时任户部侍郎卢承庆为检校封禅副大使。

唐高宗年间

贞观二十三年（649年）唐太宗驾崩，唐高宗继位。由于权相褚遂良诬告，卢承庆被贬为益州大都督府长史；褚遂良又指控卢承庆在雍州时失职，卢承庆又被贬为简州司马。在这段时间，卢承庆结识了道因法师。一年后，卢承庆转任洪州长史。高宗将要幸汝州温泉，擢升卢承庆为汝州刺史，不久又召他回京任光禄卿。显庆二年（657年），大将苏定方击破西突厥，俘获其可汗阿史那贺鲁，十二月，高宗派卢承庆持册命去西突厥把西突厥的土地分给两位忠于唐朝的西突厥王子兴昔亡可汗阿史那弥射和继往绝可汗阿史那步真，又命卢承庆和两位王子给各部首领封刺史以下官职。

四年（659年），代杜正伦为度支尚书。五月，授参知政事衔，为实质宰相。七月，因涉嫌谋反被流放的前宰相国舅长孙无忌进一步遭到指控，卢承庆和其他宰相李绩、许敬宗、辛茂将、任雅相奉命调查。其中许敬宗是武皇后的党羽，也是调查的发起者。长孙无忌最终被迫自杀。十一月，卢承庆被授予高一级的宰相衔同中书门下三品。但次年（660年）七月，他就因为对度支事务处理不当被免官，出为润州刺史。曾任右肃机（尚书右丞），麟德二年（665年）三月奉命为使去东都讯察记录囚犯的罪状。约同年又迁雍州长史，授银青光禄大夫。总章二年（669年）二月，他又被任为司刑太常伯，以代李乾佑。咸亨元年（670年）闰九月，诏赠新亡的武皇后之母为鲁国太夫人，卢承庆摄同文正卿充监护大使，赐东园秘器，厚给官供。不久即告老请求致仕。高宗批准了，加金紫光禄大夫衔。

他的弟弟卢承业后来也担任雍州长史、检校尚书左丞，兄弟相继担任这些职位，时人以为荣。

当年，卢承庆卒，赠幽州都督，谥号定。临终时，他对儿子们说：「死生至理，亦犹朝之有暮。吾终，敛以常服；晦朔常馔，不用牲牢；坟高可认，不须广大；事办即葬，不须卜择；墓中器物，瓷漆而已；有棺无椁，务在简要；碑志但记官号、年代，不须广事文饰。」

唐德宗年间，卢承庆得以续图凌烟阁。

典故

卢承庆任考功员外郎时，有一个监督漕运的官员因遭遇大风丢了粮食，卢承庆给他评为「中下」。这名官员神色自若，一言不发退下了。卢承庆看重他的气量，说「遭遇大风不是你所能阻止的」，改评为「中中」。这名官员既没有表现出高兴的样子，也没有表达惭愧。卢承庆对他的反应表示赞赏，又说他「宠辱不惊」，改评为「中上」。这是卢承庆能表彰别人的优点。

评价

• 《旧唐书》

　• 史臣论曰：崔、卢数公，皆以忠清文行，致位枢要。恪恭匪懈，以保名位，诚所谓持盈守成，太平之君子。

　• 赞曰：卢、刘两族，奕世名卿。

家庭

子孙

• 卢住

　• 滁州刺史卢郧

　• 卢垣

　　• 卢幼临，刑部郎中

• 卢稹，泾州鹑觚县县令

延伸阅读

注释及参考资料

Background

Lu Chengqing was born in 595, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui. He was from "The elder house of northern ancestry" (北祖大房) of the prominent Lu clan of Fanyang. His grandfather Lu Sidao was an important official during the Sui dynasty. Late in the reign of Emperor Wen's son Emperor Yang, Lu Chengqing's father Lu Chisong (卢赤松) was serving as the magistrate of Hedong County (河东, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), when the general Li Yuan rebelled against Emperor Yang's rule at Taiyuan. Lu Chisong, who had previously known Li Yuan, surrendered as soon as Li Yuan's forces arrived and served on Li Yuan's staff. After Li Yuan established the Tang dynasty as its Emperor Gaozu, he created Lu Chisong the Duke of Fanyang. Lu Chengqing was said to be handsome and attentive to his appearance, but also knowledgeable and capable. When he was young, Lu Chisong died, and so he inherited the title of Duke of Fanyang.

During Emperor Taizongs reign

Early in the reign of Emperor Gaozu's son and successor Emperor Taizong, Lu Chengqing was serving as the census officer for the commandant at Qin Prefecture (秦州, roughly modern Tianshui, Gansu), when he had an opportunity to report to Emperor Taizong the status of military affairs west of the Yellow River (i.e., in modern central Gansu). Emperor Taizong was impressed by the clarity of his report, and promoted him to be a low-level official at the ministry of civil service. He was later promoted to by the deputy minister of census. On one occasion, when Emperor Taizong asked about historical population counts, Lu discussed historical population counts all the way from the Xia dynasty and Shang dynasty, down to Tang's immediate predecessors Northern Zhou and Sui. Emperor Taizong was impressed, and soon made him the deputy minister of defense but further also made him in charge of civil service matters. Lu initially declined, stating, "Civil service matters should be in the hands of the minister of civil service, and for me to handle them would be to exceed my authorities." Emperor Taizong insisted, stating, "I trust you. Why do you not trust yourself?" He later also served as deputy secretary general of the capital prefecture, Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an, Shaanxi), and secretary general of the executive bureau of government (尚书省, Shangshu Sheng).

During Emperor Gaozongs reign

Early in the reign of Emperor Taizong's son and successor Emperor Gaozong, who became emperor in 649 following Emperor Taizong's death, for reasons unknown, it was said that the powerful chancellor Chu Suiliang wrongly accused Lu Chengqing of faults. Lu was demoted to be the secretary general to the commandant at Yi Prefecture (益州, roughly modern Chengdu, Sichuan). Thereafter, Chu further accused Lu of misconduct while serving as the deputy secretary general at Yong Prefecture, and Lu was further demoted to be the military advisor to the prefect of Jian Prefecture (简州, roughly modern Ziyang, Sichuan). After about a year, he was then made the secretary general of Hong Prefecture (洪州, roughly modern Nanchang, Jiangxi). On one occasion, when Emperor Gaozong was set to visit warm springs in Ru Prefecture (汝州, roughly modern Pingdingshan, Henan), he promoted Lu to be the prefect of Ru Prefecture, and soon recalled him to the capital to serve as director of vassal affairs. In 657, when the general Su Dingfang destroyed Western Tujue and captured its Shabuolüe Khan Ashina Helu (阿史那贺鲁), it was Lu that Emperor Gaozong sent to Western Tujue lands to divide the lands between two Western Tujue princes loyal to Tang, Ashina Mishe (阿史那弥射), who was created the Xinxiwang Khan, and Ashina Buzhen (阿史那步真), who was created the Jiwangjue Khan. Emperor Gaozong further ordered Lu, along with Ashina Mishe and Ashina Buzhen, to grant the various tribal chiefs appropriate official titles.

As of 659, Lu was serving as the minister of treasury, when he was given the designation Canzhi Zhengshi (参知政事), making him a chancellor de facto. Later that year, when the former chancellor and Emperor Gaozong's uncle Zhangsun Wuji, who had already been exiled on suspicion of treason, was accused of further plotting, Lu, along with fellow chancellors Li Ji, Xu Jingzong, Xin Maojiang, and Ren Yaxiang were put in charge of the investigation (although it was Xu, who was an ally of Emperor Gaozong's powerful wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), who drove the investigation), which resulted in Zhangsun's forced suicide. Yet later that year, Lu was given the designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin (同中书门下三品), a more honored designation for a chancellor de facto. However, in 660, he was accused of mishandling the ministry of treasury, and he was removed from his offices, and further was sent to Run Prefecture (润州, roughly modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) to be its prefect. He was subsequently made the secretary general of Yong Prefecture and given the honorific title Yinqing Guanglu Daifu (银青光禄大夫). In 669, he was made the minister of justice. He soon requested retirement on account of old age, and Emperor Gaozong agreed, further giving him the honorific title of Jinzi Guanglu Daifu (金紫光禄大夫).

Lu died in 670 and was buried with honors. Prior to his death, he gave this order to his sons:

Family

Younger Brothers

• Lu Cheng'en (卢承恩)

• Lu Chengti (卢承悌)

• Lu Chengji (卢承基)

• Lu Chengye (卢承业)

• Lu Chengtai (卢承泰)

• Lu Chengli (卢承礼)

• Lu Chengfu (卢承福)

Sons

• According to New Book of Tang vol. 73, Lu Chengqing only had a son named Lu Xu (卢諝), who would serve as director of ministry of personnel (吏部郎中). Lu Xu had two sons: Lu Yun (卢郧), prefect of Chu (滁州); Lu Yuan (卢垣), whose son Lu Youlin (卢幼临) would serve as director of ministry of justice (刑部郎中).