Background
Lu Xu was the daughter of Lu Wen and a younger sister of Lu Zhi (Empress of Emperor Gaozu).
Lu Xu was the daughter of Lu Wen and a younger sister of Lu Zhi (Empress of Emperor Gaozu).
Lu Xu married to Fan Kuai, who in time allied himself with Liu Bang in the struggle for control of China in the dying years of the Qin dynasty. Later Fan Kuai became a distinguished general in Liu Bang’s army, appointed Marquis of Wuyang in gratitude for his loyalty in establishing the Han dynasty.
As Emperor Gaozu lay dying, word reached him that Fan Kuai was plotting with the Lu clan to murder the entire family of Liu Ruyi, the emperor’s favorite son. The emperor ordered that Chen Ping, who was then Protector Commandant of the Center, seek out Fan Kuai and behead him. So, Fan Kuai was imprisoned, but Chen Ping was afraid that Lu Xu, might speak ill of him to her sister, Empress Lu. That is why Chen Ping tried to forestall any misunderstanding by tearfully explaining the full story to the empress dowager, who responded by promoting him to Chamberlain for Attendants. As soon as Fan Kuai arrived in the capital, the empress dowager pardoned him, restoring his title and land. Moreover, Empress Lu appointed her sister Lu Xu Marquise of Linguang, the only time in Chinese history a woman was appointed marquise in her own right, not as the wife of a marquis.
Lu Xu understood more than her sister could and predicted that Lu clan will lose power and Liu clan would seize power. However, nobody listened to her and a month after the death of Empress Dowager Lu, Zhou Bo, and Liu Zhang had killed Lu Chan. They seized control of the Northern and the Southern armies, and virtually exterminated the Lu clan, including Lu Xu’s son Fan Kang, just as Lu Xu had predicted.
Lu Xu was the wife of Fan Kuai. She bore him a son Fan Kang.
Lu Wen was the Prince Xuan of Lu.
Fan Kuai was a military general of the early Western Han dynasty.
Lu Zhi, also known as Empress Lu, was the empress consort of Gaozu, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty.
