Lu Jia陆贾

Where the histories differ

Records of the Grand Historian calls Lu Jia a persuasive speaker of his time, while History of Han places him in a joint biography of five men, praising his role in reconciling the generals and ministers, bringing honor to both his person and reputation.

• histories differThe categorization and merit evaluation of Lu Jia in official histories

  In Records of the Grand Historian, the joint biography of Li Yiji and Lu Jia places Lu Jia with Li Yiji and Zhu Jian, emphasizing his writings and eloquence: 'I have read the twelve chapters of Mr. Lu's New Words; he was indeed a persuasive speaker of his time. Because the Master of Pingyuan was friendly with me, I was able to discuss them in detail.' In History of Han, the joint biography of Li, Lu, Zhu, Liu, and Shusun places him with Li Yiji, Zhu Jian, Liu Jing, and Shusun Tong in one volume, and the eulogy praises his role in reconciling Zhou Bo and Chen Ping to eliminate the Lü clan: 'Lu Jia's rank stopped at a grand master; he retired during the Lü clan's power, avoiding blame, and moved freely between Ping and Bo, reconciling the generals and ministers to strengthen the state, bringing honor to both his person and reputation—was he not the best?'