Lu Ben, courtesy name Zizheng, was a native of Fanyang in Zhuo commandery, Hebei. His father, Lu Guang, was the Marquis of Yan during the Zhou dynasty. Lu Ben had a bit of knowledge about literature and music, including music theory. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Zhou, Lu Ben inherited his father's title and became the Marquis of Yan, responsible for collecting taxes from 1,900 households. He later served as the Prefect of Luyang, the Minister of the Palace Attendants for the Crown Prince, and held the title of Yitong Sanqi. He was granted an additional 400 households for his achievements in pacifying the Qi state and was promoted to the position of Senior Military Officer. At that time, Gaozu (Yang Jian) was the Grand Marshal, and Lu Ben recognized him as someone exceptional, actively building a good relationship with him.
After Emperor Xuan (Emperor Xuan of Zhou) ascended to the throne, Lu Ben was promoted to the position of Marquis. When Gaozu first came to power and everyone had different opinions, he arranged for Lu Ben to be by his side. Gaozu wanted to bring Lu Ben to the Eastern Palace, but the other officials were in the dark about it. Gaozu secretly had Lu Ben lead troops to protect him, then gathered the ministers and said, "If you want to get rich and hold office, follow me!" Everyone privately debated whether to follow him. When Lu Ben and his troops showed up, no one dared to make a move. When they reached Chongyang Gate and tried to enter the Eastern Palace, the guards blocked their way. Lu Ben gave them a fierce glare and scolded them, and only then did the guards finally let them through. Gaozu was finally able to enter the Eastern Palace.
Lu Ben has always been responsible for Gaozu's security detail. Later, Gaozu asked him about some matters, and Lu Ben advised him, "The rule of the Zhou Dynasty has come to an end. The common people are all looking forward to you. You should heed the will of heaven and accept everyone's support! If you don't seize the opportunity given to you by God, you'll have to face the consequences!" Gaozu felt that what he said made sense. After Gaozu became emperor, he let Lu Ben oversee the cleaning of the imperial palace and continue to be responsible for security work. Lu Ben also suggested changing the Zhou Dynasty's flag and choosing some auspicious names. The Green Dragon Flag, the Zouyu Flag, the Vermilion Bird Flag, the Black Tortoise Flag, the Thousand Autumns Flag, the Long Live Flag—these flags were all designed by Lu Ben. Later, he was promoted to be a Cavalier Attendant and also served as the Prince's Chief Librarian, Left Leading General, and Right General.
At that time, the influential Liu Fang was being sidelined, and Lu Ben was very dissatisfied with Gao Feng and Su Wei, who controlled the court. Lu Ben secretly planned with Liu Fang, as well as the Grand Guardian Yuan Xie, Li Xun, and the Governor of Huazhou Zhang Bin, to bring down Gao Feng and Su Wei, and the five of them would support the emperor together. They even thought of making the Prince of Jin emperor and deposing the current one. Lu Ben also privately told the Crown Prince, "I often come to see you, afraid that the emperor will blame me; please understand my difficulties." Unfortunately, their plan was leaked, and the emperor launched an investigation into the matter. Liu Fang and the others shifted the blame to Zhang Bin and Lu Ben, and the ministers unanimously agreed that these two should be executed. The emperor, recalling their past together in conquering the land, couldn't bring himself to execute them, so he dismissed them from their official positions and permitted them to return home as ordinary citizens. Zhang Bin passed away shortly thereafter.
More than a year later, Ben's title was elevated again, and he was appointed as the Grand Minister of Ceremonies. Ben found that the number of suspended bells in ancient court music varied, with some using seven and others using eight, leading to ongoing debates among scholars throughout history, with no consensus. He then wrote to the emperor, stating: "Before the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the prevalent practice was to use five notes; after King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty, he drew inspiration from the quail fire and the heavenly steeds, thus adopting seven notes. During the Han dynasty, the Yingzhong bell was added, resulting in a set of sixteen chime bells. Zheng Xuan's commentary on the 'Rites of Zhou' mentioned that a set of chime bells consists of sixteen pieces. This indicates that the concepts of seven and eight notes have deep historical roots. However, there have been changes over the years, and the usage has varied. During the time of Emperor Wu of Zhou, the number was changed back to hanging seven bells, using the Lin bell as the palace music. Music is the foundation of governing a country; thus, altering customs and traditions through music is the most effective means. Wu Qi assessed the rise and fall of a state by observing its music. Therefore, music can move the heavens and the earth, summon spirits and gods, express human emotions through sound, and correspond to the state of a country's governance. Emperor Wu of Zhou using the Lin bell as palace music is likely a sign of the country's impending downfall. Furthermore, the musical scale of the Lin bell is actually a lower level of the Huang bell. The Huang bell represents the monarch, while the Lin bell is below the Huang bell, clearly symbolizing the royal nine-five status. The Yin number represents the ministers, yet occupies the position of the monarch, further indicating auspicious signs for the country's rise. This is, in fact, a natural alignment of numerology, not a human construct. I humbly urge Your Majesty to take hold of the realm's power; your approach to governance surpasses that of previous emperors, and now that you have achieved fame and success, composing new music aligns with the strategies of the past. I have heard that the music of the Five Emperors differed, and the rituals of the Three Kings varied as well, all of which were adjusted according to the changes of the times while still upholding their solemn and correct principles." The emperor ultimately accepted his suggestion and reverted to hanging eight bells, using the Huang bell as the palace music. The emperor also ordered Ben and his colleague Yang Qing to organize the musical scales of the Zhou dynasty and the state of Qi.
Not long after, Ben was appointed as the prefect of Yizhou, and shortly after was transferred to be the prefect of Guozhou. Later, he was promoted to be the prefect of Huaizhou, where he cleared the Qin River, redirecting the river to flow east, which he named the Limin Canal. He also diverted water to irrigate Wen County, naming it the Wenrun Canal, to irrigate saline-alkali land, greatly benefiting the people. Several years later, he was transferred to be the prefect of Qizhou. At that time, the people were facing famine and skyrocketing food prices. He forbade the people from selling grain on their own and instead took charge of grain sales himself. As a result, he was eventually dismissed and returned to being a commoner.
Later, I followed the emperor to Luoyang. The emperor nonchalantly remarked to me, "When I first became the Grand Marshal, you had my back wholeheartedly. Later, when I managed the officials, you were often by my side, and our relationship was quite close. If it hadn't been for your collusion with those bad people, your position could have been as high as Gao Feng's! It was because of this that you were dismissed from your position. Think about our past relationship. I originally wanted to appoint you as a local official again, but you didn't even think about repaying me, and it turned out like this! I can't bear to kill you, because that would be showing favoritism!" Ben bowed respectfully and offered his apologies, and the emperor ordered his reinstatement to his original position.
A few days later, Ben acted foolishly again. When he presented his report, he spoke inappropriately, boasting about his achievements and complaining a few times. The Emperor was furious and turned to the ministers, saying, "I will appoint him as the governor of a state to see if he can handle it! This guy, I don't think he’s worth anything anymore!" Later, the Crown Prince interceded for Ben, saying, "These people have all made great contributions in the past. Although their characters are a bit frivolous and reckless, we can’t just give up on them!" The Emperor said, "I'm holding them back to protect their lives! If it weren't for Liu Fang, Zheng Yi, and the likes of Ben, Liu Qiu, and Huangfu Ji, how could I have reached this position today? But these folks are all unpredictable! Back in the time of Emperor Zhou Xuan, they won the Emperor's favor through their scheming. When Emperor Zhou Xuan fell ill, they wanted to have a royal prince assist in governance, but they pulled some shady moves and handed power over to me. I wanted to govern the country well, but they wanted to disrupt the order. So Liu Fang plotted rebellion before, and Zheng Yi later used witchcraft. People like Ben are never satisfied with the status quo. If you use them, they become arrogant; if you don't use them, they complain endlessly, which makes them hard to trust! It's not that I don't value them; it's that they are not competent! Seeing this situation, some may privately discuss that I do not value my loyal subjects, but that’s a total misunderstanding!"
At this point, Su Wei stepped up and said, "Emperor Han Guangwu, in order to appease his loyal subjects, made them marquises and allowed them to receive salaries from the court. Your Majesty, you're so kind and generous; you can also follow this practice to appease them." The Emperor said, "Yes!" So he kicked Ben out of his position and sent him home. That same year, Ben passed away at fifty-four.
Historical records state that Gaozu laid the foundation of the Great Han Dynasty. Fang and Yi, these two individuals, worked hard, held important positions in the court, and wielded significant power, and no one objected. However, at critical moments, they disregarded their own safety and were willing to sacrifice personal relationships for the sake of righteousness. This shows that they did not consider the situation thoroughly, only seeking comfort and pursuing wealth and status. When the emperor moved the capital and a new dynasty was established, this righteous stance was not as straightforward as it seemed. Like salt and plum, each had their own fate. They thought about the past, considered the present situation, felt a sense of suffocation, and felt ashamed to be compared to others. They served the emperor without sincerity and lacked genuine concern for their family, which sparked much debate at the time. In the Zhou Dynasty, they lacked unwavering loyalty, and in the Sui Dynasty, they failed to devote themselves wholeheartedly. Consequently, their past achievements were overshadowed, and future troubles were buried, making it very difficult to avoid punishment while maintaining wealth and status.
Liu Qiu, Huangfu Ji, and Lu Ben all found success through the support of others. They worked in sync without any hidden agendas, but when the big opportunity came, they were unable to participate in core decision-making. This was because they only wanted others to like them and avoid criticism, which is only natural. Yan Ying once said, "One heart can serve a hundred monarchs, but a hundred hearts cannot serve one monarch." This saying fits Fang and Yi perfectly.
