223 Lü Lu and Lü Chan

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Zhuxu Marquis Liu Zhang was powerful, and Dongmu Marquis Xingju was his younger brother. They were all brothers of King Ai of Qi and lived in Chang'an. At that time, the Lü clan was in power and they wanted to cause trouble but were afraid of Emperor Gao's former ministers, Zhou Bo and Guan Ying, so they did not dare to act. Zhuxu Marquis' wife, Lü Lu's daughter, secretly knew their plan. Fearing that she would be executed, she secretly sent someone to inform her brother, the King of Qi, to send troops to the west to kill the Lü clan and establish the throne. Zhuxu Marquis wanted to cooperate with the ministers. The King of Qi wanted to send troops, but his prime minister did not listen. On Bingwu day of August, the King of Qi wanted to send someone to kill the prime minister, so the prime minister Zhao Ping rebelled and raised troops to besiege the King. The King killed his prime minister, sent troops to the east, swindled the King of Langye's troops, and led them west. The details are recorded in "The Biography of King Daohui of Qi".

The King of Qi then sent a letter to all the princes, saying, "Emperor Gaodi (Gaozu) pacified the world and made his sons and nephews kings. King Daohui was the king of Qi. After King Daohui died, Emperor Xiaohui ordered Liu Hou Zhang Liang to establish me as the King of Qi. After Emperor Xiaohui's death, Empress Gao took power. She was old and only listened to the Lü clan. She arbitrarily deposed the emperor and established a new one. She also killed the three kings of Zhao, and destroyed Liang, Zhao, and Yan, to make kings for the Lü clan, dividing Qi into four. The loyal ministers advised the emperor, but the emperor was confused and did not listen. Now Empress Gao has passed away, and the emperor is old and unable to rule the world and relies on the ministers and princes. However, the Lü clan has arbitrarily elevated themselves to high positions, gathered troops and exercised their power, kidnapped the loyal ministers of the princes, and forged the system to rule the world, which put the ancestral temple in grave danger. I will lead the army to punish those who are not worthy of being kings." When the Han court heard about it, Prime Minister Lü Chan and others sent Yingyin Marquis Guan Ying to lead troops to attack them. When Guan Ying arrived in Xingyang, he said, "The Lü clan has taken control of the army in Guanzhong and wants to endanger the Liu clan and establish themselves. Now that we have defeated Qi and reported back, this will help the Lü clan." So he stayed in Xingyang and sent messengers to inform the King of Qi and the princes to make peace and wait for the changes in the Lü clan and punish them altogether. When the King of Qi heard this, he returned his troops to the western border to wait for an agreement.

Lü Lu and Lü Chan wanted to start a rebellion in Guanzhong. But they were afraid of Zhou Bo Marquis Jiang and Zhu Xu, and also the troops of Qi and Chu. They were also afraid that Guan Ying would betray them. They wanted to wait for Guan Ying's troops to join forces with Qi before starting the rebellion, so they were hesitant. At that time, Tai the King of Jichuan, Wu the King of Huaiyang, Chao the King of Changshan, who was called the younger brother of the young emperor, and King of Lu Yuan the grandson of Empress Lü, were all young and had not yet entered the country, and lived in Chang'an. Lu the King of Zhao and Chan King of Liang each led troops to the Southern and Northern Armies, were all people of the Lü clan. None of the princes and ministers were sure that they could save their own lives.

朱虚侯刘章有气力，东牟侯兴居其弟也。皆齐哀王弟，居长安。当是时，诸吕用事擅权，欲为乱，畏高帝故大臣绛、灌等，未敢发。朱虚侯妇，吕禄女，阴知其谋。恐见诛，乃阴令人告其兄齐王，欲令发兵西，诛诸吕而立。朱虚侯欲从中与大臣为应。齐王欲发兵，其相弗听。八月丙午，齐王欲使人诛相，相召平乃反，举兵欲围王，王因杀其相，遂发兵东，诈夺琅邪王兵，并将之而西。语在齐王语中。

齐王乃遗诸侯王书曰：“高帝平定天下，王诸子弟，悼惠王王齐。悼惠王薨，孝惠帝使留侯良立臣为齐王。孝惠崩，高后用事，春秋高，听诸吕，擅废帝更立，又比杀三赵王，灭梁、赵、燕以王诸吕，分齐为四。忠臣进谏，上惑乱弗听。今高后崩，而帝春秋富，未能治天下，固恃大臣诸侯。而诸吕又擅自尊官，聚兵严威，劫列侯忠臣，矫制以令天下，宗庙所以危。寡人率兵入诛不当为王者。”汉闻之，相国吕产等乃遣颍阴侯灌婴将兵击之。灌婴至荥阳，乃谋曰：“诸吕权兵关中，欲危刘氏而自立。今我破齐还报，此益吕氏之资也。”乃留屯荥阳，使使谕齐王及诸侯，与连和，以待吕氏变，共诛之。齐王闻之，乃还兵西界待约。

吕禄、吕产欲发乱关中，内惮绛侯、朱虚等，外畏齐、楚兵，又恐灌婴畔之，欲待灌婴兵与齐合而发，犹豫未决。当是时，济川王太、淮阳王武、常山王朝名为少帝弟，及鲁元王吕后外孙，皆年少未之国，居长安。赵王禄、梁王产各将兵居南北军，皆吕氏之人。列侯群臣莫自坚其命。