Rong Lu
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  • Rong Lu

Rong Lu

  • Product Description
  • Guwaljia Ronglu (April 7, 1836 – April 11, 1903), courtesy name Zhonghua, art name Lüeyuan, and also known as the "Farmer's Master," was a Manchu official from the Plain White Banner during the Qing Dynasty, primarily active during the mid-to-late reign of the Guangxu Emperor.

    Ronglu came from a distinguished family of military officers and was appointed as a junior minister in the Ministry of Works through imperial patronage. During the Tongzhi era, he was supported by influential figures such as Wen Xiang and Li Hongzao, eventually serving as Minister of the Imperial Household Department and later as Minister of the Ministry of Works. He was later appointed General of Xi'an. During the First Sino-Japanese War, Ronglu earned the trust of Empress Dowager Cixi and remained in Beijing, taking on key roles as Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards, Minister of the Zongli Yamen, and Minister of War. He rose to the highest ranks, including Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Glory and a member of the Grand Council. Ronglu passed away in 1903, posthumously honored with the title "Wenzhong" and awarded the noble rank of First-Class Marquis. His daughter, Guwaljia Youlan, became the biological mother of the last emperor, Puyi, who was adopted by Empress Dowager Cixi as her own heir.

    Rong Lu played a complex role in late Qing political events such as the Hundred Days' Reform, the Establishment of Crown Prince in 1900, and the Boxer Rebellion, making his historical evaluation particularly controversial. Most of his personal documents from this period were destroyed during wartime turmoil, though later generations compiled works like the "Collected Works of Duke Wen Zhong Rong" and "Surviving Letters of Rong Lu."

  • Commodity name: Rong Lu