家世及早期仕途

盧商出自范陽盧氏北祖第二房，祖父盧昂為中大夫、澧州刺史，後贈兵部尚書。父親盧廣為河南縣丞，後贈司空。

盧商早孤，貧窮但好學。元和四年（809年）中進士，又中書判拔萃科。最初為秘書省校書郎。范傳正任宣歙觀察使時，闢他為從事。盧商又在後來歷任西川節度使的前宰相王播和段文昌手下任記室。盧商後被召回長安為工部員外郎，改河南縣令。後歷任工部、度支、司封三郎中。唐文宗太和五年（831年）五月，他曾在度支郎中任上奉詔與將作少監韋長修葺諸帝陵寢，也曾以議郎、殿中侍御史、內供奉、飛騎尉賜緋魚袋的身份被任為劍南西川雲南安撫判官。

唐文宗和唐武宗年間

太和九年（835年），改京兆少尹，累計十餘次遷官後權知大理卿事。文宗開成（836年-840年）初年，出為蘇州刺史，中謝日，賜金紫官服。蘇州產鹽，鹽法太煩，奸吏趁機從產鹽的漁民身上榨取利潤。盧商到蘇州後，親自見漁戶，簡化鹽法，讓漁民按所產的鹽量賣鹽，不設定額，人民大受便利。蘇州的鹽稅也因此倍增。二年（837年）三月，盧商並上奏請增加常州鹽正額。當時主管鹽鐵的宰相李石因其政績上等而被打動，當年五月遷他為潤州刺史、攝御史大夫、浙西團練觀察使。曾闢大理評事邢群，並闢李燁為從事。九月，奏常州自開成元年七月二十六日敕以茶務委州縣至年終所收超額五千六百六十九貫，比鹽鐵場院要求的正額超出數倍，請求增加正額；詔令戶部與鹽鐵院商量，並請依其所奏。後又入為刑部侍郎，會昌二年（842年）轉京兆尹。

三年（843年），唐武宗討伐軍閥劉稹，以盧商為戶部侍郎，判度支，負責越過太行山供給軍需，又詔杜悰兼鹽鐵、度支，于是軍用無缺。四年（844年）劉稹戰敗後，盧商以正議大夫、戶部侍郎、兼御史中丞、范陽郡開國子、食邑五百戶、賜紫金魚袋身份加檢校禮部尚書兼御史大夫、梓州刺史、劍南東川節度使。五年（845年）離任。六年（846年）正月，時任兵部侍郎判度支的盧商奏：「諸道兵討伐党項，今差度支郎官一人去所在有糧料的州郡，先計算度支補給。」獲准。

唐宣宗年間

三月，唐武宗崩，皇叔唐宣宗繼位，五月，盧商以檢校戶部尚書被召回長安任兵部侍郎，再次判度支，九月，任為中書侍郎，授同平章事，為實質宰相，爵封范陽郡開國公，食邑二千戶，加兼工部尚書。

但盧商任相併未長久。大中元年（847年）二月，因發生了常被認為是神靈對重罰不悅之兆的旱災，宣宗命盧商和御史中丞封敖複查長安獄中犯人的案子。盧商和封敖請求減免多人的死刑，但大理卿馬植反對，上表宣宗稱如此寬容會適得其反，招致神靈越發不悅。因同僚宰相白敏中的構陷，宣宗同意了馬植的表文，三月，罷免盧商相位，出為鄂岳觀察使，加檢校兵部尚書。任上，闢盧肇為從事。朱慶餘、劉得仁都曾作《贈江夏盧使君》詩，都收錄于《全唐詩》，疑即贈盧商之詩。

大中三年（849年），盧商因病罷官。四年（850年），轉荊南節度使，闢署原湘中觀察支使高瀚為節度判官，五年（851年）因病上表求代，以太子少傅致仕。十三年（859年），宣宗徵召他回長安拜戶部尚書。八月，他未及到長安，就在漢陰驛去世。贈太尉。

評價

• 《舊唐書》史臣曰：（周）墀、（李）讓（夷）史才，（鄭）肅之禮學，（盧）商之長者，或登三事，或踐六卿，以道始終，夫何不韙。

子孫

• 盧知遠

• 盧知微

• 盧知宗（816年—874年2月19日），河中少尹

• 盧僧朗

• 盧蕘，字待問，生盧協，字熙績，兵部員外郎

注釋及參考文獻

Background and early career

Lu Shang was born in 789, during the reign of Emperor Dezong. His family was from "The second house of northern ancestry" (北祖第二房)of the prominent Lu clan of Fanyang. Lu Shang's grandfather Lu Ang (盧昂) served as a prefectural prefect, and his father Lu Guang served as the sheriff of Henan County (河南), one of the two counties making up the Tang eastern capital Luoyang.

Lu Shang lost his father early in life and was said to be poor, but studious. He passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class in 809, during the reign of Emperor Dezong's grandson Emperor Xianzong, and further passed a special examination for those who made good rulings. He was initially made Xiaoshu Lang (校書郎), a copyeditor at the archival ministry. When the official Fang Chuanshi (范傳式) served as the governor of Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙, headquartered in modern Xuancheng, Anhui), Lu served as his assistant. Lu later served as a secretary under successive military governors (Jiedushi) of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan), the former chancellors Wang Bo and Duan Wenchang. Lu was later recalled to the capital Chang'an to serve as Gongbu Yuanwailang (工部員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of public works (工部, Gongbu), and then as the magistrate of Henan County. He later served three terms as supervisory officials at the ministries — Gongbu Langzhong (工部郎中), at the ministry of public works; Duzhi Langzhong (度支郎中), at the ministry of census (戶部, Hubu); and Sifeng Langzhong (司封郎中), at the minister of civil service affairs (吏部, Libu).

During Emperor Wenzongs and Emperor Wuzongs reigns

In 835, during the reign of Emperor Xianzhong's grandson Emperor Wenzong, Lu was made the deputy mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the Chang'an region) and acting chief judge (大理卿, Dali Qing) of the supreme court (大理寺, Dali Si). Early in Emperor Wenzong's Kaicheng era (836-840), he was sent out of the capital to serve as the prefect of Su Prefecture (蘇州, in modern Suzhou, Jiangsu). Su Prefecture was a salt-producing prefecture, but at that time, the regulations on the sale of salt was complex, and the administrators were using this opportunity to embezzle profits from the fishermen who produced salt. When Lu reached Su Prefecture, he met with the fishermen personally and simplified the regulations, allowing them to sell as much salt as they could properly produce, rather than set quotas, and this benefited the people greatly. It was said that, as a result, the taxation the government received from the salt monopoly at Su Prefecture was doubled. Li Shi the chancellor in charge of the monopoly at the time was impressed, and he had Lu made the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Zhexi Circuit (浙西, headquartered in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu), as well as the prefect of its capital Run Prefecture (潤州) in 837. Later, Lu was recalled to be the deputy minister of justice (刑部侍郎, Xingbu Shilang), and then the mayor of Jingzhao.

In 843, when Emperor Wenzong's brother and successor Emperor Wuzong was conducting a campaign against the warlord Liu Zhen, Lu served as the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎) and acting director of finances, and also was in charge of supplying the troops. It was said that as a result of his work, the army did not lack supplies. After Liu was defeated, Lu was made the military governor of Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang, Sichuan, as well as the prefect of its capital Zi Prefecture (梓州).

During Emperor Xuānzongs reign

In 846, after the death of Emperor Wuzong and succession by his uncle Emperor Xuānzong, Lu was recalled to Chang'an to serve as the deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang). He also again served as acting director of finances. Later that year, he was made Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) and chancellor de facto with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi. He was also created the Duke of Fanyang.

Lu did not serve long as chancellor, however. In 847, during the middle of a drought, which were often viewed as signs of divine displeasure over overly severe punishment, Emperor Xuānzong had Lu and the deputy chief imperial censor Feng Ao (封敖) review the cases of the prisoners held at Chang'an. Lu and Feng apparently advocated for commutation of many death sentences, but then-chief judge of the supreme court, Ma Zhi, objected, and submitted a petition to Emperor Xuānzong arguing that that leniency would have the opposite effect of drawing further divine displeasure. Due to the machinations of Lu's fellow chancellor Bai Minzhong, Emperor Xuānzong approved Ma's petition, and soon thereafter, Lu was removed from his chancellor position and made the military governor of Wuchang Circuit (武昌, headquartered in modern Wuhan, Hubei).

In 859, Lu was suffering from an illness, and he submitted a petition requesting a replacement. Emperor Xuānzong recalled him to Chang'an to serve as minister of census (戶部尚書, Hubu Shangshu). Later that year, though, before Lu could reach Chang'an, he died at Hanyin (漢陰, in modern Ankang, Shaanxi).

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 176.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 182.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 248.