Lu Kang (126–195),[1] courtesy name Jining, was a Chinese politician who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.
His grandfather, Lu Xu (陸續), served as a minor officer in a commandery in the early Eastern Han dynasty.
In 178, during the reign of Emperor Ling, Lu Kang was promoted to serve as the Administrator (太守) of Wuling Commandery (武陵郡; around present-day Changde, Hunan).
[5] Around the time, Emperor Ling wanted to build bronze statues but realised that the imperial treasury was unable to support his spending, so he issued a decree to increase taxes and recruit labour from the masses.
After Lu Kang assumed office as the Administrator of Lujiang Commandery, he was tasked with suppressing Huang Rang's rebellion.
[7] By the time Emperor Xian came to the throne in the 190s, the Han Empire was already in a state of chaos as the central government was weak and various warlords were fighting for power.
Lu Kang was aware of the high risks involved in paying tribute to the emperor, because his convoy might be attacked and robbed along the way to the capital.
Emperor Xian issued a decree to praise Lu Kang, promote him to General of Loyalty and Righteousness (忠義將軍), and increase his income to 2,000 dan (石).
[8] Around the time, the warlord Yuan Shu had garrisoned his forces in Shouchun (壽春; present-day Shou County, Anhui) and was planning to attack Xu Province.
When he realised he was running short of supplies, he sent a messenger to Lujiang Commandery to request 30,000 hu (斛) of grain from Lu Kang.
[13] The younger one, Lu Ji, was a scholar who came to serve under the warlord Sun Quan as the Administrator of Yulin Commandery (鬱林郡).