author
Shang Lü
A leading scholar-official of the Ming dynasty, he rose through China’s demanding civil service examinations and became a grand secretary at a turbulent moment in imperial politics. His career is remembered for both remarkable academic success and the sudden reversals that often shaped life at court.
1 Audiobook
六韜
by Shang Lü
About the author
Born on March 16, 1414, Shang Lü was a Chinese scholar-official of the Ming dynasty. He is especially known for his success in the imperial examination system, a path that could lift talented scholars into the highest levels of government.
In 1449, during a period of political strain for the Ming court, he was appointed grand secretary under the Jingtai Emperor. That role placed him close to the center of imperial decision-making, but his time in office did not last: after Emperor Yingzong returned to power in 1457, Shang Lü was retired from government service.
He died on August 17, 1486. Although he is not known primarily as a literary author in the modern sense, his life offers a vivid glimpse into the world of learned officials whose writing, scholarship, and state service were deeply connected in imperial China.