Zhu Ju 朱據

Zhu Ju, courtesy name Zifan, was a native of Wu County in Wu Commandery. He had a fine bearing and physical strength, and was also skilled in debate. At the beginning of the Huangwu era he was summoned and appointed Gentleman of the Five Offices, and was assigned as Attendant Imperial Clerk. Records, Wu 12 §83

At that time Ji Yan, Master of Writing for Selection, loathed the greedy and corrupt men holding office and wished to weed them out. Zhu Ju said that since the realm was not yet settled, their faults should be covered by their merits and they should be employed with their flaws set aside; recommending the upright to spur on the corrupt would be enough to check evil and encourage good, but if they were all dismissed at once, he feared misfortune would follow. Ji Yan did not listen and in the end came to ruin. Records, Wu 12 §83

Sighing over the lack of capable commanders, Sun Quan thought back on Lü Meng and Zhang Wen, and judged that Zhu Ju, who combined civil and military talents, could succeed them. From then on Zhu Ju was appointed Colonel Who Establishes Righteousness and garrisoned Hushu at the head of troops. In the 1st year of Huanglong (229), when Sun Quan moved the capital to Jianye, he summoned Zhu Ju to marry a princess, appointed him General of the Left and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Yunyang. The Biographies of Consorts records that Sun Luyu, the younger daughter born to Sun Quan's Lady Bu, was first married to Zhu Ju. Records, Wu 12 §84Records, Wu 5 §15

Zhu Ju treated scholars with humility, thought little of wealth and loved to give, so that although his salary and rewards were ample he never had enough for his needs. The Biography of Shi Yi and Hu Zong records that when Yin Fan of Qing Province came over to Wu, Zhu Ju, General of the Left, and Hao Pu, Commandant of Justice, praised him as having the talent to assist a king; later, when Yin Fan plotted rebellion and was discovered and executed, Hao Pu was reproached and killed himself, while Zhu Ju was placed under detention and released only after some time. Records, Wu 12 §84Records, Wu 17 §34 · 36

In the Jiahe era, large coins worth 500 cash each were first minted. Later, Zhu Ju's retainers (buqu) were due to receive 30,000 strings of cash, but the artisan Wang Sui obtained it by fraud. The Inspector Lü Yi suspected that Zhu Ju had actually taken it and interrogated the official in charge, and when the man died under the rod, Zhu Ju grieved at his innocence and had him encoffined generously. Lü Yi then memorialized that Zhu Ju's officer had covered up for Zhu Ju, which was why Zhu Ju had given him a generous burial. The Biography of Pan Jun and Lu Kai also records that the Inspector Lü Yi submitted reports to have the Chancellor Gu Yong, General of the Left Zhu Ju and others investigated, and that all were placed under detention. Records, Wu 12 §84–85Records, Wu 16 §4

When Sun Quan repeatedly reproached and questioned him, Zhu Ju, with no way to prove his innocence, sat on a straw mat awaiting punishment. Several months later the army clerk Liu Zhu discovered the truth and said that Wang Sui had taken the money; Sun Quan, greatly enlightened, said, 'If even Zhu Ju has been wronged, how much more the officials and the common people!' He then pursued Lü Yi's crimes to the end and rewarded Liu Zhu with a million cash. Records, Wu 12 §85

In the 9th year of Chiwu (246) Zhu Ju was promoted to General of Agile Cavalry. The Biography of the Lord of Wu records that on the bingyin day of the 4th month of the 12th year of Chiwu (249), Zhu Ju, General of Agile Cavalry, took on the concurrent office of Chancellor. Records, Wu 12 §86Records, Wu 2 §107

As Sun Ba, Prince of Lu, grew ever more covetous of the succession, Sun Quan at last confined the Crown Prince Sun He; Zhu Ju, together with Qu Huang, Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat, led the generals and officials, with mud smeared on their heads and themselves bound, to the palace gate day after day to plead for Sun He. Sun Quan, who climbed the Baijue Tower and saw this, was greatly displeased and rebuked them for creating needless commotion. When Sun Quan intended to depose Sun He and set up Sun Liang, Zhu Ju and Qu Huang remonstrated firmly without ceasing; Sun Quan, in great anger, had the two dragged into the hall and beaten a hundred strokes. The Biography of the Lord of Wu records that the Crown Prince Sun He was deposed in the 8th month of the 13th year of Chiwu (250). Records, Wu 14 §28–29Records, Wu 2 §108

The Biography of Zhu Ju records that when the two palaces contended, Zhu Ju defended the Crown Prince, his words earnest and his sense of righteousness showing in his face, and that because he sought to protect him to the death, he was in the end demoted to Assistant of Xindu Commandery. Before he reached his post, Sun Hong, Prefect of the Palace Secretariat, slandered and maligned him, and taking advantage of Sun Quan lying ill, Sun Hong forged an edict and sent it after him, granting him death. He was fifty-seven at the time. Records, Wu 12 §86

At the end of the Chiwu era Sun Quan took Zhu Ju's daughter as consort for Sun Xiu; she was the daughter borne by the princess who was Sun Xiu's elder sister. In the time of Sun Liang, Zhu Ju's two sons Zhu Xiong and Zhu Sun each again commanded troops, but both died after being slandered by Princess Quan. Later, in the document he submitted when deposing Sun Liang, Sun Chen wrote that Zhu Ju was an old minister of the late emperor, and that Zhu Xiong and Zhu Sun had inherited their father's foundation and established themselves through loyalty and righteousness, yet the emperor, without examining the root and branch of the matter, had them killed at once. Records, Wu 5 §31Records, Wu 12 §86Records, Wu 19 §90–91

In the Yong'an era, his former merits were posthumously recorded, and Zhu Xiong's son Zhu Xuan was made to inherit the title of Marquis of Yunyang and to marry a princess. In the time of Sun Hao, Zhu Xuan rose to General of Agile Cavalry. Records, Wu 12 §87

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Lu Mao was devoted to righteousness and offered corrective remonstrance, and went on, 'Wu Can and Zhu Ju met with perilous times and lost their lives by holding to what was right; how sad!' Records, Wu 12 §90