Early-Míng grand minister under the Yǒnglè 永樂 and Hóngxī 洪熙 emperors; zì Kèshēng 克聲, of Líntóng 臨潼 in Shǎnxī. Lifedates 1365–1426 per CBDB and Míngshǐ lièzhuàn; the catalog meta gives “fl. 1386–1428” to accommodate the 1428 Xuāndé dǐngyí pǔ preface — but Lǚ would already have been dead two years at that date. Hóngwǔ 23 (1390) jǔrén; rose rapidly under the Yǒnglè emperor through the Beijing court reorganisation, serving in turn as Vice-Minister of Personnel, Vice-Minister of Punishments, Minister of Personnel and finally Lǐbù shàngshū 禮部尚書 (Minister of Rites) under both the Yǒnglè and the Hóngxī / Xuāndé courts. Author (with collaborators) of KR3h0088 Xuāndé dǐngyí pǔ 宣德鼎彝譜 (preface dated 1428), the principal document of the Xuāndé imperial bronze-recasting programme — though the actual compilation extends posthumously after Lǚ’s 1426 death. Famous in the early-Míng court for his extraordinary administrative memory; Míngshǐ lièzhuàn records that he could recite all the Lǐbù archives from memory.