| "The old man seemed like he would never kick the bucket while debtors owed him money, and nearly the entire Earth Kingdom banked with the House of the Flying Boar." |
| ā Jianzhu musing about Lu Beifong's character.[1] |
Lu Beifong was a prominent politician and earthbending master in the late 4th and early 3rd centuries BG. He was the head of the prestigious Beifong family. Immensely wealthy and influential, Lu was highly regarded in the Earth Kingdom, although he grew increasingly obstinate in his elder years. This eventually alienated him from the Earth Kingdom's de facto regent Jianzhu, as well as from Avatar Kyoshi.
History
Lu Beifong was the earthbending master of Jianzhu, who in turn taught earthbending to Avatar Kuruk.[1] Lu grew very close to Jianzhu, treating him like a son.[2] In contrast, his relationship with his actual children and grandchildren was marked by disappointment, as none of them turned out to be capable bureaucrats, merchants, accountants, or politicians like himself. None of these grandchildren were earthbenders at all, which caused him to worry about his clan's future.[3]
Lu was married to Lady Wumei, an intelligent, vivacious woman who was beloved across the Earth Kingdom, and a source of wisdom in his ear. Lu became more obstinate after her death and more prone to influence from his chamberlain, Hui. Afterward, his relationship with Jianzhu began to gradually decline.[1]
After Avatar Kuruk's death, Lu was one of many earthbending masters who tried and failed to identify the next Avatar using the rituals of directional geomancy. Although he did not give consent to Jianzhu and Kelsang to use the Air Nomads' Avatar relics,[4] Lu was in contact with them when they falsely identified Yun as the next Avatar. Lu proved to be instrumental in the public acknowledgement of Yun as Kuruk's successor.[5] Otherwise, the old master agreed to keep his distance, while Jianzhu and his companions trained Yun.[1]
After Yun and his allies defeated Tagaka's Fifth Nation pirates, Lu was persuaded by Hui to host a celebration for Avatar in Gaoling. To Lu's disappointment, Yun did not take part in the celebration. He still greeted Jianzhu and Hei-Ran at the party before changing the subject to his former student's request for a loan for the Southern Water Tribe. Though Jianzhu pitched the idea of expanding the Southern Water Tribe's navy, Hui inserted himself by arguing that doing so would only allow them to claim the contested Chuje Islands. Ultimately, as Jianzhu made a verbal slip against national pride, Lu chose to side with his chamberlain and refused to provide the loan unless the Avatar were to provide a convincing argument. However, Hui later announced to Lu and the other sages him that Yun and Kelsang's absence was due to them having left on a nomadic journey of self-discovery. Lu failed to hide his annoyance over this and addressed Jianzhu with biting remarks.[1] Regardless, the Beifong patriarch did not participate in Hui's subsequent plot to bring down Jianzhu.[6]
A few months later, Lu received a sealed letter from Jianzhu. It was opened following the latter's death and contained Jianzhu's testament, the revelation that Kyoshi was the true Avatar,[7] and the claim that Yun was dead. Lu believed the letter, and consequently acknowledged Kyoshi. When he first met her, however, the two immediately took a dislike to each other. Kyoshi asked for Lu's support in finding Yun, believing he would aid her out of grandfatherly affection for the boy, but the old man coldly responded that Jianzhu had proclaimed the boy dead and subsequently refused to believe Kyoshi's eyewitness account of Yun's survival, as the false Avatar had become an embarrassment, reminding the Beifong patriarch of his own failure at correctly identifying the Avatar. As Kyoshi continued her search for Yun, Lu issued an order forbidding anyone at his household including guests of even mentioning Yun or Jianzhu. In return, Kyoshi did not hide her disgust at his behavior.[8]
Lu and a handful of other sages arrived in the Fire Nation in 295 BG as part of an Earth Kingdom delegation when Fire Lord Zoryu welcomed Avatar Kyoshi to the capital for the Festival of Szeto. After the end of a small performance, he approached the Avatar, introducing Governor Shing of Gintong Province. When Kyoshi curtly spoke of Shing's practice of extorting his peasants into indentured servitude, Lu disapproved of the man, having been led to believe that Shing had been paying good money to keep his lands free of bandits.[3]
Shing raised that he had legally binding documents of the land sales, and Kyoshi responded that if he valued business so highly, she could send the governor the bill for pacifying his province. An enraged Shing called Kyoshi a criminal, which Lu reprimanded him for, telling him to be careful outside their homeland. Lu subsequently chose to retire early from the garden party, an embarrassed Shing following him shortly after. Kyoshi predicted he was planning on cutting Shing out of the Beifong circle of influence act punishment for embarrassing the Earth Kingdom rather than out of any moral obligation.[3]
That night, Lu was killed by Yun as part of the earthbender's vengeful crusade against anyone who had lied about his Avatarhood.[5]
Relatives
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| Baatar Jr. |
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| Opal |
| Wei |
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Appearances
Kyoshi novels
References
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