Geshu Han
Early in Emperor Xuanzong's "Tianbao" era (742-756), Lü passed the imperial examinations and was made the sheriff of Ningling County. The surveyor of the circuit, Wei Zhi (), was impressed with Lü's talent and recommended him to serve as deputy surveyor. Later, Geshu Han, the military governor ("jiedushi") of Longyou (隴右, headquartered in modern Haidong Prefecture, Qinghai) and Hexi (河西, headquartered in modern Wuwei, Gansu) Circuits invited him to serve on staff as treasurer. While serving under Geshu, it was said that Lü was careful and hardworking, and at times, when his colleagues would be spending time out of the office, Lü would be in his office to review the files. This diligence caused Geshu to favor him more.