Today, the History Encyclopedia editor brings you the story of Li Linfu. Interested readers can follow the editor to take a look together.
In the sixth year of the Tianbao era (747 AD), An Lushan was promoted to the position of Grand Censor. Under the favor of Emperor Xuanzong, An Lushan did not even need to pay respects during his audience, and Wang Ting was also a Grand Censor. Once, when the courtiers met with the emperor, Li Linfu ordered Wang Ting to come forward and bow respectfully. Wang Ting bent down to bow with great standards, and An Lushan was startled to see this scene and gasped for breath. He then respectfully bowed as well.
Prior to this, An Lushan was already the military governor of Fanping and Pinglu, holding a heavy army. At that time, there were ten envoys in the Tang Dynasty, including Anxi, Beiting, Hexi, Longyou, Shuofang, Hedong, Fanyang, Pinglu, Jiannan, Lingnan. Later, Anlushan asked for the envoys in Hedong in front of Xuanzong, and one person led three town envoys.
An Lushan was already arrogant and often did not see others in his eyes. In fact, he did have this ability. For a time, An Lushan had immense power, but he only showed respect and reverence to Prime Minister Li Linfu. So why is An Lushan so afraid of Li Linfu?
1、 Li Linfu also showed kindness to An Lushan
According to historical records, Li Linfu, the prime minister at that time, was dissatisfied with the Confucian officials’ use of military achievements to advance and their respect for themselves. Therefore, he requested the appointment of foreign generals by the emperor. As a result, the emperor favored Lushan Yilao, but the group discussed that they could not suppress him, leading to chaos throughout the country. Lin Fuqi took action
The reason why An Lushan was able to become the most influential border defense general in the Tang Dynasty was twofold: on the one hand, An Lushan was skilled in commanding troops and made numerous military achievements; on the other hand, it was also due to Li Linfu’s promotion. Although Li Linfu was skilled in political maneuvering and an expert in politics, he did not want to be caught up in conflicts all day long, especially those border generals who could enter the court as ministers based on their military achievements, such as General Wang Zhongsi, who had outstanding military achievements.
So Li Linfu submitted a memorial to Emperor Xuanzong, requesting the appointment of Fan generals. Fan generals were unable to enter the court as prime ministers, which invisibly reduced Li Linfu’s competitive pressure. For example, General Wang Zhongsi was once a hypothetical enemy of Li Linfu. In 738 AD, Wang Zhongsi launched a northern expedition against the Khitan and defeated the Khitan coalition army at Sanggan River. During the Tianbao period, he also defeated the Turkic tribes and made great military achievements.
In order to prevent Wang Zhongsi from becoming a general and becoming a prime minister, Li Linfu falsely accused Wang Zhongsi of wanting to rise up and support the crown prince. Tang Xuanzong was not confused, but still demoted Wang Zhongsi from the capital. In order to prevent such incidents from happening again, Li Linfu simply submitted a memorial and appointed high-ranking officials, and An Lushan took this opportunity to turn the tide.
As the saying goes, those who are not of our ethnicity will have different hearts. In order to pursue his own interests, Li Linfu changed the border defense pattern, indirectly leading to the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion. In this regard, Li Linfu has an inescapable responsibility.
Of course, Li Linfu also spoke well of An Lushan, which made Emperor Xuanzong trust him even more. In fact, Li Linfu was grateful to An Lushan. As the saying goes, if he can support you, he will crush you. Since An Lushan was indirectly promoted by Li Linfu, Li Linfu also has a way to overthrow him. An Lushan sees this in his eyes and fears it in his heart.
2、 In front of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Linfu still held great weight
The emperor is the highest ruler of a country, and An Lushan naturally spares no effort to curry favor with him. The prime minister dominates the political power of the court, and Li Linfu alone surpasses ten thousand people, which is also something An Lushan cannot afford to offend.
Although Li Linfu has been constantly eliminating dissidents and allowing his position as prime minister to dominate the court, he is also skilled in handling government affairs. Li Longji was not confused. As long as the matter was handed over to Li Linfu, it could always be satisfactorily resolved. Besides competing for power and profit, Li Linfu had no objections to imperial power, which also made Li Longji feel more at ease.
As he grew older, Li Longji also became tired of government affairs and only wanted to immerse himself in Yang Yuhuan’s gentle hometown. The historical records say, “When it comes to retaking ministers, it’s as good as getting Lin Fu, let it be.” In addition, Li Linfu was also good at cultivating the emperor’s personal hobbies, and almost everyone around the emperor had received bribes from Li Linfu.
Sometimes when the emperor is not in court, Li Linfu moves his office to his home, and all civil and military officials have to come to Li Linfu’s mansion for instructions, which shows how powerful Li Linfu is.
According to historical records, “Lin Fu captured his troops and had no means of entering the prime minister’s office. Therefore, Lushan was appointed with three powerful troops and was stationed there for fourteen years without relocation. The emperor, Lin Fu, did not doubt his decision, and his soldiers conquered the world, causing the royal family to decline
It was with the help of Li Linfu that An Lushan obtained three heavy armies and maintained military power for fourteen years. Compared to power, An Lushan is not a match, which can also be called political energy. Since An Lushan wants to rise to power, he cannot offend Li Linfu. Once Li Linfu’s lips twist, An Lushan’s good days may come to an end.
3、 Li Linfu had been in power for 19 years, and An Lushan was no match for him in terms of political skills
Li Linfu served as an independent prime minister for nineteen years, unmatched by anyone else. The most terrifying aspect of him was his extremely high level of political maneuvering, to the point where he was able to transform political struggles into an art form. Anyone who should confront Li Linfu almost never has a good ending, such as Zhang Jiuling and Li Shizhi.
According to historical records, “He is introverted in nature, endures execution, and does not show joy or anger. His face is gentle and commanding, and if he is approachable at first, he will not be able to obtain him even if he is deeply blocked by cliffs and traps. If a nobleman does not enter through his door, he will be punished and exiled; if he deviates, even if he is a petty person, he will be regarded as important
No matter who he dealt with, Li Linfu always had a smile on his face and was very approachable. However, in reality, every word and expression he said had a deep meaning, all aimed at putting his opponent to death. If it weren’t for his promotion, he would definitely face demotion. As long as he established a relationship with Li Linfu, even if he no longer had the ability, he could still hold high positions and receive generous rewards.
Li Linfu had a dedicated hall for contemplation, called the Moon Hall. Whenever he wanted to prank someone, he would sneak into the Moon Hall to ponder. Once Li Linfu emerged from it with great enthusiasm, his opponent would surely suffer a devastating blow. These things, I think An Lushan has investigated them all, so he can only bow down to them.
It can be said that one thing is reduced to one thing, and one thing is diluted with brine and tofu. An Lushan can command troops and engage in politics, but he just can’t defeat Li Linfu. Every time An Lushan met Li Linfu, he was like a mouse meeting a cat. Every time he entered the court, An Lushan would send people to inquire about the prime minister’s feelings, in order to flatter and flatter him.
In addition, in front of Li Linfu, An Lushan was like a transparent person. Li Linfu could always guess An Lushan’s thoughts. With Li Linfu’s ability, he should also be able to guess An Lushan’s disloyalty, but for the sake of his own power, he didn’t stop talking. In the cold winter, An Lushan would sweat profusely and tremble when he saw Li Linfu.
Many people say that if Li Linfu did not die, An Lushan would not dare to rebel, and there is some truth to this. However, Li Linfu was a treacherous minister. If Li Linfu were a wise minister, then An Lushan’s life would have been difficult, and perhaps the An Lushan Rebellion would not have occurred. Overall, An Lushan rebelled and the Tang Dynasty went from prosperity to decline, and Li Linfu bears an inescapable responsibility.
