When it comes to Li Linfu, what does everyone think of
In ancient times, family status was highly valued, and descendants of the imperial family were generally granted titles of king and marquis, but Li Linfu was a special case. Although he was honored as the King of Changping, he did not receive the protection of his ancestors and only obtained a position of one or two officials in the local area.
But later on, he broke through the layers of shackles with thunderous means and became the leader of the hundred officials. Do you know why Li Linfu was able to implement 19 years of dictatorship, and why he made An Lushan so fearful?
At the beginning, Li Linfu only worked as a small official in a local area, and the so-called small official was to clean up the stalls for the powerful without any achievements. But Li Linfu is also an ambitious person. He would rather be a treacherous minister than a passerby in history. Later, he was brought to the side of the Crown Prince under the influence of his uncle Jiang Jiao. With his exceptional eloquence, Li Linfu gained the Crown Prince’s favor and became the pillar of the Crown Prince’s faction. After the Crown Prince ascended to the throne, he appointed Li Linfu as prime minister.
Li Linfu can flatter, but he can also do practical things. In politics, he has his own unique insights. At that time, the central government of the court was controlled by conservative literati who were loyal but only knowledgeable. After Li Linfu joined, the political situation in the court was completely transformed. Li Linfu has an inner circle and an outer circle personality. Although he comes from a calculating source, he portrays himself as a pure stream who does not seek real power or fame.
After Li Linfu entered the Imperial Academy, he launched a new set of political measures. The students of the Imperial Academy were full of energy and were willing to abandon their life like dead fish to follow Li Linfu. From then on, the Imperial Academy flourished and no longer had the previous decadent atmosphere. The students specially erected a monument for Li Linfu to express their admiration for him. Upon learning of this, Li Linfu was displeased and immediately had his students grind down the stone tablet. After this incident, Li Linfu once again established a tall image.
Tang Xuanzong also knew that Li Linfu was only superficially loyal, but many officials in the court were dogmatic, and he needed someone who could break conventions. What Tang Xuanzong valued was his treachery. If he were not treacherous, how could he control the officials? How to take the court further?
After Li Linfu entered the central government, he indeed lived up to expectations and launched a major reform campaign. He led the writing of the Tang Dynasty laws, including the “Kaiyuan New Code,” “Tang Six Classics,” and “Standard Laws and Regulations. Although Li Linfu was smooth, he was still a member of the Legalist school. In his actions, he followed the Legalist system and never favored himself or bent the law for personal gain. Someone described Li Linfu as saying, “Be cautious in every matter, organize various tasks, improve discipline, and maintain consistency when relocating from home to abroad
After becoming prime minister, he played with the word ‘power and tactics’ like fire and pure blue. He used his power, exercised his techniques, and took advantage of his authority to advance in front of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, making false accusations and defeating political enemies. His political opponents once described Li Linfu as someone who is sweet tongued but cunning.
Li Linfu’s dictatorship lasted for 19 years, and no one dared to compete with him. Even An Lushan, whom the emperor feared, was extremely wary of Li Linfu. According to records, every time An Lushan entered the court, he would first ask Li Linfu what he needed, which shows Li Linfu’s influence during the Tang Dynasty.
Although Li Linfu made achievements, he was a complete traitor in history. For personal gain, Li Linfu framed loyal ministers, and Wei Jian, Yang Shenjin, and others all died at his hands. His son Li Xiu has some conscience and often tells his father that if things fail, he won’t even be able to become a slave. The implied meaning was to stop Li Linfu from doing evil, but Li Linfu replied that the situation had reached this point and there was nothing he could do.
Li Linfu was good at using power tactics, but he could only deceive loyal ministers and had no way to deal with treacherous and petty people. After he met Yang Guozhong, the Legalist techniques he possessed were no longer effective, and his plan was easily resolved by Yang Guozhong. He eventually died of depression and his family was exiled.
