Li Linfu (李林甫) | 24 Histories

Overview

Li Linfu was an official and Statesman.

PeriodSui and Tang

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 734 to AD 752 Tang Xuanzong, Left Chancellor
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 1
AD 734 二十二年
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 54, passages 147, 149
AD 738 to AD 752 其後…宰相李林甫請出絹布
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 54, passages 168, 175
AD 734 to AD 752 唐李林甫柄政
Strongly inferred · History of Song 392, passage 263
AD 743 天寶二年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 16, 18
AD 752 時宰臣李林甫方竊權柄
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 86

Show 12 more source-backed claims

AD 734 to AD 752 李林甫
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 121, passage 158
AD 741 to AD 743 李林甫為尚書
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 17
AD 734 to AD 752 李林甫用事
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 56, passage 180
AD 734 to AD 752 李林甫用事
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 181, passage 28
AD 736 to AD 752 林甫之勢
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 117, passages 201-202
AD 736 to AD 752 林甫當國期間為晉卿所附
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 209-210
AD 734 to AD 752 沮林甫奸豪
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 213
AD 734 to AD 752 相李林甫
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 123, passage 273
AD 742 to AD 752 鉷得罪時
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 94
AD 735 開元二十三年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 27, passage 147
AD 737 開元二十五年
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 56, passage 142
AD 734 to AD 741 開元後期
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 51, passages 110, 114

Family

Ancestor of Li Xiji (李襲吉)
descendant 後 · Claimed parentage
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 1
Ancestor of Li Tu (李圖)
Claimed parentage
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 1

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Chancellor 相
AD 734 to AD 752 相李林甫 · Appointed
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 123, passage 273
Chief Minister 宰臣
AD 752 時宰臣李林甫方竊權柄 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 86
Minister of Personnel 尚書
AD 741 to AD 743 李林甫為尚書 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 17
Chancellor 宰相
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 175
Grand Counselor 中書令
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 56, passage 142
Left Chancellor 左相
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 1

Show 6 more source-backed claims

Minister (of Personnel) 尚書
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 16
Minister of Rites 禮部尚書
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 27, passage 147
Secretariat Director 中書令
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 51, passage 110
Yellow Gate Vice Director 黃門侍郎
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 149
Held
Powerful chief minister
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passages 201-202
Li Linfu's power 林甫之勢
Powerful minister
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 210

Places and affiliations

Tang 唐
Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 16
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 27, passage 147; Old Book of Tang 112, passage 213; Old Book of Tang 117, passage 86; Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 1; History of Song 392, passage 263; New Book of Tang 51, passage 110; New Book of Tang 54, passages 149, 175; New Book of Tang 56, passages 142, 180; New Book of Tang 123, passage 273; New Book of Tang 181, passage 28
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 117, passages 17, 201

Works and attributed material

Kaiyuan Administrative Rules (new) 開元新格
Relation Compiler
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 56, passage 142
Court opinion · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passages 149-150
Memorial · Author
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 27, passages 147-151
Proposal · Author
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 175

Events and relationships

Compiled new Kaiyuan rules revising thousands of articles
AD 737 開元二十五年 · Legal reform · Compiler
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 56, passage 142
Created standing edict guidelines
Administrative · Reformer
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 51, passages 110-111
Displaced by
Political · Displaced party · With Yang Guozhong (楊國忠)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 213
Exterminated dozens of clans
Legal political · Perpetrator · Mode named-speaker-report Speaker Li Jue (李玨)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 181, passage 28
Killed in Tang
Legal · Executed · Mode allusion Speaker Wang Yiduan (汪義端)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 263
Opposed private minting
AD 734 二十二年 · Policy · Opponent
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passages 149-150

Show 4 more source-backed claims

Proposed silk for coin purchase
Policy · Proposer
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 175
Revived major cases
Legal · Actor · With Wei Jian (韋堅), Li Yong (李邕)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 56, passage 180
Relation Superior of · Person Miao Jinqing (苗晉卿)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 17
Relation Superior of · Person Song Yao (宋遙)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 17

Assessments and attributes

Assessment held unchecked power; everyone feared him · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 86

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 17; History of Song 392, passage 263; New Book of Tang 51, passage 110; New Book of Tang 54, passage 149; New Book of Tang 56, passages 142, 180; New Book of Tang 181, passage 28
Value historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 86; Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 1

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 112Volume 108 Biographies 58: Wei Jiansu, Cui Yuan, Cui Huan, Du Hongjian · 1 passage

Open chapter

且國忠恃內戚，弄重權，沮林甫奸豪，取其大位，若見素之孤直，豈許取容？ Besides, Guozhong relied on imperial kinship, wielded enormous power, and displaced the powerful Li Linfu. Would a man as upright and independent as Jiansu have been permitted merely to flatter him?

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 117Volume 113 Biographies 63: Miao Jingqing, Pei Mian, Pei Zunqing · 4 passages

Open chapter

李林甫為尚書，專任廟堂，銓事唯委晉卿及同列侍郎宋遙主之。 Li Linfu, as minister of personnel, kept his grip on court power and left the business of selection entirely to Jingqing and his colleague Song Yao.

及鉷得罪伏法，時宰臣李林甫方竊權柄，人鹹懼之，鉷賓佐數百，不敢窺鉷門。 When Wang Hong was condemned and executed, Chief Minister Li Linfu held unchecked power and everyone lived in fear. Hundreds of men who had served under Hong did not dare even approach his house.

奉林甫之旨，順胥吏之意，悅附張倚，欺罔時君。 He carried out Li Linfu's wishes, indulged the clerks, curried favor with Zhang Yi, and deceived his sovereign.

生為重臣，諂林甫之勢也； In life he rose to the highest office by flattering Li Linfu's power;

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 60Volume 60 Book of Later Tang 36: Biographies 12: Li Xiji, Wang Jian, Li Jingyi, Lu Rubi, Li Dexiu, Su Xun · 1 passage

Open chapter

李襲吉，自言左相林甫之後，父圖，為洛陽令，因家焉。 Li Xiji claimed descent from the Left Chancellor Li Linfu. His father Tu served as magistrate of Luoyang, and the family made their home there.

History of Song, Chapter 392Volume 392 Biographies 151: Zhao Ruyu and Son: Chongxian · 1 passage

Open chapter

時汪義端行詞，用漢誅劉屈氂、唐戮李林甫事，示欲殺之意。 At the time Wang Yiduan drafted the edict language, citing the Han execution of Liu Quji and the Tang killing of Li Linfu to signal an intent to kill.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 51Volume 51 Treatises 47: Finance and Economics 1 · 1 passage

Open chapter

中書令李林甫以租庸、丁防、和糴、春彩、稅草無定法，歲為旨符，遣使一告，費紙五十余萬。 Chief Minister Li Linfu noted that zu-yong, frontier service, grain purchases, spring tribute, and fodder tax lacked fixed rules; yearly edict slips sent by messenger consumed over half a million sheets of paper.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 54Volume 54 Treatises 50: Finance and Economics 3 · 2 passages

Open chapter

議下百官，宰相裴耀卿、黃門侍郎李林甫、河南少尹蕭炅、祕書監崔沔皆以為「嚴斷惡錢則人知禁，稅銅折役則官冶可成，計估度庸則私錢以利薄而自息。 The proposal was circulated among the court officials. Chancellor Pei Yaoqing, Yellow Gate Vice Director Li Linfu, Henan Junior Prefect Xiao Jiong, and Secretariat Director Cui Mian all argued: "Strictly suppressing bad coin would make the people understand the prohibition; taxing copper and commuting labor service would enable the official mints to operate; setting valuations and labor quotas would make private coinage unprofitable and cause it to cease of itself.

宰相李林甫請出絹布三百萬匹，平估收錢，物價踊貴，訴者日萬人。 Chancellor Li Linfu proposed releasing three million bolts of silk to buy coin at fair rates; prices soared and ten thousand people protested daily.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 56Volume 56 Treatises 52: Punishment and Law · 2 passages

Open chapter

至二十五年，中書令李林甫又著新格，凡所損益數千條，明年，吏部尚書宋璟又著後格，皆以開元名書。 By Kaiyuan 25, Grand Counselor Li Linfu compiled new Administrative Rules, revising several thousand articles; the next year Minister of Civil Appointments Song Jing compiled a later set—both bearing the Kaiyuan title.

然而李林甫用事矣，自來俊臣誅後，至此始復起大獄，以誣陷所殺數十百人，如韋堅、李邕等皆一時名臣，天下冤之。 Yet Li Linfu was already in power. Since Lai Junchen's execution, major cases were raised again for the first time; dozens and hundreds were killed through framed charges. Men like Wei Jian and Li Yong were leading ministers of their day, and the realm deemed it unjust.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 121Volume 121 Biographies 46: Liu, Zhong, Cui, and the Two Kings · 1 passage

Open chapter

右相李林甫恨琚恃功使氣，欲除之，使人劾發琚宿贓，削封階，貶江華員外司馬。 Li Linfu, resenting Ju's arrogance, had him impeached for old corruption, stripped his rank and fief, and demoted him to assistant magistrate of Jianghua.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 123Volume 123 Biographies 48: Li, Xiao, Lu, Wei, Zhao, He · 1 passage

Open chapter

其後相李林甫、將安祿山，皆基於不明，身播岷陬，信自取之歟。 Afterward appointing Li Linfu chancellor and An Lushan general—all rooted in this lack of clarity; his person cast to the Min mountains—was it not truly self-wrought?

New Book of Tang, Chapter 181Volume 181 Biographies 106: Chen, Three Li's, Cao, Liu · 1 passage

Open chapter

玨因推言：「玄宗自謂未嘗殺一不辜，而任李林甫，種夷數十族，不亦惑乎？」 Jue went on, "Xuanzong boasted that he had never killed an innocent man, yet he entrusted Li Linfu, who wiped out dozens of clans—was that not delusion?"