Li Linfu (李林甫) | 24 Histories

Overview

Li Linfu was an official and Statesman.

Life and dates

Attested activity

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
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 736 to AD 752 林甫之勢
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 117, passages 201-202

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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

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
Grand Counselor 中書令
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 56, passage 142
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

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Secretariat Director 中書令
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 51, passage 110
Held
Powerful chief minister
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passages 201-202

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 117, passage 86; New Book of Tang 51, passage 110; New Book of Tang 56, passages 142, 180; New Book of Tang 123, passage 273
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
Memorial · Author
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 27, passages 147-151

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
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 Jingqing (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; New Book of Tang 51, passage 110; New Book of Tang 56, passages 142, 180
Value historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 86

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 27Volume 23 Treatises 3: Rites 3 · 1 passage

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侍中裴耀卿、中書令張九齡、禮部尚書李林甫等奏曰：「外族之親，禮無厭降。 Chief Attendant Pei Yaoqing, Grand Counselor Zhang Jiuling, Minister of Rites Li Linfu, and others wrote: "External kin are not subject to ritual demotion.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 113Volume 109 Biographies 59: Feng Gang, Ashinashe'er, Qibi Heli, Heichi Changzhi, Li Duozuo, Li Siye, Bai Xiaode · 2 passages

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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 held the ministerial post but kept his grip on court power, leaving the actual running of selections to Jinqing and his fellow vice minister Song Yao alone.

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 Hong was executed, Li Linfu held power and everyone feared him; Hong's hundreds of retainers dared not even approach his gate.

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

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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;

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

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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 56Volume 56 Treatises 52: Punishment and Law · 2 passages

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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

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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

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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?