Overview
Li Linfu was a statesman.
IdentityHistorical · Male
Life and dates
Attested activity
AD 749 to AD 752 天寶
AD 752 天寶十一載
Family
Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.
Places and affiliations
- Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
References in the histories
No matching passages.
New Book of Tang, Chapter 134Volume 134 Biographies 59: Yuwen, Wei, Yang, Wang · 8 passages
帝寵任鉷亞林甫，而楊國忠不如也。
The emperor favored Wang Hong second only to Li Linfu — Yang Guozhong did not compare.
然鉷畏林甫，謹事之。
Yet Wang Hong feared Li Linfu and attended him with scrupulous deference.
安祿山怙寵，見林甫白事，稍自怠，林甫欲示之威，托以事召王大夫，俄而鉷至，趨進俯伏，祿山不覺自失，鉷語久，祿山益恭。
An Lushan, secure in imperial favor, had grown somewhat casual when reporting to Li Linfu. Linfu wanted to show him who held power and, on some pretext, summoned Chief Censor Wang. Hong arrived at once, hurried forward, and prostrated himself. An Lushan was visibly unsettled; as Hong spoke on, An Lushan grew ever more deferential.
故林甫雖忌其盛，亦以附己親之。
So although Li Linfu resented Wang Hong's towering power, he also treated him warmly because Hong was firmly attached to him.
子準，為衛尉少卿，以鬥雞供奉禁中，林甫子岫，亦親近，準驕甚，淩岫出其上。
His son Zhun served as vice director of the Court of the Imperial Insignia and entertained at cockfighting within the palace. Li Linfu's son You was also a favorite, but Zhun was wildly arrogant and treated You with open contempt.
為中丞也，與楊國忠同列，用林甫薦為大夫，故國忠不悅。
While serving as censor-in-chief he sat alongside Yang Guozhong, but when Li Linfu's recommendation made him chief censor, Guozhong took offense.
國忠奏鉷與謀，帝不信，林甫亦為鉷言，故帝原銲不問。
Guozhong reported that Hong had joined the plot, but the emperor refused to believe it. Li Linfu spoke up for Hong as well, so the emperor pardoned Hua and dropped the matter.
鉷見林甫，林甫曰：「事後矣。」
Hong went to see Li Linfu, who told him: "It is too late."