At the beginning of the founding of the Tang Dynasty, after years of war, the population was sparse, the land was barren, and the people did not have a good life. In order to restore the country as soon as possible, the rulers of the Tang Dynasty continued the equalization system of the previous dynasty, and the state distributed land to the peasants, who needed to bear the corresponding taxes, conscription and military service. During the Tang Dynasty, peasants were divided into nine grades, and peasants above the sixth rank were selected for military service every three dings, called "fu soldiers". The advantage of these selected soldiers was that they were exempt from taxes and conscription, but the weapons and food needed to be prepared by themselves, and such soldiers needed to start from the age of 20 and end such military service at the age of 60.
With the Tang Dynasty's rule of Zhenguan, the country began to grow stronger, the peasant population increased, the land controlled by the state decreased, and the number of displaced people increased, and it was difficult for the state to recruit enough troops and soldiers who could fight. It is difficult to continue to implement the equalization system.
In 722, the chancellor Zhang Shuo proposed to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang that the state spend money to recruit soldiers, and thus the conscription system replaced the prefectural military system. Tang Xuanzong also demanded that the frontier envoys could recruit soldiers who voluntarily guarded the border passes for a long time according to their needs, and Tang Xuanzong's decision allowed the envoys to gradually grasp the military power, and the security of the country was all in the hands of the envoys. Although the initial Jiedushi had great military power, in order to prevent the Jiedushi from making the troops self-respecting, all the Jiedushi envoys served as civilian officials sent by the state, initially as prime ministers, and after a few years, they returned to Beijing to continue to serve as prime ministers. In this way, the country can be peaceful when it is still under the control of the Tang Dynasty. However, the system of having a civilian official as a emissary of moderation was undermined with the appearance of a prime minister, undermining the delicate balance between the state and the emissaries of moderation. Who is this Prime Minister? He was a famous courtier in the history of the Tang Dynasty, Li Linfu.
Li Linfu (683 – January 3, 753), courtesy name Genu, was a great-grandson of Li Shuliang the Prince of Changping. In the twenty-third year of the new century (735), Li Linfu was worshipped as the Rebbe Shangshu, Tongzhongshu Menxia Sanpin, and Jiayin Qingguanglu Dafu, together with Pei Yaoqing and Zhongshu Ling Zhang Jiuling, who served as prime ministers. Tang Xuanzong's decision was once opposed by the chancellor Zhang Jiuling, who believed that Li Linfu's character was not right, and if li Linfu was worshipped as prime minister, it would only bring disasters to the country in the future.
However, Zhang Jiuling's persuasion of Tang Xuanzong did not accept it, and still worshiped Li Linfu as a courtesy. We all know that at this time, the Tang Dynasty, after the rule of Zhenguan, the Kaiyuan dynasty has reached its peak, the four seas have risen to peace, prosperity and prosperity, as everyone knows, a crisis is coming.
After Li Linfu became chancellor, he first excluded dissidents, and Li Linfu made a speech to Tang Xuanzong, degrading Zhang Jiuling to the history of Jingzhou. In order to consolidate his position, Li Linfu cut off Tang Xuanzong from the hundred officials, persecuted the officials, and forbade the acceptance of advice, and from then on there was no right voice in the court, Li Linfu controlled the court, the emperor's speech path was blocked, and all the voices coming from all over the world were rising to peace, and Li Linfu gradually gained Tang Xuanzong's trust.
Li Linfu was sinister in nature, scheming, and cruel in killing people; during his reign, he excluded many upright and talented ministers and created many unjust cases, so that officials of all sizes in the court were full of noise and people were afraid. Some of the sneaky people are being reused, and corruption is eroding the foundations of the Tang Dynasty bit by bit.
For example, Zhang Shu, Xiao Song, Li Shizhi, and others were all appointed as prime ministers, and Li Linfu himself knew in his heart that if the imperial court sent to serve as a civil servant to serve as a envoy to jiedushi through the experience of the battlefield, it would undoubtedly greatly increase his prestige and seniority. Thus posing a threat to oneself. And if you don't have the talent to lead troops to fight, what method can you use to further consolidate your position?
Li Linfu made such a suggestion to Tang Xuanzong that the Hu people should serve as envoys to the frontier festival, and most of the generals from the Hu people were illiterate and would not compete with him for the position of prime minister, so he also wanted to block the road of those who wanted to be promoted by virtue of their military achievements, so as to consolidate their position as prime minister and maintain their power.
Tang Xuanzong unexpectedly accepted Li Linfu's suggestion and sent a group of Hu people, including Gao Xianzhi, Ge Shuhan, and An Lushan, to begin long-term service as emissaries of Jiedushi. An Lushan also served as the emissary of the three feudal towns of Fanyang, Pinglu and Hedong, which also laid hidden dangers for the subsequent Anshi rebellion.
In his later years, Li Linfu was arrogant and lascivious, indulging in female sex and singing and dancing, because Li Linfu framed too many loyal generals, so that he was deeply trapped in fear, the family was heavily guarded, the organs were heavy, and even at night he had to change several places to sleep, and even his own family did not know where he slept.
In the eleventh year of Tianbao (752), Wang Hao's brother Wang Wei plotted with The Executioner to kill Li Linfu, Chen Xilie, and Yang Guozhong, but was suppressed. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang ordered Yang Guozhong to be interrogated with Chen Xilie. Yang Guozhong claimed that Wang Hao had also participated in the conspiracy, and used this case to attract Li Linfu, saying that he was secretly colluding with Wang Hao. Chen Xilie testified from the sidelines. In the end, Wang Hao was given death. Although Li Linfu was not convicted, he was gradually alienated by Tang Xuanzong.
In October of the same year, Nanzhao Koubian and Jiannan were in a hurry. At that time, Yang Guozhong was also the envoy of Jiannan Jiedushi. Li Linfu then asked Emperor Xuanzong to suggest that Yang Guozhong go to Jiannan to take up his post, hoping to take the opportunity to transfer him away from the imperial court. Yang Guozhong cried and said to Xuanzong, "Once a subject leaves the dynasty, he will be harmed by Li Linfu." Tang Xuanzong comforted, "You should go to Jiannan to deal with military affairs for the time being, and Shuo will soon summon you back and make you the prime minister." Li Linfu learned that he was angry and sick. Soon, Li Linfu accompanied Tang Xuanzong to Huaqing Palace, and his condition worsened. The wizard said, "As long as you can see the emperor, your condition will improve." Tang Xuanzong originally wanted to go to visit, but was stopped by the attendants, so he asked Li Linfu to be carried to the courtyard, and he himself ascended to the Descending Holy Pavilion and raised the red scarf to beckon him. Li Linfu was too ill to get up, so he could only let his family pay homage to Xie En.
At this time, Li Linfu had lost the ability to monopolize the government, and in the struggle with Yang Guozhong, Li Linfu was completely defeated, and at this time, Li Linfu was no longer able to deal with Yang Guozhong. He said to Yang Guozhong with tears in his eyes: "I will soon die, you will definitely succeed to the position of prime minister, and my future affairs will be entrusted to you." Yang Guozhong was still very jealous of Li Linfu, sweating profusely, and did not even dare to say it. On November 24 of the same year (January 3, 753), Li Linfu died of illness, and was returned to Chang'an by the guardian spirits of the sons and was buried at the Pingkangfang mansion. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang posthumously made him a taiwei (太尉) and the governor of Yangzhou,( and gave him the Ban Sword Warrior and the Western Garden Secret Weapon. Soon, Yang Guozhong paid homage to him.
In the decades that Li Linfu had controlled the government, corruption had infiltrated the entire Tang Dynasty, and at this time the Tang Dynasty was like an old tree that had been hollowed out of its roots, and it had long been unable to withstand any storms, and in the twelfth year of Tianbao (753), Yang Guozhong conspired with An Lushan to falsely accuse Li Linfu of being father and son with the rebel general Abs, conspiring to rebel. Li Linfu's son-in-law Yang Qixuan, fearing that he was implicated, echoed Yang Guozhong and came forward to confirm it. At that time, Li Linfu had not yet been buried, and he was stripped of his official title and confiscated his family property. The sons were expelled from their names and exiled to Lingnan and Qianzhong, while more than fifty people in the pro-party were demoted. Tang Xuanzong also ordered people to split Li Linfu's coffin, dig out the beads contained in it, peel off the golden and purple imperial dress, and use a small coffin to bury it with the ceremony of a commoner.
Li Linfu was finally punished belatedly, but the full-scale corruption of the Tang Dynasty was irreparable, and a crisis was accelerating.