When it comes to Li Linfu, every Chinese can say two sentences, of course, most of the time, it is a sigh.
Some people say that he was a "traitor" during the Tang Xuanzong period, who had been stealing power for nineteen years and causing the empire to smoke and miasma, especially for the "Anshi rebellion", he was responsible for an important responsibility. Because it was precisely because he was worried that the generals at the border pass would enter the dprk and divide his power, he proposed to let the uneducated Hu people serve as the history of Jiedushi.
So, An Lushan climbed up the pole.
Some people also said that he, with a honey-mouthed sword, was jealous of His ability to strike at political enemies and suppress the crown prince; and at the emperor's side, he picked up good things and let Tang Xuanzong immerse himself in the fog of the prosperous world, unable to extricate himself.
However, some people have said that although Li Linfu is not good at private morality, he is capable. For example, he managed the empire's finances, and the people did a good job; for example, he vigorously promoted reforms, greatly simplified administrative procedures, and the empire was able to operate more efficiently.
Li Linfu
In fact, everyone's understanding of Li Linfu is generally based on what Li Linfu did after he became prime minister, which is also more familiar to everyone. So, can we understand Li Linfu from another perspective? What was he like before he became prime minister? And how did it grow?
Today, we will change our thinking and talk about the story of Li Linfu from growth to development and then to the upper position. From here, we may be able to see how the future Li Linfu was formed.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="111" >1</h1>
Li Linfu was Li Tang's clan, and his ancestor's name was Li Yi, and Li Yuan, the ancestor of Tang Gaozu, also called him "Sixth Uncle".
As the years passed, Gaozu, Taizong, and Gaozong, one emperor after another, or powerful or weak, passed by suddenly, and this family was like a backwater, except for a famous painter Li Sixun, there was no special character. Because of this, although this family was lonely and suffered blows, it eventually escaped the ultimate killing of The Martial Queen.
"Li Linfu was orphaned, raised by Genji's aunt and lived in Yichuan." This is the record in the Taiping Guangji, from which we know that when Li Linfu was young, his parents died and he was fostered in Yichuan's aunt's house. By the way, his uncle was called Yuan Guangxuan, and Guangsheng's grandfather was the future prime minister of the Xuanzong Dynasty, Yuan Qianyao.
During the great reform years of the Wuzhou Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty, the upper education was almost completely abolished, and Li Linfu lost the opportunity to study. In Yichuan, he rode a donkey with his friends under the city every day and played a bow, "a little without rest". And in these days of debauchery, he should be able to vaguely feel the political turmoil of the Wuzhou Revolution. After all, his painter uncle, Li Sixun, was at this time, hanging up his crown and returning to hiding for self-preservation.
This experience will definitely have some impact on his young heart.
Even in the most humble days, Li Linfu still seemed to have a beam of light on his body. One day, he was playing a ball game with his friends, and there was an old man who sighed while watching. Someone asked, what do you sigh?
The old man pointed at Li Linfu and said, "Rich and noble without knowing it, it's a pity." This person was later regarded as a Zhongshu Ling, but now he is playing with children, shouldn't he sigh? ”
This matter is published in the "Taiping Guangji", I don't know where this old man saw Li Linfu's difference, but as the saying goes, "seven years old to see the old", the young Li Linfu, should show some special temperament, such as intelligence, such as leadership.
Play polo
Just like that, time flies.
By the time he was about twenty years old, Wu Zhou's "return to power and Li Tang" had become the trend of the times.
At this time, another thing happened that changed Li Linfu's future fate. One day, a Taoist priest saw him playing a batting game with his partner and said to him, "What's so fun about hitting?" ”
Li Linfu seemed to have heard the sound of the strings, so he made an appointment with the Taoist priest, and met in the middle of the night, and the two talked happily.
The Daoist priest said, "You have actually been included in the Immortal Book, but now you have two choices, the first is to become an immortal and ascend to heaven, and the second is to become a prime minister and can hold great power for twenty years." How to choose, you choose. ”
Li Linfu pondered for a moment, then said, "I am a sect chamber, a heroic hero since I was a child, and I can hold great power for twenty years, so why should I ascend to immortality?" ”
When the Taoist priest heard this, he shook his head and left.
The so-called Shengxian Yunyun is not credible, but from this story, we can see that Li Linfu's desire for power in his youth. This is the spiritual starting point for Li Linfu's growth in the future.
And this longing soon turned into action, and the words of the Taoist priest woke up the dreamer like a word. Subsequently, Li Linfu went to Beijing to find his cousin and expressed his willingness to change his study; and then, relying on Enyin, Li Linfu became the prince Li Xian's thousand cattle preparation, probably the prince's bodyguard.
Such a starting point is not low.
In 705 AD, the famous "Shenlong Coup" occurred, and Wu Zetian was forced to pass on the position of prince, who hesitated and was persuaded to be put on horseback. As the prince's thousand cattle preparation, 22-year-old Li Linfu should have witnessed the whole process, and can even be said to participate in it.
Having personally felt the political tide of "returning the government to Li Tang", personally participating in the real coup d'état, and witnessing the authority of the prime ministers, Li Linfu probably knew what he would think.
Perhaps, desire also grows gradually in these days.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="215" >2 Try it out for the first time</h1>
In the blink of an eye, it came to the Kaiyuan year.
In these years, Li Linfu changed from the prince's Thousand Bulls to the Palace, and after three years of the new century, he returned to the Eastern Palace and became the crown prince of Li Ying, the first crown prince of Xuanzong, and these were all positions in the palace.
Around the ninth year of the new century, a famous public case occurred on his body. Remember whose house Li Linfu lived in when he was young? Yes, it was his aunt's house. At this time, the prime minister of the dynasty was none other than his uncle Yuan Guangcheng's grandfather, Yuan Qianyao.
Therefore, Li Linfu's relatives in the Yuan family expressed a meaning to Yuan Qianyao, that is, they wanted to leave the Eastern Palace and seek a position in the Simen Lang.
For such a descendant as Li Linfu, Yuan Qianyao should be very familiar with it, after all, he lived in his own home. Therefore, Yuan Qianyao shouted at Li Linfu's nickname and said, "The position of Lang Guan must be held by a talented person to be able to hold it, Brother Nu, I'm afraid it is almost interesting." ”
Many people interpret this story as Yuan Qianyao's disdain for Li Linfu, or that Li Linfu has no talent, but in fact, it is not. In Yuan Qianyao's eyes, Li Linfu was his junior, and his words were more like the elders' casual remarks to the juniors, otherwise why did he call Li Linfu's nickname "Brother Nu"?
However, although Li Linfu was not promoted to Simen Langzhong, he was promoted to "Prince Of Virtue", and the Prince of The Imperial Household was moral. Although this is still the position of the Eastern Palace, simen langzhong is five pins, and prince Yu De is four pins. It seems that Yuan Qianyao still has some force.
Of course, the one who contributed might also be his uncle, Jiang Jiao. This person was a hero in Xuanzong's campaign to destroy Princess Taiping, and Xuanzong Li Longji never behaved with the emperor in front of him, and always got along as a friend, usually calling him "Jiang Qi".
With such an uncle, why worry about the road is not good?
Then why was he so anxious to leave the Eastern Palace and seek a foreign post?
In fact, during this time, Concubine Wu Huifei had been favored, and the crown prince's mother, Zhao Lifei, gradually fell out of favor, so the status of the prince was somewhat embarrassing. From the time he was crowned prince in the third year of kaiyuan to the eighth year of kaiyuan before and after the canadian yuan service, it is recorded that the prince only had two ceremonial activities, and did not do anything in state affairs.
As a subordinate of the Eastern Palace, Li Linfu should be able to feel the subtlety of the prince's status.
So is this Li Linfu's "break away"?
Li Linfu's "Breaking Away"
If there is only one such thing, it may not explain anything, but the problem is that four years later, Li Linfu once again showed his political sensitivity. At that time, Li Linfu had been promoted from "Prince Zhide" to "Guozi Siye" (Guozi Vice Principal), and Yuwen Rong's recommendation became the Imperial Historian Zhongcheng in charge of the hundred officials. In return, he stood in Yuwen Rong's ranks and participated in their fight with the chancellor Zhang Shu.
As imperial historians, their way of confronting the prime minister was to report, and they reported that Zhang said that he was looking for a warlock to watch the stars at night. Don't underestimate this matter, look at the stars and engage in proverbs, which was a symbol of rebellion in ancient times, so after Xuanzong received the report, he immediately sent Zhang to prison.
Originally, he won a great victory, but Li Linfu seemed unusually sober. He found Yu Wenrong and reminded him: "Zhang said that he is not an ordinary person, and he must take this opportunity to completely fight him down, and must not be indecisive and slack." ”
Yu Wenrong didn't think so: "Zhang said that the good villain is a prime minister, and he can't force him too much." ”
Seeing that he could not convince Yu Wenrong, Li Linfu immediately "stopped the loss" and once again performed the "break away". Soon he deliberately fell off his horse while riding a horse, and then used the excuse of illness to withdraw from the fight and remain neutral.
The direction of the matter, just as Li Linfu predicted, Zhang said that relying on his strong connections, he successfully moved Xuanzong and escaped ascension to heaven. Later, Emperor Xuanzong, tired of the fighting between his ministers, expelled Zhang Shuo and Yuwen Rong, along with another participant in the battle, from the imperial court.
Only Li Linfu was unharmed.
When victory was imminent, he still kept a clear head and could see the potential hidden dangers; when the results were predicted, he resolutely withdrew--Li Linfu did have enough sensitivity to the struggle, and he was extraordinaryly decisive.
In addition to that, he is also quite skillful. Later, Li Linfu was transferred from Yushi Zhongcheng to the Punishment Department Attendant; and then from the Punishment Department to the Official Department. When he was serving as an official attendant, one day, Tang Xuanzong's eldest brother, King Ning, found Li Linfu and said that there were ten people who needed Li Linfu's support.
It coincided with the selection of officials at that time, so Li Linfu was quite hesitant. He groaned a little, and then said to King Ning, "Do you see this way, ten people, remove one person, the remaining nine, I will pull one." ”
King Ning felt that he could and returned happily. However, when the list was released, he was dumbfounded.
Originally, there was a sentence written on the list: "So-and-so, originally qualified for the inspection, but because King Ning has repeatedly recommended, he must be deposed, and come back next year."
Li Linfu's method was really clever: the nine people recommended by King Ning were indeed promoted; but on the outside, they seemed to be very fair and not swayed by King Ning.
Of course, don't think that Li Linfu has so much room for adjustment. In fact, Li Linfu attaches great importance to rules.
For example, when he was serving as a guozi supervisor, he had a lot of achievements in the system. Guozijian is a place where students are piled up, and it is certain that the heart is impetuous and the discipline is loose. After Li Linfu became the vice principal, he formulated a set of regulations, such as teachers can not stop teaching, students can not drink and make trouble, five years of examinations will be withdrawn, etc., for a while, the Guozijian has become orderly.
Li Linfu was very proud, and after many years of talking with the students, he still "talked about current affairs." "I always like to talk about my years in Guozijian.
During his time in the Ministry of Punishment, the history books said that he "corrected the sins of hundreds of officials with the criminal code", and he also designed a system of obedience to everyone on the issue of how to "fix the dirty".
When he served as an official attendant, whenever he elected an official, he would steadily implement the system of "following qualifications", that is, to select officials in accordance with rules and regulations, and not be swayed by others. The history books say of him, "Every year you choose someone, fill in the commission Lin Fu ... When the discussion is considered competent. Changed to Yellow Door Waiter. ”
Such a Li Linfu was difficult not to be discovered by the emperor, and because of his outstanding performance in the bureaucracy, Li Linfu was appointed as a waiter at the Yellow Gate and transferred to Menxia Province to do things.
Let's sum up Li Linfu during this time. As he grew older, Li Linfu's willingness to progress was very strong, and while he was trying to do his job well, he did not forget to take some shortcuts, such as entrusting people to apply for jobs from the prime minister, and for example, he began to participate in the struggle and began to make a mistake in the official field.
Desire, also under the background of various credits, is getting bigger and bigger. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="216" >3 Li Linfu's ascension and Zhang Jiuling's loss of power</h1>
A year after being appointed as a waiter at the Yellow Gate, Li Linfu was promoted to the post of Rebbe Shangshu and Pingzhangshi under the Zhongshu Gate, which was considered to be a tribute.
At that time, the reason why Li Linfu could pay homage to him was also related to one thing, that is, in the twenty-first and twenty-second years of the new century, due to rain and wind disasters in the Guanzhong region, the grain harvest failed and the state finances were tight. The court's approach was to streamline the administration of the army and reduce financial expenditure.
Who's going to do it? Li Linfu has done a good job in the past two years, so he should do such an offending thing.
Li Linfu did a good job, and he used his knowledge of the Hundred Divisions and his own courage and execution to greatly reduce the imperial bureaucracy and greatly reduce expenditures, and he also began institutional reform on this basis, and redundant officials in various departments were reduced.
Li Linfu was indeed a veritable system expert, and together with a large number of legal experts, he compiled the Kaiyuan Xinge and the Six Classics of Tang, which for the next century guided the Tang officials on how to administer.
Moreover, it is said that after Li Linfu's new law was introduced, there were only 58 death row inmates approved by the Ministry of Punishment a year, and the Dali Temple, which was very angry, instantly became quiet and peaceful.
Later, the reform entered the financial field, and Li Linfu compiled the "Long Line's Will". Why?
Previously, every year, all localities would report financial revenues and expenditures and budgets, and it would cost more than half a million pieces of paper to add up to a piece, which was a big administrative expense. What to do? Li Linfu found that many of the money reported by the local government, such as taxes, are the same every year. If so, why report it every year?
So he compiled these fixed amounts into the article, called the "Long Line Of Purpose". In this way, the local government only needs to report those items that have changed, so that administrative time and administrative expenses are greatly saved, "only one or two papers per state." ”
Zhang Jiuling's melancholy
Li Linfu was doing a good job, so what was Chief Prime Minister Zhang Jiuling doing? He's a bit of a bad year. In order to increase financial revenue, he has been mainly grasping the work of Tuntian, although the place of Tuntian has been selected in some uncultivated river ancient roads, but in the real implementation, it is inevitable to occupy the fields of the common people; moreover, who will plant tuntian, or peasants, so he has caused the following complaints, and Xuanzong is very unhappy.
In addition, at that time, the Empire was fighting in the north, and Zhang Jiuling was also in charge, but the war situation over there could not be opened. Both economically and militarily, the setbacks not only made Xuanzong dissatisfied, but also made Zhang Jiuling feel very uncomfortable.
One year in the middle of summer, Emperor Xuanzong gave each of the prime ministers a fan, and after Zhang Jiuling got the fan, he was extremely sensitive, and he felt that the emperor was not hinting at him. After the summer, is the fan about to be put away? I'm not leaving the center?
To this end, he also wrote a "White Lupine Fan Endowment", saying that "the transfer of autumn qi will eventually be grateful in the basket", even if autumn comes, as a white lupine fan, even if it is put into the box, it will be grateful for the use of the owner.
From these words, we can also see Zhang Jiuling's panic, loss, and nervousness.
The operation of Li Linfu
At this time, Li Linfu began to operate. At that time, the crown prince Li Ying had been estranged, and Li Linfu took the opportunity to confess to Concubine Wu Hui: "I would like to protect King Shou." The meaning of this, of course, is that King Lishou is the crown prince.
In the 24th year of the new century, Wu Huifei's son-in-law, Yang Huan( 洄), accused three people, "Prince Ying, Ewang Yao, and Guangwang Ju", and complained to Xuanzong because his mother had fallen out of favor.
Emperor Xuanzong was very angry and wanted to depose the crown prince, but Zhang Jiuling made it clear that he did not agree.
How did Li Linfu express his position? He said privately: "This is the emperor's family affair, why should we discuss it with outsiders?" "The prince is a problem of the country, but he has secretly changed the concept into a family affair, which is really a bit "adulterous" when he says it.
In return, Concubine Wu would pass on the information in the palace to Li Linfu. As a result, Li Linfu could understand Xuanzong's thoughts every time. When Zhang Jiuling objected to Tang Xuanzong's return from Luoyang to Chang'an, Li Linfu would say, "If you want to return, why ask others for their opinions." When Emperor Xuanzong wanted to summon the bian general Niu Xianke to the imperial court as chancellor, Zhang Jiuling objected, and Li Linfu deliberately walked slower after the meeting, staying behind and saying to Xuanzong: "Choosing people depends on ability, why do you need words like Zhang Jiuling said." ”
What is even more infuriating is that every time, when the conference is held, Li Linfu will not openly argue with Zhang Jiuling, and only after Zhang Jiuling is gone will he privately express his support for Xuanzong.
This practice itself is difficult to be elegant.
However, Emperor Xuanzong was very happy and felt that Li Linfu, regardless of his outstanding ability, was still so popular.
The emperor, who had lost patience with Zhang Jiuling, finally found an excuse and drove Zhang Jiuling out of the imperial court.
Li Linfu successfully filled the throne and became Zhongshu Ling, that is, the first prime minister. This year, he was 53 years old.
It should be said that the real reason for Zhang Jiuling's loss of power is that he can no longer control the existing situation in the empire, and his departure is only a matter of time.
The most crucial reason for Li Linfu's ascension to the throne is also the prominence of his own ability.
However, we cannot ignore Li Linfu's old and spicy political skills, and it can be seen from his various actions above that Li Linfu is a bit unscrupulous in order to ascend to the throne.
Sometimes, once you start, it's hard to end.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="217" >4 The desire trap of smart people</h1>
The story of Li Linfu's ascension to the throne is over.
What kind of Li Linfu can we see?
Born in a declining royal family, fostered in an aunt's house, and playing with his friends all day, it seems that a teenager's quest for power has not been erased. As soon as someone reminded him to go up, he immediately woke up, sought an official position, and bravely went to break through.
He also has the decisiveness of a successful person, and when he finds that the wind direction is not right, he immediately gets out of the car. He also has the means that a politician should have, to participate in the struggle, to distinguish between the stakes, to satisfy others and to make himself safe.
Of course, more importantly, he has the ability, he finds the problems in the system, he dares to reform.
If Li Linfu could continue to exert his political talents after successfully ascending to the prime minister and let go of those political wrists, his life should not be like that later.
Smart people trap
However, Li Linfu could no longer put it down. Because, out of the mix, sooner or later, it will be repaid, and the pits dug in that year must also be filled.
He owed Wu Huifei, so the crown prince Li Ying had to step down; he also owed Tang Xuanzong, so he wanted to help him suppress the later crown prince Li Heng, and he wanted to be doubly obedient to Xuanzong and make Xuanzong happy;
He still owes the creeping self of the year, so he wants to drive down all those who threaten his position. Because he knew that once he was pulled off his horse, he would be greeted with a more tragic end than others.
This is a trap that a smart man has dug for himself.
In order to fill this trap, what did Li Linfu become like later? One day, Li Linfu privately found Li Shizhi and told him: "There are gold mines in Mount Hua, and once mined, the country can be enriched." The most important thing is that the emperor does not know it yet. ”
Li Shiyi listened, this is a good thing, and quickly found Xuanzong to ask for merit. Emperor Xuanzong was very happy to hear this, and after Li Shizhi left, he called Li Linfu over and asked him if he knew about it.
Li Linfu said: "Of course I know, but Mount Hua is the place of Your Majesty's original destiny and the land of the Great Tang Dynasty, so it cannot be mined." The reason why I didn't tell you about this before is because of this. ”
In this way, Xuanzong had a feud with Li Shizhi.
Later, Li Linfu became even more crazy, and he found two thugs, Ji Wen and Roshiyi. Because of their fierce hearts, these two people are called "Luo Tong Ji Net". In the sixth year of Tianbao, Luo Xiyi was ordered to go south, and wherever the news spread, the degraded officials committed suicide, such as the former prime minister Li Shizhi, who heard that he was coming, and directly took poison to death. Wang Ju, who had been degraded to Jiang Hua, heard that Luo Xiyi was about to arrive, and first took poison to commit suicide, but the dose was insufficient, and then he hanged himself and died. No wonder Sima Guang said of him, "The counties and counties who have killed the movers are terrified."
Of course, the cost is also very high.
Li Linfu had to live in fear all day long, and he was very afraid that there would be enemies to settle accounts, so when he went out, he was hugged forward and backward, surrounded by hundreds of guards.
When he was at home, he was not at ease, and it was said that he had to change places several times a night, and sometimes even his family did not know where he was.
Once, when his son saw that his father was worried, he pointed to a farmer and sighed: "Father, it is time to stop, otherwise, it will be difficult to live the life of a villager in the future." ”
Li Linfu only sighed: "Once you ride on the back of the tiger, you can't get down." In other words, once you fall into the pit, it is difficult to get up; once it starts, it is difficult to end.
There was no way, he could only wait for the person who was worse than himself to appear, and that person was called Yang Guozhong.
To sum up, from Li Linfu's story, what do we read?
Smart people, because of their strong ability, have great desires, and in order to fill their desires, some smart people choose to overdraft the future.
This is the desire trap of smart people.