Li Lin (chancellor)
Encyclopedia
Li Lin (694–759), formally Duke De of Bao (褒德公), was an official of the Chinese
dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Suzong
— although he was commissioned by Emperor Suzong's father Emperor Xuanzong
, not Emperor Suzong.
. He was a member of the imperial Li clan of Tang Dynasty
— although he was distant in lineage from the imperial lineage itself. His great-great-great-grandfather Li Qidou (李乞豆) was a younger brother of Li Hu (李虎), the grandfather of Tang's founding emperor Emperor Gaozu
, who was the grandfather of Wu Zetian's husband Emperor Gaozong
. Li Lin's father Li Jun (李濬) served successively as the prefect of three different prefecture and was known for his honesty. Li Jun died during the Kaiyuan era (713–741) of Emperor Gaozong's and Wu Zetian's grandson Emperor Xuanzong
while serving as the military governor (jiedushi
) of Jiannan Circuit (劍南, headquartered in modern Chengdu
, Sichuan
).
, Shaanxi
), which included the capital Chang'an
. In 734, Emperor Xuanzong made an attempt to find imperial clan members with special talents, and Li Lin, one of the imperial clan members selected, was made Dianzhong Shiyushi (殿中侍御史) — a low-level imperial censor — and he subsequently served as a junior officer at the ministries of census (戶部, Hu Bu) and civil service affairs (吏部, Li Bu). In 742, he became Jianyi Daifu (諫議大夫), one of the officials in charge of submitting proposals of corrections to the emperor. In 746, he served a tour of duty to survey the circuits to the west — Hexi (河西, headquartered in modern Wuwei, Gansu), Longyou (隴右, headquartered in modern Haidong Prefecture
, Qinghai
), and Anxi (安西, headquartered in modern Aksu Prefecture
, Xinjiang
) – to evaluate the performance of the officials. His tour was considered a success, and he was made an imperial attendant (給事中, Geishizhong). In 748, he became Bingbu Shilang (兵部侍郎) – an assistant minister of defense — serving with Yang Guozhong
. At that time, though, Yang was already very powerful due to his personal association with Emperor Xuanzong, as cousin to Emperor Xuanzong's favorite concubine Consort Yang Yuhuan, and Yang Guozhong did not wish to share authority with Li Lin, and therefore had the chancellors, while allowing Li Lin to keep the title of assistant minister of defense, be made in charge of the imperial examination
s instead. Soon, however, Yang Guozhong was moved to another position, and Li Lin resumed his office as assistant minister of defense. In 752, he was given the honorific title of Yinqing Guanglu Daifu (銀青光祿大夫) and made the principal of the imperial university (國子祭酒, Guozi Jijiu). In 755, while he retained those titles, he was made the governor of Hedong Commandery (河東, roughly modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) and the surveyor of Hedong Circuit (河東 as well, but referred to the entire circuit, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
). He was said to have governed simply and honestly, and was praised by both the people and subordinates.
In winter 755, however, the general An Lushan
rebelled at Fanyang Circuit (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing
). As Li Lin was a civilian official not learned in military matters, the imperial government was concerned that he would not know how to defend the commandery. Li Lin was therefore recalled to Chang'an and replaced with the general Lü Chongbi (呂崇賁). Li Lin was also created the Baron of Weiyuan. In summer 756, when Emperor Xuanzong was forced to flee Chang'an in light of An's troops approaching Chang'an, Li Lin escaped Chang'an as well and caught up with Emperor Xuanzong's train, attending Emperor Xuanzong on his way to Chengdu
. Emperor Xuanzong's son and crown prince
Li Heng
, however, did not follow Emperor Xuanzong to Chengdu, but instead went to Lingwu, where he was declared emperor (as Emperor Suzong), a declaration that Emperor Xuanzong recognized after the news reached him. Emperor Xuanzong, now using the title Taishang Huang
(retired emperor), however, did not stop exercising imperial authority, and when he arrived at Chengdu, he initially made Li Lin deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang) and Shangshu Zuo Cheng (尚書左丞), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). He soon made Li Lin the minister of justice (憲部尚書, Xianbu Shangshu).
, Fang Guan
, Cui Huan
, and Cui Yuan
— to Emperor Suzong's court, but kept Li Lin with him on account of the fact that Li Lin was an imperial clan member. Li Lin oversaw all of the affairs of Emperor Xuanzong's court in Chengdu. In winter 757, after Emperor Suzong recaptured Chang'an and welcomed Emperor Xuanzong back to Chang'an, for Li Lin's accomplishments, he was given the honorific title Jinzi Guanglu Daifu (金紫光祿大夫). He continued to be the minister of justice, now under the title Xingbu Shangshu (刑部尚書). His chancellor de facto designation was promoted to Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin (同中書門下三品), a more honorific designation, and he was created the Duke of Bao.
At that time, the most powerful figures at Emperor Suzong's court were his wife Empress Zhang
and the eunuch Li Fuguo
. Li Lin's chancellor colleagues Miao Jinqing
and Cui Yuan both carefully followed Empress Zhang's and Li Fuguo's wishes, but Li Lin refused to do so. This displeased Li Fuguo and, in 758, at his instigation, Li Lin was removed from his chancellor office and made Taizi Shaofu (太子少傅), an advisor to the crown prince Li Chu
. He died in fall 759 and was buried with honors.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Suzong
Emperor Suzong of Tang
Emperor Suzong of Tang , personal name Li Heng , né Li Sisheng , known as Li Jun from 725 to 736, known as Li Yu from 736 to 738, known briefly as Li Shao in 738, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the son of Emperor Xuanzong...
— although he was commissioned by Emperor Suzong's father Emperor Xuanzong
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
, not Emperor Suzong.
Background
Li Lin was born in 694, during the reign of Wu ZetianWu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
. He was a member of the imperial Li clan of Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
— although he was distant in lineage from the imperial lineage itself. His great-great-great-grandfather Li Qidou (李乞豆) was a younger brother of Li Hu (李虎), the grandfather of Tang's founding emperor Emperor Gaozu
Emperor Gaozu of Tang
Emperor Gāozǔ of Táng , born Lǐ Yuān , courtesy name Shūdé , was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.In 615, Li Yuan was assigned...
, who was the grandfather of Wu Zetian's husband Emperor Gaozong
Emperor Gaozong of Tang
Emperor Gaozong of Tang , personal name Li Zhi , was the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China, ruling from 649 to 683...
. Li Lin's father Li Jun (李濬) served successively as the prefect of three different prefecture and was known for his honesty. Li Jun died during the Kaiyuan era (713–741) of Emperor Gaozong's and Wu Zetian's grandson Emperor Xuanzong
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
while serving as the military governor (jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Jiannan Circuit (劍南, headquartered in modern Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
).
Before serving as chancellor
Li Lin himself was well-studied and capable in literary matters. On the account of his father's official service, he was able to enter civil service and eventually served as a census officer for the capital municipality, Jingzhao (京兆, roughly modern Xi'anXi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), which included the capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
. In 734, Emperor Xuanzong made an attempt to find imperial clan members with special talents, and Li Lin, one of the imperial clan members selected, was made Dianzhong Shiyushi (殿中侍御史) — a low-level imperial censor — and he subsequently served as a junior officer at the ministries of census (戶部, Hu Bu) and civil service affairs (吏部, Li Bu). In 742, he became Jianyi Daifu (諫議大夫), one of the officials in charge of submitting proposals of corrections to the emperor. In 746, he served a tour of duty to survey the circuits to the west — Hexi (河西, headquartered in modern Wuwei, Gansu), Longyou (隴右, headquartered in modern Haidong Prefecture
Haidong Prefecture
Haidong Prefecture is a prefecture of Qinghai province in Western China. Its name literally means "east of the Lake."-Geography:...
, Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
), and Anxi (安西, headquartered in modern Aksu Prefecture
Aksu Prefecture
Aksu Prefecture is located in mid-western Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 132,500 km² and 2.19 million inhabitants .The name Aksu is Turkic for 'white water'.-Geography:...
, Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
) – to evaluate the performance of the officials. His tour was considered a success, and he was made an imperial attendant (給事中, Geishizhong). In 748, he became Bingbu Shilang (兵部侍郎) – an assistant minister of defense — serving with Yang Guozhong
Yang Guozhong
Yang Guozhong , né Yang Zhao , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor late in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong...
. At that time, though, Yang was already very powerful due to his personal association with Emperor Xuanzong, as cousin to Emperor Xuanzong's favorite concubine Consort Yang Yuhuan, and Yang Guozhong did not wish to share authority with Li Lin, and therefore had the chancellors, while allowing Li Lin to keep the title of assistant minister of defense, be made in charge of the imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
s instead. Soon, however, Yang Guozhong was moved to another position, and Li Lin resumed his office as assistant minister of defense. In 752, he was given the honorific title of Yinqing Guanglu Daifu (銀青光祿大夫) and made the principal of the imperial university (國子祭酒, Guozi Jijiu). In 755, while he retained those titles, he was made the governor of Hedong Commandery (河東, roughly modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) and the surveyor of Hedong Circuit (河東 as well, but referred to the entire circuit, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
). He was said to have governed simply and honestly, and was praised by both the people and subordinates.
In winter 755, however, the general An Lushan
An Lushan
An Lushan was a general who rebelled against the Tang Dynasty in China.His name was also transcribed into Chinese as Āluòshān or Gáluòshān ,...
rebelled at Fanyang Circuit (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
). As Li Lin was a civilian official not learned in military matters, the imperial government was concerned that he would not know how to defend the commandery. Li Lin was therefore recalled to Chang'an and replaced with the general Lü Chongbi (呂崇賁). Li Lin was also created the Baron of Weiyuan. In summer 756, when Emperor Xuanzong was forced to flee Chang'an in light of An's troops approaching Chang'an, Li Lin escaped Chang'an as well and caught up with Emperor Xuanzong's train, attending Emperor Xuanzong on his way to Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
. Emperor Xuanzong's son and crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
Li Heng
Emperor Suzong of Tang
Emperor Suzong of Tang , personal name Li Heng , né Li Sisheng , known as Li Jun from 725 to 736, known as Li Yu from 736 to 738, known briefly as Li Shao in 738, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the son of Emperor Xuanzong...
, however, did not follow Emperor Xuanzong to Chengdu, but instead went to Lingwu, where he was declared emperor (as Emperor Suzong), a declaration that Emperor Xuanzong recognized after the news reached him. Emperor Xuanzong, now using the title Taishang Huang
Taishang Huang
Retired Emperor, Grand Emperor, or Emperor Emeritus is a title occasionally used throughout East Asian feudal regimes for former emperors who had abdicated voluntarily to their sons. This title appeared in the history of China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam...
(retired emperor), however, did not stop exercising imperial authority, and when he arrived at Chengdu, he initially made Li Lin deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang) and Shangshu Zuo Cheng (尚書左丞), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). He soon made Li Lin the minister of justice (憲部尚書, Xianbu Shangshu).
As chancellor and death
In spring 757, gave him the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. At that time, Emperor Xuanzong had already sent several other chancellors that he had commissioned during his journey to Chengdu and during the duration he was at Chengdu — Wei JiansuWei Jiansu
Wei JIansu , courtesy name Huiwei , formally Duke Zhongzhen of Bin , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xuanzong and Emperor Suzong.- Background :...
, Fang Guan
Fang Guan
Fang Guan , courtesy name Cilü , formally the Duke of Qinghe , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xuanzong and Emperor Suzong....
, Cui Huan
Cui Huan
Cui Huan was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor briefly during the reign of Emperor Suzong -- although he was commissioned by Emperor Suzong's father Emperor Xuanzong, not Emperor Suzong....
, and Cui Yuan
Cui Yuan (Tang Dynasty)
Cui Yuan , courtesy name Youyu , formally Duke Zhaoxiang of Zhao , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xuanzong and Emperor Suzong.- Background :...
— to Emperor Suzong's court, but kept Li Lin with him on account of the fact that Li Lin was an imperial clan member. Li Lin oversaw all of the affairs of Emperor Xuanzong's court in Chengdu. In winter 757, after Emperor Suzong recaptured Chang'an and welcomed Emperor Xuanzong back to Chang'an, for Li Lin's accomplishments, he was given the honorific title Jinzi Guanglu Daifu (金紫光祿大夫). He continued to be the minister of justice, now under the title Xingbu Shangshu (刑部尚書). His chancellor de facto designation was promoted to Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin (同中書門下三品), a more honorific designation, and he was created the Duke of Bao.
At that time, the most powerful figures at Emperor Suzong's court were his wife Empress Zhang
Empress Zhang (Suzong)
Empress Zhang was an empress of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. She was the second wife of Emperor Suzong and gained great power during his reign, in alliance with the eunuch Li Fuguo, but eventually she and Li Fuguo turned against each other late in Emperor Suzong's reign, as the emperor grew gravely...
and the eunuch Li Fuguo
Li Fuguo
Li Fuguo , né Li Jingzhong , known from 757 to 758 as Li Huguo , formally Prince Chou of Bolu , was a eunuch official during the reign of Emperor Suzong of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
. Li Lin's chancellor colleagues Miao Jinqing
Miao Jinqing
Miao Jinqing , courtesy name Yuanfu , formally Duke Wenzhen of Han , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong...
and Cui Yuan both carefully followed Empress Zhang's and Li Fuguo's wishes, but Li Lin refused to do so. This displeased Li Fuguo and, in 758, at his instigation, Li Lin was removed from his chancellor office and made Taizi Shaofu (太子少傅), an advisor to the crown prince Li Chu
Emperor Daizong of Tang
Emperor Daizong of Tang , personal name Li Yu , né Li Chu , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty....
. He died in fall 759 and was buried with honors.