Li Lin (chancellor) - Before Serving As Chancellor

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'an, 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 examinations 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).