Wu Sansi once famously said: "I don't know who is a good person in the world and what is an evil person; But he that is good to me is good, and he that is evil to me is the ear of the wicked. This may sound like bandit logic, but in fact it is understandable, but it is just pragmatism, and it is very similar to the foreign policy of the United States: what is good for me is allies, and we must unite and win over; What is not good for me, that is, the enemy, to strike, at least sanctions or blockade. And what Li Linfu did in the future seems to be the full embodiment of this sentence.

Just like before Liu Bei met Zhuge Kongming, he fled everywhere, and he didn't even have a place to live, and after meeting Kong Ming, he began the process of dividing the world. Li Linfu is the same, before he had an affair with the Wu family, he did nothing in the officialdom, and he went up and down with the world, whether he was loyal or treacherous, he didn't make a big move, at best, he just followed Yu Wenrong and Cui Yinfu to bite Zhang and say it, but after the fornication with the Wu family, there was a fundamental change. Of course, such a comparison is nondescript, but apart from good and evil, the Wu family is indeed Li Linfu's Zhuge Kongming. In Li Linfu's later behavior, there is a shadow of the Wu clan in Zai. It can also be said that she taught her badly.

Sima Guang's "Zizhi Tongjian" said: "Li Linfu, the servant of the ministry, is cunning and cunning, deeply knotted with the eunuchs and concubines, and waits for the movements, and knows everything. In fact, it was in this year that Li Linfu began to deal with the eunuchs and concubines, and peeked at Xuanzong's movements left and right, and figured out the emperor's thoughts. This was not only taught to him by the Wu clan, but there should have been a considerable amount of work done by the Wu clan for him. Although Li Linfu is a servant of the ministry, it is also very difficult to make friends with eunuchs and concubines. He didn't have many opportunities to enter the palace, and he didn't have a network in the palace, but the Wu family did. The first celebrity Gao Lishi next to Xuanzong turned out to be from Wu Sansi's family, so it should be normal for her to enter the palace. As a woman, she will not arouse suspicion when she enters and leaves the concubine's house. If Li Linfu had done this himself, he would have already caused the ministers to attack. Naturally, it is impossible to know how much work the Wu clan has done for him, but at least it helped him pave the way in the palace and won the emperor's approval. This is already the first step to success.

At this time, the political situation in the imperial court was stable. Tang Xuanzong's family suddenly burst into smoke and began a very common "battle for succession" in the emperor's family.

Here's the thing: Concubine Wu Hui "favored the harem" many years ago, and her son Shouwang was also the most favored by Xuanzong. After Xuanzong's original wife, Queen Wang, was deposed as a concubine in the twelfth year of Kaiyuan, the position of queen was empty. The fourteenth year of Kaiyuan. A few days after Zhang said that he was the prime minister, Tang Xuanzong wanted to set up Concubine Wu Hui as the queen, and Yu Shi Pan gave a good gift to advise, and there were three main arguments: First, the surname Wu and the Li dynasty had a common hatred (Wu Zetian had destroyed Tang Ye). If the person surnamed Wu is the queen, what face will he see in the world? Second, there is a rumor in the world: "Zhang said that if he wants to take the credit of the future, he will try to get into the plan." Third, the crown prince was not born to Concubine Wu Hui, and Concubine Wu Hui gave birth to a son, if she is established as the queen, the prince's status will inevitably be shaken.

Tang Xuanzong could still listen to some advice at this time, not to mention that no one could refute these three points, so he dispelled Concubine Liwuhui's plan for the future. But in the palace, Concubine Wu Hui's etiquette is the same as that of the queen. Of course, the ministers of the foreign court can't control this. But this imperial history is not alarmist, and the establishment of Concubine Wu Hui does involve a sensitive political issue. Concubine Wu Hui's father is Wu Youzhi, who is Wu Youzhi? Wu Zetian's nephew is also knighted as the king of Heng'an. If she is made the queen and becomes the queen mother in the future, it is difficult to say that there will not be a second Wu Zetian. Tang Xuanzong also dispelled his thoughts based on this, as for Zhang Shuo and the status of the crown prince, although he had concerns, it would not be the main obstacle.

Queen Wang had no sons, and the crown prince Li Ying at that time was born to Concubine Zhao Li. New Tang Dynasty Book. The Biography of the Queen's Concubine called her: tolerant (very beautiful), good at singing and dancing (able to sing and dance). was the most favored in the early years of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, so Li Ying was made the crown prince as the second son. After Concubine Wu Hui was favored, Concubine Zhao Li also spoiled Aichi. In the fourteenth year of Kaiyuan, he died of depression. An iron law in the emperor's family is: the mother is more precious than the son, and the son is more precious than the mother. These two articles are not contradictory. For example, Cixi, although she did not become the queen, but her son became the emperor, she was also "more precious than the son", and she was the queen mother of the two palaces side by side with the queen. And "the son is more precious than the mother" is better understood. The emperor likes that concubine the most, naturally loves the house and Wu, and also loves the children born to this concubine the most. And the son born to this concubine is the most likely to become a prince, such as the crown prince Li Ying. Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty was because he favored the concubine Yin Lihua, and insisted on making her son the prince, and the prince born to the queen at that time and had already been established was also very well-behaved.

No one hurts a motherless child, since Xuanzong doted on Concubine Wu Hui, he transferred his father's love to King Shou. After the death of Concubine Zhao Li, Li Ying was even more neglected (Hou Aibo), at this time, he should also take the initiative to give up the position of the prince, and there will be no future killings. It's a pity that he doesn't have a good teacher by his side.

As the age of Shouwang Li Mao continues to grow, the battle for the heir has also entered a white-hot stage. Tang Xuanzong also began to formally consider the issue of whether to abolish the crown prince and appoint King Shou as the heir. He revealed his thoughts to Zhang Jiuling, but Zhang Jiuling died to protect the prince. and gave him a lot of blood-drenched examples: Jin Xiangong during the Warring States Period, Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Hui of the Western Jin Dynasty, and Emperor Wen of Sui, etc., all because of the abolition of the elder and the young, causing national turmoil, and even leading to the demise of the country. Tang Xuanzong is naturally clear about these examples, and he has read a lot of books. But this matter cannot be settled with reason, otherwise there would not be so many battles for succession in history. In the final analysis, it is the famous saying of Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, "In the end, the unworthy son will not stand above the beloved son". But as a minister, it is a matter of course to support the crown prince and consolidate the country. But Li Linfu, who was a servant of the ministry, resolutely threw himself to the other side. He expressed his loyalty to Concubine Wu Hui through the eunuchs: he was willing to protect King Shou. "Zizhi Tongjian" added two words "do your best" when recording this paragraph, that is: I am willing to do my best to protect King Shou.

This is actually to confess his political position and determination to Concubine Wu Hui: he is resolutely on her side, and he will do his best to help King Shou seize the status of the crown prince. Protecting Yunyun is just a euphemism. Concubine Wu Hui knew that most of the ministers of the foreign court still supported the crown prince, so she was naturally very happy to get this news, and she was also very grateful to Li Linfu, and since then she has said good things for Li Linfu in front of the emperor.

In February of the twenty-first year of Kaiyuan (733 AD), Li Linfu's immediate boss and prime minister Pei Guangting died of illness, and there was a vacancy in the position of prime minister. At this time, Li Linfu's mistress Wu was no longer satisfied with behind-the-scenes planning, but appeared in person. She found Gao Lishi and "prayed to Lux and asked Lin Fu to take the position of her husband." Now Colliers has a headache. The prime minister didn't take over like this. Although he is powerful and powerful, he does not dare to directly appoint the prime minister. But he couldn't resist the Wu family's crying and stalking, after all, the old master was deeply in love. I had to agree to find a way for Li Linfu, but I couldn't find a chance for a while.

Tang Xuanzong asked the prime minister and Zhongshu to order Xiao Song to choose a candidate for the vacant prime minister, and Xiao Song thought about it for a long time before recommending Han Xiu, the right man of Shangshu. Xuanzong also agreed, and asked people to draft the edict. Gao Lishi immediately leaked the news to the Wu family, and the Wu family immediately sued Li Linfu. Li Linfu did not stop for a moment. On the one hand, Shangshu court strongly recommended Han Xiu to be the prime minister, and on the other hand, he immediately went to Han Xiu's house to tell him the news, and announced that this was the credit of his recommendation in front of the emperor, and Xiao Song recommended another person (Xiao Song did recommend one first, and the recommended person refused to be the prime minister, so he reluctantly recommended Han Xiu). After Han Xiu was appointed the next day, he was grateful to Li Linfu, but he naturally hated Xiao Song. He understands the unspoken rule of officialdom to repay Li for his favor, and has written many times to praise Li Linfu for his talent as a prime minister. Concubine Wu Hui tried her best to help in the palace. Tang Xuanzong also became more and more fond of his estranged family, so he promoted him to the Yellow Gate Squire in the second year. Huangmen is the Menxia Province of the three provinces of the Tang Dynasty (Shangshu, Zhongshu, and Menxia), and the governor of the three provinces is the prime minister, and as the deputy governor of the Menxia Province, he is only one step away from the prime minister.

On the 28th day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar in the third year (the twenty-third year of Kaiyuan), because of Li Linfu's provocation, Xiao Song and Han Xiu fought endlessly in the phase, and Tang Xuanzong had to dismiss the two together, and appointed Pei Yaoqing, the waiter of the Yellow Gate, as the servant, Zhang Jiuling, the servant of the Zhongshu, and Zhang Jiuling as the Zhongshu Order, Li Linfu as the Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, the three products under the same Zhongshu Men, and the doctor of Qingguanglu with the silver, and the three of them worshiped together. Although Li Linfu is the lowest among the three prime ministers. But after all, it was the peak of the power of the imperial court. It was only a female Zhuge who contributed to this qiē: the Wu clan.

Get rid of stumbling blocks

Although Li Linfu successfully ascended to the phase, he was at the end, and of course he would not be satisfied.

The Tang Dynasty implemented a system of multiple prime ministers, according to the New Tang Dynasty Book. It is recorded in the Chronicles of Officials that the governor of Shangshu Province, the governor of Zhongshu Province, Zhongshu Ling, and the governor of Menxia Province "discuss national politics together". This is the position of the prime minister, but there has never been the name of the prime minister. New Tang Dynasty Book. "Career Official Chronicle" said: "The prime minister of the Tang Dynasty is especially incorrect. Because Tang Taizong himself served as Shangshu Ling, later ministers avoided the position of Shangshu Ling, and Shangshu became the governor of Shangshu Province. And the scholar and servant, the book order, and the servant are of noble taste, and they cannot be taught lightly. Therefore, the position of prime minister is often exercised in other official positions, and the names are also different, and titles such as "senatorial gains and losses" and "participation in political affairs" are generally added to the original official position. Since Tang Gaozong, the prime minister must add the title of "three products under the door of the same book", and the so-called "three products under the door of the same book" is the rank of the middle book order and the servant. Later, there were those who added the title of "Tongzhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi", so if a person's official title is added with "Tongzhongshu Menxia Sanpin" or "Tongzhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi", he is the real prime minister.

Although there is no fixed number of prime ministers, they are generally three or four. Tang Xuanzong seems to be three people in the first century, but one person is never allowed to be alone, so as to prevent the minister's dictatorship. The office of the prime ministers is in the political hall under the door of the Chinese book, and the prime ministers must work collectively here, and they cannot go to the emperor secretly alone, and the emperor cannot summon a prime minister alone. Among the prime ministers, the person with the highest prestige and seniority is the head, that is, the prime minister, who is in charge of the seal. Among the three Li Linfu, the prime minister is Zhang Jiuling.

Zhang Jiuling is not only the most famous literary scholar in the Tang Dynasty, but also has high political qualifications. When he was a teenager, he ascended to the rank of Shidi, entered the officialdom, and attracted much attention for his outstanding talents. At that time, Zhang Shuo was a Zhongshu Ling, and he admired Zhang Jiuling very much, calling him "the first person who later became the first person", and strongly recommended him to serve as a Zhongshu Sheren and be responsible for the writing of the imperial edict. Tang Xuanzong's literary accomplishment and calligraphy attainments are also extremely high, so he not only appreciates Zhang Jiuling but also values it.

Zhang Jiuling was not only disgusted by Li Linfu's ability to enter his prime minister's team, but also resolutely opposed it, and also clearly expressed his opposition to Xuanzong, but Xuanzong was optimistic about this kid, and Zhang Jiuling's good wish to purify the prime minister's team had to be disappointed.

Li Linfu didn't know about this, but whether he knew it or not, Zhang Jiuling and Pei Yaoqing had become the two stumbling blocks in front of him. Zhang Jiuling is highly valued by the emperor, Pei is pro-Zhang, Li Linfu wants to bring down these two people, it is not easy, the number is two to one. But Li Linfu also has his unique trump card, that is, he has an internal network in the palace (with the help of the Wu family and Gao Lishi), and knows what the emperor likes and dislikes at any time, and he has also made up his mind: whatever the emperor likes, let's say and do; If the emperor doesn't like it, let's not say it, and if someone says it, he will criticize it. Being favored by the emperor is always a step higher than being favored by the emperor. In fact, he is victorious at this point. In just a few rounds, a generation of famous ministers Zhang Jiuling and Pei Yaoqing were defeated.

The Biqu Pavilion of the dispute is still www.biquge.info battle for succession. The crown prince Li Ying, the king of Hubei Li Yao, and the king of light Li Ju all complained because Xuanzong did not favor their mother, so they were also increasingly estranged from them, and these words were reported to Concubine Wu Hui by Yang Huan, the commander of the horses, and Concubine Wu Hui cried in the ears of Tang Xuanzong day and night, saying that in the future, when the prince ascended the throne, he would not let go of his mother and son. Xuanzong had the intention to abolish the prince and set up another one, and when he heard this, he was even more angry, so he decided to abolish the prince, and together with the king of E and the king of light, he was abolished as a concubine and set up another king of Shou. But the crown prince is the prince, and the abolition of the crown prince is the top priority of the country, and Xuanzong himself can't decide immediately, so he discussed it with the prime ministers. (To be continued.) )