Li Yifu
Chinese historian (614-666)
Li Yifu (Chinese: 李義府; 614–666) was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician who served as a chancellor of the Tang dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. He became particularly powerful because of his support for Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) when her ascension was opposed by then-chancellors, and he had a reputation for treachery. He was also fully involved in the elimination of Empress Wu's political rivals and played an important role in it. In 663, on account of corruption, he was removed from his post and exiled. In 666, after Emperor Gaozong had declared a general pardon, except for the long-term exiles, Li Yifu died in anger.
Background
Li Yifu was born in 614, during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, and his clan was originally from what would become Ying Prefecture (瀛州, part of modern Cangzhou, Hebei), but as his grandfather served as the secretary to the county magistrate of Shehong County (射洪, in modern Suining, Sichuan), his family stayed in the area thereafter. In 634, during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, the official that Emperor Taizong sent to examine the region, Li Daliang, believing that Li Yifu was literarily capable, recommended him, and after an imperial examination, he served as a protocol officer at the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng). Liu Ji and Ma Zhou, two officials who were his supervisors (and who later served as chancellors), both praised him for his capability. Soon, he was made an assistant imperial censor and also made a member of the staff of Emperor Taizong's son Li Zhi the Prince of Jin. In 643, after Emperor Taizong deposed Li Zhi's older brother Li Chengqian the Crown Prince and replaced him with Li Zhi, Li Yifu continued to serve on Li Zhi's staff, and among his staff members, he and Lai Ji were particularly known for their literary talent.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Li Yifu” is chinese historian (614-666). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Yifu, Chinese and historian, not as a finished interpretation.
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The phrase “chinese historian (614-666)” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q711640. VIAF identifies the subject as 114491997. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Later biographies can compress uncertainty and repeat inherited reputations, so apparently settled claims may still require comparison. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Three-step research path
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This entry incorporates text from “Li Yifu” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.