Is “Li Yifu knocked on the palace gate to request the establishment of Empress Wu and the hidden knife in a smile” true?
The Old Book of Tang, Biographies of Empresses and Consorts, Part 1, records that when Emperor Gaozong wanted to establish Empress Wu, the ministers strongly protested, and 'soon he adopted Li Yifu's strategy' to depose Empress Wang and establish Empress Wu. In the Romance of Sui and Tang, Chapter 71, it is written that 'Li Yifu, the Secretariat Drafter, knocked on the palace gate and submitted a memorial requesting the establishment of Consort Wu Zhaoyi.' He gained the favor of Empress Wu, was appointed prime minister, and wielded power arbitrarily. His insidious and harmful behavior was called 'a knife hidden in a smile,' which is consistent with the official history.
In the official history, Li Yifu catered to the emperor's wishes and knocked on the palace gate to request the establishment of Empress Wu, and people called him a knife hidden in a smile. The novel vividly portrays his sycophancy and tyranny.
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