It is not known which year Qiao Lin was born, but it is known that his family was from Taiyuan. He was poor in his youth and lost his father early, but was studious and became known for his literary abilities. Early in Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era, he passed the imperial examinations and was made the sheriff of Chengwu County and later the sheriff of Xingping County. He was later invited by the great general Guo Ziyi to serve as Guo's secretary, and later made a Jiancha Yushi, a mid-level imperial censor. At this time, he was said to be often talkative and jocular, and he often insulted his colleagues. As a result, his relationship with a colleague, Bi Yao, which started with mutual jocular insults, evolved into frequent serious disputes such that they accused each other of faults. Qiao was demoted to be a census officer at Ba Prefecture. Qiao later served as the magistrate of Nanguo County, and later the militarychief of staff under Zhang Xiancheng the military governor of Shannan West Circuit. After Zhang completed his term of office, Qiao became an assistant to Xianyu Shuming the military governor of Dongchuan Circuit. He then successively served as the prefect of Guo Prefecture, Mian Prefecture, and Sui Prefecture. He was subsequently recalled to the capital Chang'an to serve as the deputy chief judge of the supreme court and then the principal of the imperial university. Yet later, he was made the prefect of Huai Prefecture.
During Emperor Dezong's reign
After Emperor Xuanzong's great-grandson Emperor Dezong became emperor in 779, Emperor Dezong's teacher Zhang She became an influential advisor for Emperor Dezong. Qiao was friendly with Zhang, and when Emperor Dezong asked Zhang for a recommendation for a chancellor, Zhang recommended Qiao — despite the fact that Qiao was not known for his abilities. In fall 779, Emperor Dezong, believing in Zhang's recommendations, made Qiao chief imperial censor and gave him the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, making him a chancellor de facto — a commission that much shocked the people. By this point, however, Qiao was old and hard of hearing, and whenever Emperor Dezong consulted him, he would rarely respond properly. After he had only served less than 90 days as a chancellor, Emperor Dezong removed him from his chancellor position and made him the minister of public works. As a result of this inappropriate recommendation, Emperor Dezong distanced himself from Zhang thereafter. In 780, Emperor Dezong made Qiao the assistant to his younger brother Li Shu the Prince of Mu in a nationwide search for his mother Empress Dowager Shen, who had disappeared during the Anshi Rebellion. In 783, the soldiers from Jingyuan Circuit, at Chang'an to await deployment to the east in Emperor Dezong's campaigns against warlords, mutinied when they were angry that Emperor Dezong did not give them sufficient rewards. Emperor Dezong fled to Fengtian, and Qiao followed him there. The mutineers supported the general Zhu Ci as their leader, and Zhu soon declared himself the emperor of a new state of Qin. Qin forces, however, were not able to capture Emperor Dezong at Fengtian, and the Tang and Qin forces went into a stalemate. In spring 784, the major Tang general Li Huaiguang, angry with Emperor Dezong over Emperor Dezong's refusal to meet him, entered into an alliance with Zhu against Emperor Dezong, and Emperor Dezong was forced to further flee to Liang Prefecture. Qiao initially followed him but, when they reached Zhouzhi, Qiao, citing his old age and his lack of a horse, declined to follow Emperor Dezong — despite Emperor Dezong's offering an imperial horse to him. Emperor Dezong, saddened, stated, "Take care of yourself. I will bid farewell to you, Lord." Qiao thereafter took tonsure and became a Buddhist monk at Xiaoyou Temple. When Zhu heard this, he had soldiers escort Qiao back to the capital and offered him the post of minister of civil service affairs. Qiao, after initially declining, accepted. He appeared to have mixed emotions about this, however, and one of the prospective officials that he selected for Zhu complained that the position given him was not secure, Qiao's response was an ambiguous, "Do you really feel that this position can be secure?" Later in the year, though, another major Tang general, Li Sheng, destroyed Zhu's regime and recaptured Chang'an. He welcomed Emperor Dezong back to Chang'an. A group of Han officials, including Qiao, were set to be executed. Li Sheng, taking pity on Qiao because of his old age, sought forgiveness on Qiao's behalf. Emperor Dezong, resenting Qiao for turning against him, refused, and ordered Qiao beheaded. On July 28, 784, Qiao was executed along with two other major Han officials, Jiang Zhen and Zhang Guangsheng. Before he was killed, he sighed and commented, "I, Qiao Lin, was born on the seventh day of the seventh month, and I die here on the seventh day of the seventh month. Is it not my fate?"
