Li Ling ruled the country with quietism, attached importance to official management, and especially got rid of people's arrogance. Known as the "sacred phase", it is called "aboveboard" in history, and Wang Fuzhi called it "the minister of the Song Dynasty's Dong Liang". Three of his poems are recorded in The Whole Song Poetry.

As a famous minister in the Northern Song Dynasty, Li Ling is known as a "saint". Shi praised him as "aboveboard", Li Zhi listed him as a "loyal minister" in Collection of Books, and Wang Fuzhi called him "a pillar of the Song Dynasty". He ruled the country with quietism, attached importance to official management, especially paid attention to getting rid of people's arrogance and extravagance, which played a positive role in stabilizing domestic and foreign affairs, curbing extravagance and stabilizing people's hearts in the early Song Dynasty.