Zhao Guangyi

Zhao Guangyi (; died 940 ), courtesy name Huanye (煥業), was an official of the Chinese Southern Han dynasty, serving as chancellor for over two decades.

Background It is not known when Zhao Guangyi was born. His family was originally from Fengtian (奉天, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), but had later relocated to the Tang dynasty eastern capital Luoyang, although it is not clear whether he himself was born in Luoyang. His great-grandfather Zhao Zhi (趙植) was said to have served as the military governor (jiedushi) of Lingnan East Circuit (嶺南東道, headquartered in modern Guangzhou, Guangdong). Zhao Guangyi's grandfather Zhao Cunyue (趙存約) was an assistant to Li Jiang, the military governor of Shannan West Circuit (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi), when Li and a large number of his staff members, including Zhao Cunyue, were killed in a mutiny in 830. Zhao Guangyi's father, Zhao Yin, was a prominent official who eventually became a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong.

During Tang Zhao Guangyi was said to be a hard studier in his youth. He passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class in 887; Liu Yin made Zhao his deputy military governor.

Despite Zhao's service as Southern Han's chancellor, he had long longed to return to central China, as he felt that, as a member of a prominent Central Plains aristocratic family, it was shameful to serve for a regional state. Knowing this, Liu Yan wanted to comfort him, and therefore forged a letter in his handwriting style and sent a secret messenger to Luoyang to summon his two sons Zhao Sun and Zhao Yi (趙益) to Southern Han, and Zhao Sun and Zhao Yi subsequently took their families and went to Southern Han. Their arrivals were a pleasant surprise for Zhao Guangyi, and it was said that thereafter he wholeheartedly served Liu Yan. After he declared himself emperor, he created her empress. however, the relationship between the two states deteriorated, and Chu's prosperity became a major threat to Southern Han. After Li's mission, Chu also sent emissaries to Southern Han, It was said that after these exchanges, there were no further troubles between Southern Han and Chu for the rest of Liu Yan's reign.

It was said that for the over two decades that Zhao served as chancellor, the Southern Han imperial storage was full, and that the borders were safe. He died around the new year 940. After his death, Liu Yan made Zhao Sun a chancellor to succeed him.

Notes and references

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms (十國春秋), vol. 62. Book of Southern Han (南漢書), vol. 9. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 267, 270, 282.