Zhao Yin

Zhao Yin (, died 881), courtesy name Dayin (大隱), formally the Count of Tianshui (天水伯), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Yizong and Emperor Yizong's son Emperor Xizong.

Background and early career It is not known when Zhao Yin was born. His family was from Fengtian (奉天, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), a town that belonged to Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the Tang dynasty capital Chang'an). Several of his male-line ancestors served as county magistrates during Tang. When Emperor Dezong was forced to flee to Fengtian in 783 after soldiers mutinied against him at Chang'an and supported the general Zhu Ci as their ruler instead, Zhu put Fengtian under siege, and Zhao Yin's grandfather Zhao Zhi led his household servants and guests in assisting Fengtian's defense. As a result, after Zhu's rebellion was suppressed, Zhao Zhi entered the imperial government and eventually served as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Lingnan Circuit (嶺南, headquartered in modern Guangzhou, Guangdong) until his death. Zhao Yin had at least one younger brother, Zhao Zhi . He was later made Zhongshu Shilang , the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng), as well as the minister of rites (禮部尚書, Libu Shangshu), with the additional honorific title of Tejin ; he was also created the Count of Tianshui.

Emperor Yizong died in 873 and was succeeded by his young son Emperor Xizong. In 874, Zhao Yin was relieved of his chancellor position and sent out of Chang'an to serve as the military governor of Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海, headquartered in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu), still carrying the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi title as an honorific title.

After chancellorship In 875, after some 69 officers of Zhenhai Circuit had battlefield accomplishments, Zhao Yin gave them honorific titles, but no increases in food or clothing stipends. This displeased them, who appealed the lack of increase, but their appeals were denied. They, thereafter, under the leadership of Wang Ying, rebelled and pillaged the region. As a result of what was considered mishandling of the situation by Zhao, he was relieved from his post and given the largely ceremonial post of minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing). Later, early in the Guangming era (880-881), he was served as minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, Libu Shangshu). He died in 881 and was given posthumous honors by Emperor Xizong. (As, by that time, Emperor Xizong had fled Chang'an and was en route to Chengdu due to the attack by the agrarian rebel Huang Chao, who established his own state of Qi as its emperor, it appeared likely that Zhao had fled the capital with Emperor Xizong and died on the way.) His sons Zhao Guangfeng, Zhao Guangyi, and Zhao Guangyin would all eventually serve in the imperial government in the final years of Tang dynasty and in the succeeding Later Liang, with Zhao Guangfeng serving as a chancellor for Later Liang; Zhao Guangyi would eventually serve as a chancellor for the secessionist state of Southern Han, while Zhao Guangyin would serve as a chancellor during the succeeding Later Tang.

Notes and references

Old Book of Tang, vol. 178. New Book of Tang, vol. 182. Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 252.