View source for Zhao Guangyi (Southern Han)

{{distinguish|text=[[Emperor Taizong of Song]], whose name is also rendered as Zhao Guangyi in Hanyu Pinyin}}

'''Zhao Guangyi''' ({{zh|t=趙光裔}}; died 940<ref name="NHS9">''[[Book of Southern Han]]'' (南漢書), [https://archive.org/stream/02079314.cn#page/n40/mode/2up vol. 9].</ref><ref name=AS>[[Academia Sinica]] [http://sinocal.sinica.edu.tw Chinese-Western Calendar Converter].</ref>), [[courtesy name]] '''Huanye''' (煥業), was an official of the Chinese [[Southern Han|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]]).<ref name=NHS9/><ref>However, this statement in Zhao Guangyi's biography in the ''Book of Southern Han'' has the problem that at Zhao Zhi's time, Lingnan Circuit would not have yet been divided into Lingnan East Circuit and Lingnan West Circuit — as Lingnan West Circuit was not established until 862, which would have had Zhao Zhi surviving his son Zhao Cunyue by more than 30 years and, indeed, surviving nearly to the time when his grandson Zhao Yin was a sufficiently senior official to be chancellor.  See ''[[New Book of Tang]]'', [[:zh:s:新唐書/卷069|vol. 69]].  It was possible that Zhao Zhi was the military governor of an undivided Lingnan Circuit, or, as was customary at the time, when people became honored officials, their ancestors would be bestowed posthumous honorary posts.</ref> Zhao Guangyi's grandfather Zhao Cunyue (趙存約) was an assistant to [[Li Jiang (born 764)|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.<ref name=NHS9/><ref>''[[Old Book of Tang]]'', [[:zh:s:舊唐書/卷164|vol. 164]].</ref> Zhao Guangyi's father, [[Zhao Yin]], was a prominent official who eventually became a [[chancellor of the Tang dynasty|chancellor]] during the reign of [[Emperor Xuānzong of Tang|Emperor Xuānzong]].<ref name=SGCQ62>''[[Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms]]'' (十國春秋), [https://archive.org/stream/06080956.cn#page/n130/mode/2up vol. 62].</ref>

== During Tang ==
Zhao Guangyi was said to be a hard studier in his youth. He passed the [[imperial examination]]s in the ''Jinshi'' class in 887;<ref name=NHS9/> his older brother [[Zhao Guangfeng]] had done so earlier, and his younger brother [[Zhao Guangyin]] would do so later.<ref name=SGCQ62/> During the middle of the ''Qianning'' era (894–898) of Emperor Xuānzong's grandson [[Emperor Zhaozong of Tang|Emperor Zhaozong]], Zhao Guangyi was made a ''Sixun Langzhong'' (司勳郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, ''Lìbu''), as well as a scholar at Hongwen Pavilion (弘文館).<ref name=NHS9/> He was later made ''Shanbu Langzhong'' (膳部郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of rites (禮部, ''Lǐbu'', note different tone than the ministry of civil service affairs) and was in charge of drafting edicts. As Zhao Guangfeng was then at the more prestigious post of the chief imperial scholar and also drafting edicts, the brothers' elevation were considered an honor.<ref name=SGCQ62/> Zhao Guangyi remained at those posts after Tang's destruction in 907 and succession by [[Later Tang]].<ref name=NHS9/>

== During Later Liang ==
Among warlords who were nominally vassals, but acting in fact independently, of Later Liang's founding emperor [[Zhu Wen|Emperor Taizu]] was [[Liu Yin (Southern Han)|Liu Yin]], who was in control of Lingnan East—which had been renamed Qinghai Circuit (清海) by that point. In 908, Emperor Taizu sent Zhao Guangyi and another imperial official, [[Li Yinheng]], to Qinghai to officially bestow on Liu Yin the titles of military governor of Qinghai and Jinghai (靜海, headquartered in modern [[Hanoi]], [[Vietnam]]) Circuits. After the bestowment, however, Liu Yin did not allow Zhao and Li to return to Later Liang's capital Luoyang, but instead kept them at Qinghai.<ref name=ZZTJ267>''[[Zizhi Tongjian]]'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷267|vol. 267]].</ref> Liu Yin made Zhao his deputy military governor.<ref name=SGCQ62/>

== During Southern Han ==
In 917, Liu Yin's brother and successor [[Liu Yan (emperor)|Liu Yan]] declared his domain a new state of Yue (shortly later renamed Han, and therefore known to historians as Southern Han), as its Emperor Gaozu. He commissioned Zhao Guangyi, Li Yinheng, and another official, [[Yang Dongqian]], chancellors. Zhao was also made the minister of defense (兵部尚書).<ref name=ZZTJ270>''Zizhi Tongjian'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷270|vol. 270]].</ref>

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 (China)|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.<ref name=SGCQ62/>

Southern Han had, for some time, cordial relations with its northern neighbor [[Chu (state)|Chu]], whose founding king [[Ma Yin]] and his successors remained nominally vassals of Later Liang's (and later, its successor states [[Later Tang]] and [[Later Jin (Five Dynasties)|Later Jin]]), and prior to his taking imperial title, Liu Yan had married a daughter of Ma Yin's in 915.<ref>''Zizhi Tongjian'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷269|vol. 269]].</ref> After he declared himself emperor, he created her empress.<ref name=ZZTJ270/> After she died in 934,<ref>''Zizhi Tongjian'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷279|vol. 279]].</ref> however, the relationship between the two states deteriorated, and Chu's prosperity became a major threat to Southern Han.<ref name=SGCQ62/> In 939, Zhao spoke to Liu Yan about this, pointing out that the two states had not had formal relations since Empress Ma's death, and advocating that an emissary be sent to Chu. He further recommended the official Li Shu (李紓) as a suitable emissary.<ref name=ZZTJ282>''Zizhi Tongjian'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷282|vol. 282]].</ref> After Li's mission, Chu also sent emissaries to Southern Han,<ref name=SGCQ62/> 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.<ref name=NHS9/>

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.<ref name=ZZTJ282/> He died around the new year 940.<ref name=NHS9/> After his death, Liu Yan made Zhao Sun a chancellor to succeed him.<ref name=ZZTJ282/>

== Notes and references ==
<references/>
* ''[[Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms]]'' (十國春秋), [https://archive.org/stream/06080956.cn#page/n130/mode/2up vol. 62].
* ''[[Book of Southern Han]]'' (南漢書), [https://archive.org/stream/02079314.cn#page/n40/mode/2up vol. 9].
* ''[[Zizhi Tongjian]]'', vols. [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷267|267]], [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷270|270]], [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷282|282]].

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhao, Guangyi}}
[[Category:9th-century births]]
[[Category:940 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Tang dynasty government officials]]
[[Category:Later Liang (Five Dynasties) government officials]]
[[Category:Southern Han chancellors]]