Background

Zhao Ying was born in 885, during the reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang. His family was from Huayin (華陰, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi). His great-grandfather Zhao Pu and grandfather Zhao Ru each had minor official careers — Zhao Pu reached the office of county secretary general, albeit of a major county (Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu)) and Zhao Ru reached the office of Zhengzi (正字), an assistant copyeditor at the Palace Library. Zhao Ying's father Zhao Juhui was a farmer, probably at the ancestral home at Huayin.

Zhao Ying himself was said to be handsome and careful. During the middle of Longde era (921-923) of Tang Dynasty's successor state Later Liang Dynasty, Zhao Ying entered official service, as a secretary to the Later Liang general Kang Yanxiao.

During Later Tang

During the Tongguang era (923-926) of the subsequent Later Tang, Kang Yanxiao, who then carried the name of Li Shaochen (bestowed by the emperor Li Cunxu), served as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Baoyi Circuit (保義, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia, Henan), and Zhao Ying continued to serve under him. When Li Shaochen served on Li Cunxu's campaign to destroy Later Tang's southwestern neighbor Former Shu, Zhao remained at Baoyi. Subsequently, after Li Cunxu was killed in a mutiny at the capital Luoyang and was succeeded by his adoptive brother Li Siyuan, Li Siyuan's son-in-law Shi Jingtang was made the acting military governor of Baoyi. Zhao, as a member of Li Shaochen's old staff, greeted him, and it was said that they became like old friends immediately. Shi thus had him serve as a secretary. Thereafter, wherever Shi's posting changed, Zhao followed him, and he frequently served as Shi's liaison to the imperial government. When Shi was made the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), he served as Shi's assistant.

In 936, then-emperor Li Congke (Li Siyuan's adoptive son), who had long suspected Shi of plotting rebellion, decided to test Shi by issuing an edict moving him to Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong). Shi, fearing that this was a trap, convened his key staff members asked for their opinions on what to do. Zhao advocated that he report to Tianping. However, several other key staff members, including Liu Zhiyuan and Sang Weihan, suggested that he rebel. Shi ultimately agreed and rebelled. He sought aid from Emperor Taizong of Later Tang's northern rival Khitan Empire. A Later Tang army, under the command of Zhang Jingda, soon put Hedong's capital Taiyuan under siege, but Emperor Taizong thereafter arrived with a Khitan relief army, and crushed Zhang's army. He declared Shi the emperor of a new Later Jin.

During Later Jin

During Shi Jingtangs reign

Shi Jingtang commissioned a number of key officials for his new imperial government. As part of these commissions, Zhao Ying was made the chief imperial scholar (翰林學士承旨, Hanlin Xueshi Chengzhi) and deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang), to be in charge of the Hedong headquarters. Subsequently, after Zhang Jingda's deputy Yang Guangyuan assassinated Zhang and surrendered the Later Tang army to the joint Khitan/Later Jin army, As Shi and Emperor Taizong prepared to advance south toward Luoyang, Shi commissioned Zhao and Sang Weihan as chancellors (同中書門下平章事, Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi), with Zhao also receiving the additional title of Menxia Shilang and Sang Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎). Zhao was also put in charge of editing the imperial histories.

After the joint Khitan/Later Jin forces then forced the surrender of the Later Tang general Zhao Dejun, whose army was the only major obstacle remaining between their army and Luoyang, at Lu Prefecture (潞州, in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), Emperor Taizong decided to remain at Lu while letting Shi take Luoyang himself, to avoid overly alarming the ethnic Han Chinese. As they departed from each other, Emperor Taizong commented to Shi, "Liu Zhiyuan, Zhao Ying, and Sang Weihan are all great contributors to your establishment of the empire. Do not abandon them unless they had major faults." As Shi approached Luoyang, Li Congke, finding the situation hopeless, committed suicide with his family, ending Later Tang and allowing Later Jin to take over its territory.

After Shi entered Luoyang, he sent Zhao as a special emissary to the Khitan court to thank Emperor Taizong. Upon Zhao's return from the Khitan court, he was given the additional titles of Guanglu Daifu (光祿大夫) and minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, Libu Shangshu); he was also put in charge of taxation. It was said that, as chancellor, Zhao was humble and paid attention to promoting capable junior officials. In particular, in his role as lead editor of the imperial histories, he commissioned many capable historians to collect the previously-lost Tang records. It was said that Zhao had a hand in some 200 volumes of the consequently completed Old Book of Tang, as well as correcting and supplementing the missing parts of the imperial chronicles of various Tang emperors.

In 939, there was a time when Shi bestowed honorary chancellor titles on both Liu and Shi's brother-in-law Du Chongwei, on the same edict. Liu was insulted (as he considered himself to have had great achievement in battle, while Du was receiving the honors on account of his being the emperor's brother-in-law), and therefore repeatedly declined. In anger over what he saw as Liu's defiance, Shi considered removing Liu from his offices entirely. It was Zhao who spoke on Liu's behalf — pointing out that when Zhang initially attacked Taiyuan, he did so with overwhelming force, and that it was Liu's efforts that Taiyuan did not fall, until Emperor Taizong could arrive with a relief force. Shi thus relented and did not remove Liu; rather, he sent the imperial scholar He Ning to see Liu, to express his displeasure. Liu thereafter accepted the title.

In 942, Shi bestowed on Zhao the greater chancellor title Shizhong (侍中).

During Shi Chongguis reign

Shi Jingtang died later in 942 and was succeeded by his nephew Shi Chonggui. Zhao Ying initially continued to serve as chancellor, but in spring 943 was sent out of then-capital Kaifeng to serve as the military governor of Jinchang Circuit (晉昌, headquartered in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi), still carrying the Zhongshu Ling title as an honorary chancellor title. (Sang Weihan, who had been serving as the military governor of Jinchang, was recalled to serve as chancellor.) At that time, there was a major locust infestation that affected Later Jin territory. Zhao ordered that those who were able to capture and kill locusts would be given the equal amount of weight in grain. By doing so, those who were hungry were fed, and there was much praise for him in and near the circuit. Sometime thereafter, he was moved to be the military governor of Kuangguo Circuit (匡國, headquartered in modern Weinan). About a year after that, he was recalled to Kaifeng to serve as its mayor.

By 945, Shi Chonggui's brother-in-law Feng Yu, who was then his chief of staff (along with Sang), and the general Li Yantao (李彥韜), had become powerful as close associates of the emperor. They disliked Sang, and believed that Zhao was more easily controllable. They thus persuaded Shi to remove Sang from the chancellorship and make Sang the mayor of Kaifeng. Zhao was returned to chancellorship, still with the title Zhongshu Ling.

Instead of the friendly relations that Shi Jingtang had with the Khitan (whose state had been renamed Liao by this point), Shi Chonggui took a confrontational stance, and the two states were constantly at war. In 946, Liao's Emperor Taizong laid a trap for Later Jin, by having his major general Zhao Yanshou (Zhao Dejun's son) "secretly" send emissaries to Later Jin, offering to submit to Later Jin, asking for a major Later Jin army to be launched to support him (who was then in command at Liao's Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing), which Shi Jingtang had ceded to Liao). Shi Chonggui's chiefs of staffs Feng and Li Song believed Zhao Yanshou, and prepared a large army to be launched under the command of Du Chongwei (whose name had been changed to Du Wei by that point, to observe naming taboo for Shi Chonggui), with Li Shouzhen serving as Du's deputy. Zhao Ying found the ambitious and ungrateful Du unsuitable, secretly stating to Feng and Li Song:

Zhao Ying was not listened to, however. The army, under Du's command, was soon launched, but fell into a trap laid by Emperor Taizong as soon as it entered Liao territory, and, on its subsequent withdrawal, became surrounded by Emperor Taizong's army at Zhongdu Bridge (中度橋, in modern Baoding, Hebei). After Emperor Taizong (falsely) promised Du that he would make Du the emperor of China to replace Shi Chonggui, Du surrendered. Emperor Taizong then advanced south toward Kaifeng. Believing Kaifeng to be defenseless (as the nearly entire Later Jin imperial army was under Du's command and surrendered with him), Shi surrendered, ending Later Jin.

During Liao

Once he entered Kaifeng, Emperor Taizong claimed to be the emperor of China as well. He sent Shi Chonggui and his household north into exile, deep into Liao proper, at Huanglong (黃龍, in modern Changchun, Jilin), and had Zhao Ying, Feng Yu, and Li Yantao accompany them. (However, it appeared, based on subsequent events, that Zhao stopped once he reached Lulong's capital You Prefecture (幽州), and did not actually accompany Shi and his household to Huanglong.) After Emperor Taizong died later in the year and was succeeded by his nephew Emperor Shizong, who effectively withdrew from the former Later Jin territory (which was then taken over by Liu Zhiyuan, who declared himself emperor of a new state of Later Han, Emperor Shizong gave Zhao the honorary title Taizi Taibao (太子太保).

Zhao's activities in the subsequent years were not well-described in history. Meanwhile, his mansion at Kaifeng (as with the mansions of all high-level officials that Emperor Taizong took to Liao territory, which Liu awarded to his key followers) was seized by Liu and given to Liu's general Guo Wei. Guo summoned Zhao's son Zhao Yize and offered back all the secondary properties associated with the mansion to Zhao Yize, along with a cash payment for the mansion. Zhao Yize, apprehensive of the powerful Guo, initially declined, but Guo insisted on his accepting. Zhao Ying heard of this and became grateful to Guo.

By 951, Later Han had fallen (save for Hedong Circuit, which was controlled by Liu Zhiyuan's younger brother Liu Chong, who declared himself emperor of Later Han, but whose state was considered by traditional historians to be the separate state of Northern Han), and Guo had founded Later Zhou in succeeding it. He sent his official Tian Min (田敏) as an emissary to the Liao court (apparently to try to dissuade Liao from aiding Liu Chong). When Tian reached You, he saw Zhao Ying. Zhao, emotional over being able to see a Han Chinese official, stated:

He bowed toward the south, broken down in tears. Not too long after, he fell ill. He made a request to Emperor Shizong that after his death, his body may be returned to Later Zhou territory for burial, to allow his spirit to return home. Emperor Shizong, taking mercy on him, agreed. After he died shortly after, Emperor Shizong had his son Zhao Yicong and other family members, as well as a Liao general, escort his casket to Kaifeng. Guo was greatly saddened, and gave him posthumous honors. Guo also awarded Zhao's sons silk to finance a proper burial at his old house in Huayin.

Notes and references

• Old History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 89.

• New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 56.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 280, 282, 283, 285, 286.

家世

趙瑩生于唐僖宗光啟元年（885年），華州華陰人氏，曾祖父趙溥，江陵縣丞。祖父趙孺，秘書正字。父趙居晦，為農。

趙瑩風儀美秀，性純厚謹慎。後梁龍德年間（921年－923年），趙瑩中進士，入仕，為梁將康延孝從事。

後唐年間

後唐同光年間（923年－926年），當時已被皇帝李存勖賜名李紹琛的康延孝任保義軍節度使，趙瑩隨之赴任。李存勖發兵滅西南鄰國前蜀，李紹琛作為騎將隨征，趙瑩被留在保義軍監修金天神祠。完成後，他忽然夢見神召他于前亭，待以優禮，對他說：「公富有前程，所宜自愛。」並遺下一劍一笏，醒後駭異。李存勖在都城洛陽的興教門之變中被殺，由養兄李嗣源繼位後，李嗣源婿石敬瑭被任為保義軍留後。趙瑩作為保義軍舊官謁見，和石敬瑭一見如故，被石敬瑭奏署管記。石敬瑭歷任不同藩鎮的節度使時，趙瑩都相從，多次出使朝廷，官至御史大夫，賜金紫。期間其母去世，丁憂，但石敬瑭不讓他回華陰，他就著粗縗喪服繼續在石敬瑭幕下，遭人非議。石敬瑭被任為河東節度使後，趙瑩又為其節度判官。

清泰三年（936年）五月，長期懷疑石敬瑭謀反的李嗣源養子皇帝李從珂決定通過下詔調石敬瑭去天平軍來試驗他。石敬瑭擔心有詐，召將佐商議。唯有趙瑩面有懼色，建議他赴任，而都押牙劉知遠、掌書記桑維翰等建議他反叛。石敬瑭最終反叛，雖然沒有聽趙瑩的意見，但心裡很喜愛他。六月，李從珂詔河東將佐節度判官自趙瑩以下十四人籍沒家產。充太原四面招討使張敬達率唐軍很快圍河東軍部太原，七月，石敬瑭派趙瑩持表文和重禮，以割讓燕雲為諾，通過唐北面敵國契丹西南路招討盧不姑求援于契丹太宗，契丹太宗隨後率援軍趕到，擊潰張敬達軍，並宣布石敬瑭為新成立的政權後晉的皇帝。

後晉年間

石敬瑭年間

十一月，石敬瑭任命了一系列新政府要員。趙瑩被授翰林學士承旨、金紫光祿大夫、守尚書戶部侍郎，知太原府事。不久，張敬達副使楊光遠殺張敬達，以唐軍投降契丹、晉聯軍。閏十一月，石敬瑭和契丹太宗準備南下進軍洛陽之際，石敬瑭任時任翰林學士承旨、知河東軍府事、正議大夫、尚書戶部侍郎、知制誥、賜紫金魚袋的趙瑩和桑維翰為同中書門下平章事，為宰相，以趙瑩為門下侍郎，桑維翰為中書侍郎。趙瑩還被任為監修國史。

契丹、晉聯軍在潞州迫降進軍洛陽的僅存障礙唐將盧龍軍節度使趙德鈞後，契丹太宗決定留在潞州，讓石敬瑭自取洛陽，以免漢族人受到驚嚇。分別時，太宗對石敬瑭說：「劉知遠、趙瑩、桑維翰都是創業功臣，如果沒有大錯誤，不要拋棄。」石敬瑭到洛陽後，李從珂絕望，舉家自焚，唐亡，領地為晉所並。

石敬瑭進入洛陽後，天福二年（937年）四月，派趙瑩、兼門下侍郎同平章事馮道等為使，持禮物出使契丹感謝契丹太宗。六月，宰相李崧上表，指出趙瑩是佐命元臣，請將樞密使一職讓給趙瑩。詔不允。當月趙瑩從契丹回朝，加光祿大夫，七月，判戶部。八月，奏請循近例依唐明宗（李嗣源）朝故事，凡有內廷公事及言動之間，委端明殿學士或樞密院學士侍立皇帝身側，每日編錄，每季送館，其百司公事也每季送館，隨即編修日曆。獲准。三年（938年）七月，與桑維翰、李崧各改鄉里名號。十一月，兼吏部尚書。當月，又奉表入賀契丹，獻上幽、薊、瀛、莫、涿、檀、順、媯、儒、新、武、雲、應、朔、寰、蔚十六州及圖籍。後來北宋太宗雍熙二年（985年）二月對宰相說：「朕覽史書，見晉高祖（石敬瑭）求援于契丹，行父事之禮（指石敬瑭認契丹太宗為父），割地以奉之，使數百萬黎庶陷于契丹統治，馮道、趙瑩居宰輔，都被派去持禮，很屈辱。」

四年（939年）三月，石敬瑭在同一封詔書上加歸德節度使劉知遠和妹夫忠武節度使杜重威同平章事。劉知遠自認為有佐命大功，而杜重威是外戚無大功，恥于與其同詔，四次上表辭不受。石敬瑭以為這是劉知遠的蔑視，對趙瑩怒言要完全罷免劉知遠的軍職。趙瑩為劉知遠求情，指出張敬達初攻太原時，軍力十餘萬，守軍只有五千，是劉知遠奮力堅守才保住太原不失直至契丹太宗來援。石敬瑭釋然，沒有罷免劉知遠，並派端明殿學士和凝去劉知遠府上諭旨，劉知遠受命。

作為宰相的趙瑩為人敦讓，注重提拔能幹的青年官員。太常博士賈緯給趙瑩寫詩：「滿朝唯我相，秉柄無親讎，三年司大董，最切是編修，史才不易得，勤勤處處求。愚從年始立，東觀思優遊，昔時人未許，今來虛白頭，春台與秋閣，往往興歸愁，信運北闕下，不系如虛舟。綿蕝非所好，一日疑三秋，何當適所願，便如升瀛洲。」五年（940年）在改任為起居郎、史館修撰後，他又對趙瑩說：「《唐史》一百三十卷，止于唐代宗，以下十餘朝未有正史，請與同職修之。」趙瑩以其言上奏，石敬瑭以為然，而李崧認為唐朝近百年無實錄無從修史，賈緯與宰相論說此事不已。六年（941年）二月，朝廷詔戶部侍郎張昭遠、時任內起居郎賈緯、秘書少監趙熙、吏部郎中鄭受益、左司員外郎李為光等同修唐史，以趙瑩監修。趙瑩任多名能幹的史學家以職務，收集前朝散佚的唐朝史料。四月，趙瑩奏稱賈緯丁母憂去官，請以刑部侍郎呂琦、侍御史尹拙一同編修，又奏稱五十年間存書百無二三，請下詔及以官職懸賞以購求史館所闕唐朝實錄，都獲准。共修成唐史約二百卷，在當時發行，即《舊唐書》，唐朝皇帝遺失的實錄也得到纂補。

七年（942年）正月，石敬瑭以趙瑩為侍中。

石重貴年間

六月，石敬瑭崩，侄石重貴繼位。八月，加趙瑩中書令。右金吾衛上將軍劉處讓因未被提升，一天到中書省趁酒醉一個個罵在場宰相馮道、趙瑩、李崧、和凝。

次年（943年）三月，趙瑩被遣出當時的都城開封，為晉昌節度使兼中書令，而時任晉昌節度使桑維翰則被召回為侍中。當時後晉受到大規模蝗災，趙瑩下令境內捕蝗者可以蝗蟲一斗換祿粟一斗，饑民得救，遠近嘉之。時任京兆少尹鄭受益因是趙瑩在朝時的舊屬，也很被趙瑩厚待。開運元年（944年）四月，趙瑩調任匡國軍節度使（軍部在華州）。二年（945年）五月，回開封為行開封尹。

時與桑維翰同任樞密使的石重貴妻弟馮玉與宣徽北院使、權侍衛馬步都虞候李彥韜作為皇帝近臣而有權勢。他們厭惡桑維翰，認為趙瑩更易受控制，一起稱讚趙瑩，十二月，說服石重貴罷桑維翰相位，任為開封尹，趙瑩複相，仍為中書令，加宏文館大學士。

和與當時已改名為遼的契丹關係友好的石敬瑭不同，石重貴與遼對抗，兩國頻繁交戰。三年（946年），遼太宗令大將、當時領石敬瑭先前割讓給遼的盧龍軍的趙德鈞養子趙延壽「秘密」派使者赴晉稱願歸順，請求晉大軍來援，以為誘晉之計。石重貴的樞密使馮玉和李崧相信了，準備讓已為避石重貴諱改名杜威的時任天雄節度使兼中書令杜重威為招討都部署率大軍前往，侍衛馬步都指揮使、天平節度使李守貞為副。趙瑩私下對馮、李說：「杜令公是國戚，貴為將相，而所欲未得滿足，心常懷恨，豈可再假以兵權！真的要發兵北方，不如只任李守貞。」但不被聽從。杜威率領的軍隊很快出發，但進入遼境後立即陷入遼太宗的圈套，撤退時被太宗軍在中度橋包圍。太宗假意承諾以杜威為帝取代石重貴後，杜威投降。太宗南下進軍開封。因幾乎全朝廷的軍隊都在杜威統領下投降，石重貴認為開封無可守御，投降，晉亡。

遼朝年間

遼太宗進入開封后，自稱中原皇帝，會同十年（947年）正月，以趙瑩為太子太保，將石重貴一家流放到北方深入遼境的黃龍府，遣趙瑩、馮玉、李彥韜率三百騎護送。趙瑩到盧龍軍部幽州後停下了，沒有真正隨石家到黃龍府。大同元年（947年）四月，太宗崩，兄子遼世宗繼位，時後晉故地為自稱後漢皇帝的劉知遠所複，遼世宗從這些地方撤軍，授趙瑩太子太保。

趙瑩隨後幾年的活動不詳。他和其他所有被遼太宗帶入遼境的高官們在開封的宅子被劉知遠所奪，賞賜給隨駕大臣，趙瑩的宅子被賜給樞密副使郭威。郭威召趙瑩子原後漢刑部郎中趙易則，將和宅子有關的產業和契券全都還給他。趙易則惶恐辭讓，郭威堅持，他才接受。趙瑩聞訊，感激郭威。

後漢滅亡，僅有控制河東軍的劉知遠弟劉崇稱漢帝，其政權史稱北漢，為其延續。郭威建立後周。廣順元年（951年）（遼天祿五年），派尚書左丞田敏出使遼朝廷通好，意圖勸阻遼朝援助劉崇。田敏到幽州，遇到趙瑩。趙瑩見到漢族官員悲悵不已，對田敏說：「老身漂零寄居于此，近聞我妻逝世，弱子無恙，蒙中原皇帝倍加存恤，我在開封的舊宅本屬國家，也聽聞因優恩得到特給的補償，老夫至死也無以報效。」南望稽首，涕泗橫流。不久他病了，遣人祈告于遼世宗，請求死後骸骨歸于後周，以求魂歸故里，世宗同情而同意了。五月，他在太子太傅任上去世，世宗輟朝一日，遣當初與他一同北上遼朝的兒子趙易從、其他幾個家人及幽州牙將曹繼筠護其靈柩到開封，八月到達。郭威感嘆良久，詔贈太傅，賜趙瑩子絹五百匹以備喪事，令歸葬于華陰故里。

作品

• 《君臣政論》二十五卷

評價

• 《舊五代史》：趙瑩際會風雲，優遊籓輔，雖易簀于絕域，終歸柩于故園，蓋仁信之行通于遐邇故也。

注釋及參考文獻