Zhao Xuanzi 趙ちょう宣子のぶこ Zhao Dun 趙ちょう盾たて

Zhao Dun 趙ちょう盾たて, personal name Ying Dun 嬴盾, posthumous title Zhao Xuanzi 趙ちょう宣子のぶこ or Xuan Meng 宣せん孟はじめ, was a nobleman in the state of Jin 晉すすむ and a member of the house of Zhao 趙ちょう during the Spring and Autumn period 春秋しゅんじゅう (770-5th cent. BCE).

He was a son of Zhao Shuai 趙ちょう衰おとろえ (Zhao Chengzi 趙ちょう成子しげこ) and served the dukes Xiang 晉すすむ襄じょう公こう (r. 628-621) and Cheng 晉すすむ成なり公こう (r. 607-600).

In 622, a whole generation of high ministers died: Zhao Shuai 趙ちょう衰おとろえ, Luan Zhi 欒枝, Xian Qieju 先さき且居 and Xu Chenxiang 胥臣相しょう. Duke Xiang thereupon reorganized the military system, created three armies (sanjun 三軍さんぐん) and a new command structure. Zhao Dun was appointed marshal of the Central Army (zhongjun yuanshuai 中ちゅう軍ぐん元帥げんすい), a position identical to that of counsellor-in-chief. The duke also issued administrative statutes and a penal code in order to create a more effective bureaucracy in the state of Jin.

When Duke Xiang died, Zhao Dun was sent to Qin 秦はた, where Prince Yong 雍 lived in exile. Yet at the same time, Jia Ji 賈季 supported Prince Le 樂らく who lived in the state of Chen 陳ひね. Zhao Dun did not shy away from having Prince Le assassinated on his way back to Jin. Yet the widow of late Duke Xiang desired to enthrone Prince Yigao 夷えびす皋, who is known as Duke Ling 晉すすむ靈れい公こう (r. 621-607), and won over Zhao Dun, who then even fought against the troops of Qin who escorted back Prince Yong. He defeated Qin in the battle of Linghu 令れい狐きつね (near modern Linyi 臨猗, Shanxi).

Duke Ling proved to be a tyrannic and incompetent ruler who rejected the remonstrations by his loyal ministers. Zhao Dun, inflamed by the wish to kill Duke Ling, was in 607 forced into exile, yet before he reached the border of Jin, his brother Zhao Chuan 趙ちょう穿ほじ killed the tyrant. Prince Heitun 黑くろ臀しり was thereupon enthroned (i.e. Duke Cheng). The grand scribe (taishi 太ふとし史し) of Jin, Dong Hu 董ただし狐きつね, injustly charged Zhao Dun with the murder of Duke Ling.