Zhao Hongyin

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhao.

Zhao Hongyin 趙ちょう弘ひろし殷いん
A posthumous portrait on a hanging scroll, kept in National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
Born	Zhao Hongyin 899
Died	(956-09-03)3 September 956 (aged 56–57)
Burial	Yongan Mausoleum (永安えいあん陵りょう, in present-day Gongyi, Henan 34°39′50.51″N 112°57′42.19″E)
Spouse	Empress Dowager Zhaoxian (m. 916)
Issue	Emperor Taizu of Song Emperor Taizong of Song Zhao Tingmei Princess Gongyi
Posthumous name Emperor Zhaowu (昭武あきたけ皇帝こうてい) Temple name Xuanzu (宣せん祖そ)
Father	Zhao Jing
Mother	Lady Liu

Zhao Hongyin
Traditional Chinese	趙ちょう弘ひろし殷いん
Simplified Chinese	赵弘ひろし殷いん
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhào Hóngyīn Wade–Giles Chao4 Hung2-yin1 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jiu6 Wang4-yan1 Jyutping Ziu6 Wang4-jan1 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Tiō Hông-in

Zhao Hongyin (Chinese: 趙ちょう弘ひろし殷いん) (899-956) was a military general in Imperial China's Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

After his death, his son Zhao Kuangyin founded the Song dynasty in 960. His other son Zhao Kuangyi would also become a Song emperor. For this reason, Zhao Hongyin is posthumously honored as "Emperor Xuanzu (宣せん祖そ) of Song". All emperors of the Song dynasty were his descendants via either Emperor Taizu (most emperors of the Southern Song) or Emperor Taizong (most emperors of the Northern Song).

Early life

Zhao Hongyin decided against a civil career and became a military officer instead under Zhuangzong of Later Tang: he knew that in times of disunity it would be a military career that would lead to success.

The young Zhao Hongyin was a skilled horse archer. He originally served the warlord Wang Rong for the de facto independent Zhao State, and was once ordered by Wang to lead 500 cavalries to assist their ally Li Cunxu in battles, presumably against the Later Liang. Impressed by his bravery, Li kept Zhao as part of his imperial army after the fall of Zhao in 921.

It was also around this period that he married Lady Du who was 3 years his junior. According to popular rumour a few decades after his death, when Zhao Hongyin first came to the area by himself, he encountered a snowstorm and had to beg for food from servants in official Du Shuang's (杜もり爽) house. After a few days, the servants noticed that he was hardworking and persuaded Du to keep him in the house. A few months later, the family arranged for him to marry their eldest daughter.

Family

Parents:

• Father: Zhao Jing (宋そう翼つばさ祖そ趙ちょう敬たかし), honoured as Emperor Yizu
• Mother: Lady Liu (簡穆皇后こうごう劉りゅう氏し), honoured as Empress Jianmu

Consorts and Issue:

• Empress Dowager Zhaoxian, of the Du clan (昭憲皇太后しょうけんこうたいごう 杜氏とうじ; 902–961)
  • Zhao Guangji, Prince Yong (邕王 趙ちょう光ひかり濟ずみ), first son
  • Princess Gongxian (恭きょう獻けんじ帝みかど姬ひめ), first daughter
  • Zhao Kuangyin, Taizu (太ふとし祖そ 趙ちょう匡ただし胤たね; 927–976), second son
  • Princess Gongyi (恭きょう懿帝姬ひめ; d. 973), second daughter
    • Married Gao Huaide (高こう懷ふところ德とく; 926–982) in 960, and had issue (one daughter)
  • Zhao Jiong, Taizong (太ふとし宗そう 趙ちょう炅; 939–997), third son
  • Zhao Guangzan, Prince Qi (岐王 趙ちょう光ひかり贊さん), fifth son
• Lady, of the Geng clan (陳ちん夫人ふじん 耿氏)
  • Zhao Tingmei, Prince Fudao (涪悼王おう 趙ちょう廷美; 947–984), fourth son

Ancestry

Zhao Tiao

Zhao Ting

Empress Wenyi

Zhao Jing (872–933)

Sang Shifu

Empress Huiming

Zhao Hongyin (899–956)

Liu Yan

Liu Chang

Empress Jianmu

References

• (in Chinese) Toqto'a; et al. (1345). Song Shi (宋そう史し) [History of Song].
• (in Chinese) Fan Zhen. Dong Qi Jishi (東ひがし齋とき記事きじ) [Notes of Eastern Qi].