Zhao Xi (; 4-80 CE),

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...

Boyang (), was a politician who lived in the early

Eastern Han Dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

Early life

Zhao Xi was born in Wan,

Nanyang Commandery Nanyang Commandery ( zh, 南陽郡) was a Chinese commandery that existed from the Warring States period to Tang dynasty. It was centered in present-day Nanyang, Henan. History Nanyang Commandery was established by Qin in the 35th year of King Zh ...

(present-day

Nanyang Nanyang is the romanization of two common Chinese place names. It may refer to: Written as 南洋 (Southern Ocean) * Nanyang (region), a Chinese term denoting the Southeast Asian lands surrounding the South China Sea ;China * Nanyang Fleet, Qing ...

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

). At a young age, he was known for his integrity. When Zhao Xi was 15, his elder cousin, who had no son, was murdered. Zhao Xi harboured the thought of avenging his cousin, so he brought a group of people with him to confront his cousin's killer. The murderer was ill, and Zhao Xi felt that it was inhumane to kill him at that time, so he spared him. When the killer had recovered, he bound himself and came to plead with Zhao Xi. However, Zhao Xi refused to meet him and had him killed.

Service under Gengshi Emperor

In 9 CE,

Wang Mang Wang Mang () (c. 45 – 6 October 23 CE), courtesy name Jujun (), was the founder and the only Emperor of China, emperor of the short-lived Chinese Xin dynasty. He was originally an official and consort kin of the Han dynasty and later ...

usurped the throne of the

Western Han Dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...

and declared himself emperor of the

Xin Dynasty The Xin dynasty (; ), also known as Xin Mang () in Chinese historiography, was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty which lasted from 9 to 23 AD, established by the Han dynasty consort kin Wang Mang, who usurped the throne of the Emperor Ping o ...

. By 23 CE, several revolts had broken out throughout China due to Wang Mang's incompetent rule. Around the time, Liu Xuan, a descendant of the Han imperial clan, was proclaimed "

Gengshi Emperor The Gengshi Emperor (; died AD 25), born Liu Xuan (), was an emperor of the Han dynasty restored after the fall of Wang Mang's Xin dynasty brought on by the Lülin. He was also known by his courtesy name Shenggong () and as the King or Prince of H ...

" by rebels aiming to restore the Han Dynasty. Gengshi's forces were attacking Wuyin (), a city controlled by a certain Li family. Gengshi heard that Zhao Xi had some influence over the Li family, so he invited Zhao to help him persuade the Lis to surrender. When Gengshi met Zhao Xi, he saw that the latter was merely a youth, so he viewed Zhao Xi lightly. When Zhao Xi arrived in Wuyin, the Li family surrendered on their own accord, and Gengshi Emperor granted Zhao Xi the title of "Lieutenant General of Five Mights" () for his achievement. Zhao Xi was injured when he fought in the

Battle of Kunyang The Battle of Kunyang () was fought during June and July in 23 AD, between the Lulin and Xin forces. The Lulin forces were led by Liu Xiu, who later became Emperor Guangwu of Han, while the far more numerous Xin were led by Wang Yi and Wang Xun ( ...

against the Xin Dynasty, and later received the title of "Marquis Yonggong" (). In 25 CE, Gengshi Emperor was defeated and killed by the

Chimei The Red Eyebrows () was one of the two major peasant rebellion movements against Wang Mang's short-lived Xin dynasty, the other being Lülin. It was so named because the rebels painted their eyebrows red. The rebellion, initially active in the ...

, another rebel movement. Zhao Xi protected Gengshi and his subjects, along with their families, and led them through

Wu Pass Wu Pass or Wuguan was one of four strategic mountain passes along the southern border of the ancient state of Qin and the north western border of Chu. Wuguan is a modern-day town in Danfeng County, Shaanxi Province. Popular culture In Manga K ...

to safety. He instructed young women to smear dirt and mud on their faces to avoid being violated by the rebels if the latter caught up with them.

Service under Emperor Guangwu

Gengshi Emperor was succeeded by Liu Xiu, who became known as

Emperor Guangwu Emperor Guangwu of Han (; 15 January 5 BC – 29 March AD 57), born Liu Xiu (), courtesy name Wenshu (), was a Chinese monarch. He served as an emperor of the Han dynasty by restoring the dynasty in AD 25, thus founding the Eastern Han (Later ...

of the

. When Deng Feng (), one of Guangwu's subjects, betrayed his lord, Zhao Xi wrote a letter to Deng to reprimand him. When the situation in China had become more stable, Emperor Guangwu appointed Zhao Xi as Marquis-Chancellor of Jianyang () and Marquis-Chancellor of Pinglin (). In 41 CE, when Zhao Xi was in office as Prefect of Huai County (), he punished a wealthy landlord Li Zichun and his two grandsons for violating the law. Not long later, he was reassigned to be the Administrator of Pingyuan (). In 50 CE, the women whom Zhao Xi saved at Wu Pass 25 years ago praised him, so Emperor Guangwu summoned him to the imperial court and commissioned him as Minister Coachman (). A year later, Zhao Xi was promoted to

Grand Commandant Grand Commandant () is a title referring to the supreme military commander in ancient China, Vietnam and the Korean Peninsula. The earliest recording is on the Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals in 205 BC. During the Western Han, the position ...

(), received the title of a "Secondary Marquis" (), and was tasked with inspecting the border. In 56 CE, he accompanied Emperor Guangwu to attend a ''fengshan'' () ceremony at

Mount Tai Mount Tai () is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an. It is the highest point in Shandong province, China. The tallest peak is the '' Jade Emperor Peak'' (), which is commonly reported as being t ...

Service under Emperor Ming

Emperor Guangwu died in 57 CE. In his final edict, he ordered Zhao Xi to assist his successor, Emperor Ming. In 58 CE, Emperor Ming named Zhao Xi "Marquis of Jiexiang" (). In the spring of 60 CE, Zhao Xi was stripped of his post of Grand Commandant for making an erroneous report on Xue Xiu (), the chancellor of Zhongshan (). In winter that year he replaced Dou Rong () as Minister of the Guards (). In 65 CE, he took over Yu Yan () and served as acting-Grand Commandant. When his mother died of illness, Zhao Xi returned home to mourn, and Emperor Ming attempted to persuade him to remain in court.

Service under Emperor Zhang

During the reign of Emperor Ming's successor Emperor Zhang, Zhao Xi was promoted to

Grand Tutor The Three Ducal Ministers (), also translated as the Three Dukes, Three Excellencies, or the Three Lords, was the collective name for the three highest officials in Ancient China and Imperial China. These posts were abolished by Cao Cao in 208 AD a ...

() and oversaw affairs in the imperial secretariat.

Death

Zhao Xi died of illness in 80 CE, during Emperor Zhang's reign, at the age of 84. He was granted a posthumous title, "Marquis Zheng" ().

References

* Fan Ye. ''

Book of the Later Han The ''Book of the Later Han'', also known as the ''History of the Later Han'' and by its Chinese name ''Hou Hanshu'' (), is one of the Twenty-Four Histories and covers the history of the Han dynasty from 6 to 189 CE, a period known as the Later ...

'', Volume 26, Biography of Zhao Xi. {{DEFAULTSORT:Zhao, Xi AD 4 births 80 deaths Han dynasty politicians from Henan Politicians from Nanyang, Henan Political office-holders in Shandong