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).
[5] During the middle of the Qianning era (894–898) of Emperor Xuānzong's grandson 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).
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.
[5] Southern Han had, for some time, cordial relations with its northern neighbor 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), and prior to his taking imperial title, Liu Yan had married a daughter of Ma Yin's in 915.
[5] 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.
[1] 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.