That year, it was said that Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin was rebuking him because many of Wei's residents owed back taxes, which Zhao was responsible for collecting.
How dare you be involved in military matters?Zhao Jiliang: Your Royal Highness is only concerned about conquest and not showing love to the people.
[3] Zhao Jiliang served in Emperor Zhuangzong's administration, initially as an assistant to the director of salt and iron monopolies (鹽鐵判官, Yantie Panguan) and the minister of husbandry (太僕卿, Taipu Qing).
When Zhao got there, however, Meng Zhixiang the military governor of Xichuan, who controlled the main parts of the former Former Shu territory and who was commissioned by Emperor Zhuangzong (not Emperor Mingzong), only allowed him to ship the wealth previously stored by Former Shu and refused to also surrender tax revenues to him or let him take office as the director of transport for the three circuits.
[6] In spring 930, Meng sent Zhao as an emissary to Dongchuan's capital Zi Prefecture (梓州) to enter into an alliance with Dong against the imperial government.
Upon Zhao's return to Chengdu, however, he informed Meng, "Lord Dong is greedy, cruel, and contentious; he is overly ambitious and not sufficiently thoughtful, and he will surely one day create trouble for Xichuan.
However, the official Li Hao opposed, pointing out that doing so would cut off any possibility of reconciliation with the imperial government, and Meng agreed.
Shortly after, Emperor Mingzong issued an edict creating Meng as the Prince of Shu and confirming the five military governor commissions.
[8] He commissioned Zhao Jiliang as Sikong (司空, one of the Three Excellencies), Mengxia Shilang (門下侍郎, the deputy head of the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng)), and chancellor, with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), while still carrying the title of military governor of Wutai.
He created his son Meng Renzan crown prince, and shortly after wrote a will in which he trusted Meng Renzan to Zhao, Li Renhan, Zhao Tingyin, the chief of staff Wang Chuhui, and the imperial guard generals Zhang Gongduo and Hou Hongshi (侯弘實).
Zhao pointed out that given that there were many powerful generals with strong armies, the right thing to do was to immediately announce Meng Renzan's succession, not to deeply mourn the emperor.
[9] Thereafter, because of Zhao Jiliang's accomplishments, Meng Chang made him Situ (司徒, also one of the Three Excellencies), and then the even greater honor of Taibao (太保).
[1] In 940, he proposed that the responsibilities over the three financial agencies (salt and iron monopoly, taxation, and treasury) be divided between him and two other chancellors, Wu Zhaoyi and Zhang Ye.