Zhao Jing, then a commoner, submitted a petition arguing that, as there was a famine at the time and Tufan incursions, the funerals should be done in a frugal manner.
[4] As a result, he later served as an official at a prefectural government, then the acting sheriff of Jiangxia County (江夏, in modern Wuhan, Hubei), and yet later successively served as an imperial censor first under the title of Jiancha Yushi (監察御史) then Dianzhong Shiyushi (殿中侍御史); and Taizi Sheren (太子舍人), a member of the staff of Emperor Daizong's crown prince Li Kuo.
[5] Early in Emperor Dezong's Jianzhong era (780–783), with Zhao Jing's mourning period over, he was recalled to the imperial government to serve at Shuibu Yuanwailang (水部員外郎), a low-level officer at the ministry of public works (工部, Gongbu).
As Zhao was well-learned and good at speaking, Emperor Dezong was pleased to meet him and made him an imperial attendant (給事中, Jishizhong).
He requested that Zhao be made the prefect of Tong Prefecture (同州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), but Emperor Dezong refused.
[4][7] Still, Zhao was credited for protecting such officials as Du Huangchang, Mu Zan (穆贊), Wei Wu (韋武), Li Xuan (李宣), and Lu Yun (盧雲) from suffering from false accusations.
He was also credited with promoting former subordinates Linghu Heng (令狐峘) and Cui Jing (崔儆) despite their prior attempts to undermine him.
[4][8] Emperor Dezong mourned Zhao greatly and gave him the posthumous name Zhenxian (貞憲, meaning "virtuous and knowledgeable").