Early life

Zhao Xi was born in Wan, Nanyang Commandery (present-day Nanyang, Henan). 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 usurped the throne of the Western Han Dynasty and declared himself emperor of the Xin Dynasty. 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" by rebels aiming to restore the Han Dynasty. Gengshi's forces were attacking Wuyin (舞陰), 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 against the Xin Dynasty, and later received the title of "Marquis Yonggong" (勇功侯). In 25 CE, Gengshi Emperor was defeated and killed by the Chimei, another rebel movement. Zhao Xi protected Gengshi and his subjects, along with their families, and led them through Wu Pass 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 of the Eastern Han Dynasty. When Deng Feng (鄧奉), 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 (簡陽侯相) and Marquis-Chancellor of Pinglin (平林侯相).

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 (平原). 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 (太僕). A year later, Zhao Xi was promoted to Grand Commandant (太尉), 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 (封禪) ceremony at Mount Tai.

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 (薛脩), the chancellor of Zhongshan (中山). In winter that year he replaced Dou Rong (竇融) as Minister of the Guards (衛尉). In 65 CE, he took over Yu Yan (虞延) 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 (太傅) 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" (正侯).

生平

早年經歷

趙憙少年時有節操。堂兄被人殺害，沒有兒子，趙憙十五歲，時常想著報仇。于是帶著兵器約好朋友，後來終于前去尋仇。仇人們全部生病，沒有抵抗。趙憙認為乘別人生病報仇殺人，不是仁人應做的，就暫時放過他們離開，回頭對仇人說：「你們如果病好了，就遠遠地躲開我。」仇人都臥著叩頭謝罪。後來他們病癒，都自縛來見趙憙，趙憙不與他們見面，後來終于還是把他們殺了。

更始帝即位後（23年），舞陰大姓李氏據城不降，更始帝派柱天將軍李寶去招降，李氏不肯，說：「聽說宛人趙氏有孤孫趙憙，因信義而聞名，我願向他投降。」更始帝就徵召趙憙，趙憙還不到二十歲，等到被引見，更始帝笑著說：「還是個小孩，怎麼能挑著重擔走很遠呢？」于是任命他為郎中，代理偏將軍事，讓他到舞陰，李氏就向他投降。趙憙因此進入潁川，攻擊不肯投降的人，到達汝南郡邊界，返回宛城。更始帝大喜，對趙憙說；「你真是名家的千里駒，努力吧。」恰逢王莽派遣王尋、王邑率兵出關，更始帝就拜趙憙為五威偏將軍，讓他協助諸將抵拒王尋、王邑于昆陽，史稱昆陽之戰。劉秀擊敗王尋、王邑，趙憙負傷，立有戰功，回朝後拜為中郎將，封勇功侯。

更始帝失敗，趙憙被赤眉軍圍困急迫，于是爬上房屋逃走，與好友韓仲伯等數十人攜帶小孩及體弱者，爬山越阻直出武關。韓仲伯認為妻子色美，擔心會有強暴她的人，而自己受其害，想將妻子遺棄于道途。趙憙責怒不聽，就以泥塗在韓仲伯妻子的臉上，把她載在小車上，自己親身推著小車。每次遇到賊寇，有時他們欲逼迫，趙憙就說她得了重病，因而得免于難。到了丹水縣，遇到更始帝的家屬，都赤身露體滿身泥污，飢餓困頓不能前進。趙憙見了大為傷感，將所裝衣帛資糧全部給了他們，將他們護送回鄉里。

漢光武帝時期

這時，鄧奉在南陽背叛漢光武帝（26年），趙憙向來與鄧奉友善，幾次寫信給他加以切責，而造謠的人就誣陷說趙憙與鄧奉合謀，漢光武帝對此感到懷疑。等到鄧奉失敗，漢光武帝搜查到趙憙寫給鄧奉的書信，于是大驚道：「趙憙真是一位長者啊。」當即徵召趙憙，接見他，賜鞍馬，待詔公車。當時江南尚未歸附東漢，道路不通，漢光武帝以趙憙代理簡陽侯相。趙憙不肯帶兵前往，自己單車駛往簡陽。官吏民眾不想讓他進城，趙憙就宣告曉諭，呼喚城中大人物，示以東漢政府威信，其統帥當即開門面縛歸順，由此各營壘都投降了。荊州牧奏明趙憙才能出眾極善治理，漢光武帝于是詔令他為平林侯相。趙憙攻擊群賊，安集已經投降的人，縣邑由是平定。

後來拜為懷縣縣令。大姓李子春先為琅琊國相，豪強不守法度掠奪兼併，百姓害怕他。趙憙到任後，聽說他的兩個孫子殺了人未被揭發，就窮加追究，把李子春逮捕拷問，兩個孫子自殺。京師洛陽為李子春說情的達數十人，趙憙最終沒有聽從。當時趙公劉良病危（41年），漢光武帝親臨看望，問他有想說什麼。劉良說：「我平素與李子春相好，現在他犯罪，懷縣縣令趙憙想殺他，我願乞求留下他的性命。」漢光武帝說：「官吏尊奉法律，法律不可彎曲，你另外說還有什麼要求。」劉良再沒有說話。劉良死後，漢光武帝追感叔父，就赦免了李子春。同年，趙憙調任為平原郡太守。當時平原多盜賊，趙憙與諸郡討伐捕捉，斬殺其首領，餘黨株連者數千人。趙憙上書說：「惡人做了惡事只懲罰到他們自己身上，可將他們遷往京師近郡。」漢光武帝聽從，將他們移置穎川、陳留。于是提拔薦舉有義行的人，誅殺奸惡之徒。史書宣稱，後來青州發生大規模蝗災，一侵入到平原郡界就隨即死掉，平原境內豐收多年，百姓歌頌。

建武二十六年（50年），漢光武帝召集內戚宴會，甚為歡暢，諸夫人各自往前陳述說：「趙憙很講恩義，往年遭赤眉之禍逃出長安時，我們都是趙憙救濟才得以活下來。」漢光武帝很嘉獎趙憙。後來徵召趙憙入朝擔任太僕，接見時對人說：「你不但為英雄所保薦，連婦人也感懷你的恩德。」于是厚加賞賜。建武二十七年（51年）五月，拜為太尉，賜爵關內侯。當時南匈奴單于向東漢稱臣，烏桓、鮮卑都入朝修好，漢光武帝令趙憙主持邊境事務，思考長期規劃。趙憙令過去由雲中、五原遷徙到常山、居庸的移民回雲中、五原，幽州、并州由此安定。此外，趙憙還建議漢光武帝將諸王遣回封國。建武三十年（54年），趙憙上言漢光武帝應當封禪，正三雍之禮。中元元年（56年），跟從漢光武帝封禪泰山。

漢明帝、章帝時期

建武中元二年（57年），漢光武帝去世，趙憙接受遺詔，主持喪禮。當時藩王都在京城，自從王莽篡位後，舊的典章制度不複存在，皇太子劉莊和東海王劉彊等人夾雜同座，雜亂無序。趙憙就面色嚴肅，扶劍站在殿前台階上，把藩王們扶下大殿，來明確地位尊卑。當時藩國的官員出入宮內朝中，和百官沒有區別，趙憙就上書請求讓謁者帶領，分別停留在別的縣，藩王們全部命令他們回府第，只在早晚上朝進宮。整頓禮儀，嚴格門衛制度，朝廷內外肅然。永平元年（58年），趙憙被封為節鄉侯。永平三年（60年）二月，趙憙因審訊中山相薛脩的事不符實情，免去太尉職務。同年冬，接替竇融擔任衛尉。永平八年（65年），趙憙接替虞延兼任太尉事務，在官署理事如同實任。後來遇上母喪，上書請求親自服喪守孝，漢明帝不同意，派使者替他脫掉喪服，賞賜恩寵深厚。趙憙內管宮廷警衛，外行宰相職責，能公正地處理政務，從沒有懈怠過。

永平十八年（75年）八月，漢明帝去世，漢章帝繼位。趙憙又主持漢明帝的喪事，第二次送走死去的皇帝。同年十月，升任太傅，並錄尚書事。漢章帝提拔他的兒子七個人做郎官。長子趙代，供職黃門。建初五年（80年），趙憙病重，漢章帝親自前去探視。五月二十日，趙憙去世，漢章帝前去祭弔。時年八十四歲，謚號為正。

世系圖