It is not known when Zhao Guangfeng was born. His father Zhao Yin served as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Yizong of Tang and Emperor Yizong's son Emperor Xizong. Both Zhao Guangfeng and his younger brotherZhao Guangyi were known in their youth for their literary abilities and virtues, and Zhao Guangfeng was particularly praised for the propriety of his actions, becoming nicknamed "Jade Ruler". Zhao Guangfeng passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class in 878 and was made a secretary of the Fengxiang Municipality government, before he was recalled to the imperial government to serve as an imperial censor with the title Jiancha Yushi. After his father Zhao Yin died in 881, he left governmental service for some time to observe a mourning period for his father. After Emperor Xizong, who had fled the imperial capitalChang'an due to the major agrarian rebellion led by Huang Chao, was able to return to Chang'an in 885, Emperor Xizong made him a Taichang Boshi, a scholar at the ministry of worship. He subsequently successively served as Lǐbu Yuanwailang, a low-level official at the ministry of rites ; Sixun Yuanwailang, a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs ; and Lìbu Yuanwailang, also a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs, as well as a scholar at Jixian Hall. He was later promoted to be Lǐbu Langzhong, a supervisory official at the ministry of rites. In the middle of Jinfu era of Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong, Zhao was made Cibu Langzhong, still a supervisory official at the ministry of rites, but also given the responsibility of drafting imperial edicts. He was soon made an imperial scholar and Zhongshu Sheren, a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government. He was later made deputy minister of census and chief imperial scholar. He was later promoted to be Shangshu Zuocheng, one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau, while remaining chief imperial scholar as well. When Emperor Zhaozong fled Chang'an in fear of attacks by the warlords Wang Xingyuthe military governor of Jingnan Circuit and Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit in 895, Zhao did not follow the emperor, despite the emperor sending the eunuch Dai Zhiquan to summon him, and he subsequently claimed to be ill and retired. Later, after Emperor Zhaozong fled to Hua Prefecture in 896, Zhao accompanied the emperor there and was made the deputy chief imperial censor. At that time, two of the emperor's favorites were the Taoist monk Xu Yanshi and the astronomer Ma Daoyin ; as a result, many people were trying to use sorcery to gain audience at the court. Zhao carried out the law and put many of them to death, and it was said that his actions stopped the trend. He was subsequently made the deputy minister of rites and put in charge of the imperial examinations. After Emperor Zhaozong returned to Chang'an in 898, there was an incident in 900 when the powerful eunuch Liu Jishu deposed the emperor and briefly replaced him with his son Li Yu, Prince of De the Crown Prince, before a countercoup restored Emperor Zhaozong to the throne. Still, the episode portended further struggles between eunuchs and imperial officials, led by the chancellor Cui Yin. Zhao did not want to be involved, so he claimed to be ill and retired to the eastern capital Luoyang, refusing to meet any guests for several years. After Emperor Zhaozong was forcibly moved by the powerful warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit in 904, one of the chancellors installed by Zhu was Liu Can, whose passage of the imperial examinations had been under Zhao's auspices and who therefore felt indebted to Zhao. He subsequently brought Zhao back to the imperial government as deputy minister of civil service affairs, Shangshu Zuocheng, and minister of worship. In 907, when Zhu forced Emperor Zhaozong's son and successor Emperor Ai to yield the throne to him, Zhao participated in the transition ceremony, assisting the chief imperial censor Xue Yiju in bearing the main imperial seal and presenting it to Zhu.
During Later Liang
In 908, Emperor Taizu sent Zhao Guangfeng's brother Zhao Guangyi and another official, Li Yinheng, to formally commission his vassal Liu Yin, who then controlled Qinghai Circuit as the military governor of Qinghai and Jinghai Circuits. Liu kept Zhao Guangyi and Li and refused to let them return. In 909, Emperor Taizu removed the chancellors Han Jian and Yang She from their chancellor posts; Zhao Guangfeng, who was then serving still as the minister of worship, and Du Xiao, were made chancellors in their stead with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi. In 915, by which time Emperor Taizu's son Zhu Zhen was emperor, Zhao Guangfeng, who was then carrying the titles of You Pushe and Menxia Shilang, retired, and was given the honorary title of Taizi Taibao. In 916, he was again made chancellor and Menxia Shilang, and was additionally given the title of Sikong. He retired again in 918 and was given the title of Situ. It was said that after this retirement, he did not receive guests at his mansion.
In 923, Later Liang was conquered by its northern rival Later Tang. Later Tang's Emperor Zhuangzong subsequently made another brother of Zhao Guangfeng's, Zhao Guangyin, chancellor. It was said that when Zhao Guangyin visited Zhao Guangfeng, he would often try to discuss the political matters of the day with Zhao Guangfeng. One day, Zhao Guangfeng posted a sign on his door, "Please do not speak of the matters of the Office of the Chancellors." Subsequently, early during the Tiancheng era of Emperor Zhuangzong's adoptive brother and successor Emperor Mingzong, Zhao Guangfeng was given the honorary title of Taibao and created the Duke of Qi. He later died at Luoyang and was given posthumous honors.
