Background
It is not known when Zhao Yanzhao was born, but it is known that his family was originally from Gan Prefecture (甘州, roughly modern Zhangye, Gansu). His father Zhao Wumeng (趙武孟) was known for favoring hunting during youth. On one occasion, when Zhao Wumeng had killed some fresh prey and presented it to his mother (Zhao Yanzhao's grandmother), Zhao Wumeng's mother wept and stated, "You do not study and only hunt all day. I feel hopeless." She refused the food. After that incident, Zhao Wumeng became studious and passed the imperial examination. He later served as an imperial censor during the reign of Wu Zetian and authored a 10-volume work on the notable people of the Hexi Corridor, the region he was from.
Zhao Yanzhao himself was known for literary talent and being high-spirited. He passed the imperial examination as well, and was made the sheriff of Nanbu County (南部, in modern Nanchong, Sichuan). It was around this time that he became a friend of several later prominent politicians, Guo Yuanzhen, Xue Ji, and Xiao Zhizhong. He later served as the magistrate of Xinfeng County (新豐, in modern Shaoguan, Guangdong), before he was recalled to serve as Jiancha Yushi (監察御史), a mid-level imperial censor.
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