During Later Tang

Despite the high position Han Zhaoyin eventually achieved, virtually nothing is known about his personal background, as there was no biography of his in either the Old History of the Five Dynasties or the New History of the Five Dynasties. The first historical reference to him was in 934, as of which time he was serving as Li Congke's secretary in Li Congke's role as military governor (Jiedushi) of Fengxiang Circuit (凤翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi). In spring of that year, Li Congke overthrew his adoptive brother Li Conghou, who was then emperor, and took the throne as emperor. After doing so, he commissioned Han as an imperial scholar at Duanming Hall (端明殿), and also gave him the title of Zuo Jianyi Daifu (左谏议大夫, a high-level consultant at the examination bureau of government (门下省, Menxia Sheng)).

In summer of that year, Li Congke made Han his chief of staff (Shumishi). At that time, an important decision for Li Congke to make was what to do with his brother-in-law Shi Jingtang (the husband of his adoptive sister the Princess of Wei), who was then the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河东, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) but who at that time was at the capital Luoyang. (Li Congke and Shi had long not liked each other even when they both served as officers under Li Congke's adoptive father Li Siyuan, and Shi had initially postured supporting Li Conghou in the civil war between Li Congke and Li Conghou, before submitting to Li Congke and being forced to go to Luoyang to confirm that submission.) Most of Li Congke's followers from Fengxiang advocated detaining Shi at Luoyang and not return him to Hedong. However, Li Siyuan's wife Empress Dowager Cao and the Princess of Wei were both begging on Shi's behalf. Han and another advisor, Li Zhuanmei (李专美), believed that detaining Shi would cause apprehension for another brother-in-law of Li Congke's, Zhao Yanshou the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), and Zhao's adoptive father Zhao Dejun the military governor of Lulong Circuit (卢龙, headquartered in modern Beijing). Li Congke ultimately decided to allow Shi to return to Hedong.

Shortly after, Li Congke considered executing the officer Chu Kuangzuo (楚匡祚), who had, under Li Conghou's orders, executed Li Congke's son Li Chongji (李重吉) during the civil war. Han pointed out that Chu was merely following orders and that executing him would alienate others who had followed Li Conghou's orders. Li Congke agreed, and only exiled Chu.

At that time, the chancellor Liu Xu, who was in charge of the three financial agencies (taxation, treasury, and salt and iron monopolies), was conducting a major audit of the three agencies' accounts. He discovered that much of the purported treasury reserves were in fact uncollectible debts that the administrators kept on the books to use as excuses to harshly collect from the people. Liu reported this to Li Congke and advocated a two-pronged approach — that the government make all efforts to collect the collectible debts but forgive the uncollectible ones. Han agreed with Liu and advocated adoption of Liu's proposal. Li Congke issued an edict forgiving much of the debts that were accumulated from before Li Siyuan's Changxing era (930-933). This drew praise from the people but resentment from the administrators at the three agencies.

In summer 935, Han, who was then also carrying the title of minister of justice (刑部尚书, Xingbu Shangshu) in addition to chief of staff, was given the title of Zhongshu Shilang (中书侍郎, deputy head of the legislative bureau (中书省, Zhongshu Sheng)), and given the chancellor designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中书门下平章事).

Around the new year 936, Han was sent out of Luoyang to serve as the military governor of Huguo Circuit (护国, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), still carrying the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi title as an honorary title.

During Later Jin

In 936, Shi Jingtang, with support from Later Tang's northern rival Khitan Empire, rebelled against Li Congke and declared his own state of Later Jin. After the Later Tang forces he sent against Shi were defeated by the Khitan/Later Jin forces, Li Congke committed suicide with his family, ending Later Tang and allowing Later Jin to take over its territory. In an edict that Shi issued after entering Luoyang that declared a general pardon, he, excepting them from the general pardon, ordered the deaths of Li Congke's close associates Zhang Yanlang, Liu Yanhao, and Liu Yanlang (刘延朗). He singled out several officials whom he stated as not complicit with Li Congke (his justification for rebelling against Li Congke was that Li Congke, as an adoptive son, was an usurper of the Later Tang throne) — Ma Yinsun, Fang Gao, Li Zhuanmei, and Han Zhaoyin — such that they were removed from their posts but spared their lives.

In 939, Shi, apparently viewed his punishment of Ma, Fang, Han, and Li Zhuanmei to be too harsh (as he pitied them for being in poverty), commissioned them various offices — in Han's case, minister of defense (兵部尚书, Bingbu Shangshu) — but then immediately ordered them into retirement (i.e., to allow them to draw pensions without allowing them to return to the government). That was the last historical reference to Han, and it is not known when he died.

Notes and references

后唐时期

尽管韩昭胤身居高位，但是《旧五代史》、《新五代史》都没有他的传记。他开始作为凤翔节度使（治今陕西省宝鸡市凤翔县）李从珂的节度判官。韩昭胤为李从珂参与谋议，倚为亲信。后唐长兴三年（933年），唐明宗驾崩，唐闵帝李从厚嗣位，改李从珂镇守太原，当时与李从珂共事者五人：节度判官韩昭裔、掌书记李专美、牙将宋审虔、客将房暠、孔目官刘延朗。李从珂召韩昭裔等计议，韩昭裔等人都劝李从珂造反，于是事无大小，都是他们五人谋划。清泰元年（934年）春，李从珂杀闵帝自立，四月十八，擢升为韩昭胤左谏议大夫，充端明殿学士。

同年夏五月初七，李从珂加韩昭胤枢密使。那时，李从珂正在考虑如何处理他的姐夫河东节度使（总部在今山西省太原市）石敬瑭，石敬瑭的夫人魏国公主是唐明宗的女儿。李从珂和石敬瑭在唐明宗李嗣源在位时就不和，石敬瑭最初表示支持李从厚，李从厚被李从珂打败后，石敬瑭背弃李从厚，导致李从厚自杀。石敬瑭于是到首都洛阳朝见李从珂。从凤翔来的将佐大多劝说李从珂把他羁留洛阳，不让他再回河东。明宗的夫人曹太后和魏国公主多次替石敬瑭说情。韩昭胤和李专美认为宣武节度使（总部在今河南省开封市）赵延寿正在汴梁，逼近洛都，赵延寿的义父卢龙节度使（总部在今北京市）赵德钧在幽州。为了避免赵德钧、赵延寿的疑惧，不应当猜忌石敬瑭。李从珂便仍任用他为河东节度使。

楚匡祚曾经奉李从厚之命杀死了李从珂的儿子李重吉，李从珂要杀了楚匡祚。韩昭胤说：「陛下是天下人之父，天下人都是陛下之子，用法应按至公办理。楚匡祚遵受李从厚的诏命检查李重吉的家财，不得不为。现在要族灭楚匡祚，对死者无益，反不能顺服众心。」六月十七日，李从珂把楚匡祚长期流放到登州。

宰相刘昫代判监铁、户部、度支的三司。他发现奸吏把很多不可收回的债务保留继续索求勒取，刘昫建议能查实可徵收的赶快督促缴纳，无法补偿的都免除，韩昭胤赞同这个办法。八月初二，李从珂下诏把明宗长兴（930年-933年）以前户部及各道逃欠租税三百三十八万缗，全部免除，不再徵收。贫苦的百姓大为欢喜，三司的官吏却埋怨不满。授韩昭胤刑部尚书、枢密使如故。

清泰二年（935年）夏四月十九日，李从珂加封枢密使、刑部尚书韩昭胤为中书侍郎、同中书门下平章事。

同年十二月十一日，李从珂任用户中书侍郎、同平章事充枢密使韩昭胤出任护国节度使（总部在今山西省运城市永济市蒲州镇）依然同平章事，充当使相。

后晋时期

清泰三年（936年）石敬瑭在辽国的支持下，背叛李从珂，宣布建立后晋。后唐军队被打发辽国和后晋联军击败，李从珂与家人纵火自杀，后唐灭亡。石敬瑭进入洛阳，宣布大赦。只有李从珂的亲信张延朗、刘延皓、刘延朗被处死。房暠、中书侍郎平章事马胤孙、宣徽使李专美、河中节度使韩昭胤等，虽居高职位，不诡诈逢迎，免除罪行，予以除名。

韩昭胤这些后唐罢除官职后仍在东、西两京的大臣都比较清贫困迫，石敬瑭认为他惩罚房暠、马胤孙、李专美、韩昭胤过于严厉，于是重新任用李专美为赞善大夫，天福四年（939年）四月十五日，任命韩昭胤为兵部尚书，马胤孙为太子宾客，房暠为右骁卫大将军，但立即命他们致仕，这样他们就能在不需要回归朝廷的情况下领取养老俸禄了。韩昭胤终年不详。