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 The first historical reference to him was in 934, as of which time he was serving as Li Congke's secretary in Li Congke's role as military governor of Fengxiang Circuit. 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, and also gave him the title of Zuo Jianyi Daifu. In summer of that year, Li Congke made Han his chief of staff. At that time, an important decision for Li Congke to make was what to do with his brother-in-law Shi Jingtang, who was then the military governor of Hedong Circuit but who at that time was at the capital Luoyang. 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, believed that detaining Shi would cause apprehension for another brother-in-law of Li Congke's, Zhao Yanshou the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit, and Zhao's adoptive fatherZhao Dejun the military governor of Lulong Circuit. Li Congke ultimately decided to allow Shi to return to Hedong. Shortly after, Li Congke considered executing the officer Chu Kuangzuo, who had, under Li Conghou's orders, executed Li Congke's son Li Chongji 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 chancellorLiu Xu, who was in charge of the three financial agencies, 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. 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 in addition to chief of staff, was given the title of Zhongshu Shilang, and given the chancellor designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi. Around the new year 936, Han was sent out of Luoyang to serve as the military governor of Huguo Circuit, 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. He singled out several officials whom he stated as not complicit with Li Congke — 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, commissioned them various offices — in Han's case, minister of defense — but then immediately ordered them into retirement. That was the last historical reference to Han, and it is not known when he died.
