Zhao Wenhua

Zhao Wenhua
趙文華
Minister of Works
In office
May 3, 1556 – September 13, 1557
MonarchJiajing Emperor
Preceded byWu Peng
Succeeded byLei Li
Personal details
BornCixi, Zhejiang, China
Died1557
Courtesy namesRonggang (榮崗)
Yuanzhi (元質)
Art nameRongjiang (蓉江)
Military service
Battles/warsJiajing wokou raids

Zhao Wenhua (Chinese: 趙文華; died 1557) was a Chinese public official during the reign of the Ming dynasty's Jiajing Emperor.

After initial setbacks in his career, Zhao became a close confidant to Grand Secretary Yan Song, eventually becoming a vice minister. At the time, the Chinese coast was plagued by a series of raids by Chinese smugglers. Zhao disagreed with how the military was handling the situation and made his own recommendations, which the military ignored. After the Emperor lost confidence in Minister of War Nie Bao, he tasked Zhao with solving the crisis himself.

Zhao quickly came into conflict with other officials that were already at the coast, and went on to orchestrate the removal of several of them, as well as a prominent court official. Zhao rose to the rank of Minister of Works and positioned his protege Hu Zongxian as supreme commander, a role that Hu excelled in. Zhao, however, had earned the disdain of other figures in the court, and his disregard for etiquette alienated even Yan Song. After being accused of accepting bribes, exaggerating his victories, and diverting lumber meant for the Forbidden Palace towards the construction of his own personal estate, Zhao lost the Emperor's favor and was removed from his post. He died shortly thereafter. While the official history attributed it to a hernia, another source indicated that he committed suicide by poison.

Both he and Yan Song are listed as "Treacherous Ministers" (奸臣傳) in the official historical work History of Ming by Zhang Tingyu.