Yuan Feng

Background

Feng Yuan was born in 60 B.C.; a daughter of Feng Fengshi. There is no exact information about the place of her birth.

Career

Feng Yuan became a consort to Emperor Yuan in 47 B.C. She quickly became a favorite of his, along with Consort Fu. She bore him a son, Liu Xing, who was later made the Prince of Xindu in 37 B.C. After Emperor Yuan died in 33 B.C.E. and Liu Ao succeeded to the throne, Lady Feng was given the title Princess Dowager of Xindu and moved with her son to live in Chuyuan Palace.

In 7 B.C.E. her title was accordingly changed to Princess Dowager of Zhongshan, when her son was granted the title Prince Xiao of Zhongshan. Her son died that same year and Prince Xin ascended the throne as Emperor Ai. In the same year, Prince Xin also died, and his only son, the two-year-old Prince Jizi, succeeded him as the Prince of Zhongshan. Princess Dowager Feng continued to serve as princess dowager.

In the early years of the reign of Emperor Ai, a physician named Zhang You presented himself at the palace in Zhongshan offering to cure the infant Liu Kan. When the imperial attendant Zhang got to Zhongshan, suddenly, in a rage, left there and returned to the capital Chang'an. Once he did and was ordered to explain his conduct, he made up a false reason that he had discovered that Princess Dowager Feng was using witchcraft to curse Emperor Ai and his grandmother, Consort Fu, who by now carried the title empress dowager. Empress Dowager Fu, who was a rival of Feng Yuan, decided to use this opportunity to strike at Princess Dowager Feng. She sent a eunuch, Shi Li, to serve as an investigator.

The investigating censor arrested over 100 people, including Lady Feng’s brothers, who were in Zhongshan, and the servants and officials of Lady Feng’s grandson. However, Shi Li still could not build a solid case against Princess Dowager Feng. He decided to show Princess Dowager Feng who was actually behind the investigation, by referring to an incident in which then-Consort Feng defended Emperor Yuan against a bear which had broken loose. Princess Dowager Feng, realizing that Empress Dowager Fu was behind the investigation, went back to her palace and committed suicide.

Six years later, however, when Lady Feng’s nine-year-old grandson Liu Kan (Emperor Ping) ascended the throne, Grand Minister of Education Kong Guang revealed that Zhang You’s original accusation had been false and that Shi Li had built a false case, resulting in a miscarriage of justice. Both men were deprived of their posts and official titles demoted to commoner status and exiled to Hepu. Finally, the unjust verdict against Lady Feng was overturned.

Achievements

• Feng Yuan was known as an innocent woman who lost her life while the men who were guilty of hounding her to death were merely demoted and exiled.

Personality

Feng Yuan was viewed largely positively for her heroism and humility and viewed sympathetically for her death at the hand of her romantic rival Consort Fu.

Connections

Feng Yuan was a favorite of Emperor Yuan. She bore him a son Liu Xing.

Father:

Feng Fengshi

Feng Fengshi was a famous general during the reign of Emperor Xuan, and continued to serve in a number of important posts in the imperial government thereafter.

husband:

Liu Shi

Liu Shi, also known as Emperor Yuan, was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty. He reigned from 48 B.C to 33 B.C.

Son:

Liu Xing

Liu Xing, also known as Prince Xiao of Zhongshan, was the third son of Emperor Yuan.

Grandson:

Liu Kan

Liu Kan, also known Emperor Ping, was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty from 1 B.C to A.D 5.

Brother:

Feng Yewang

Brother:

Feng Jun

Brother:

Feng Can

References

• The Position of Woman in Early China According to the Lieh Nu Chuan, The Biographies of Chinese Women.
  1971
• Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. - 618 C.E This new volume of the "Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women" spans more than 2,000 years from antiquity to the early seventh century. It recovers the stories of more than 200 women, nearly all of them unknown in the West.
  1998
• Courtier and Commoner in Ancient China: Selections from the History of the Former Han by Pan Ku First edition by Gu Ban, Ku Pan Hardcover. Translated by Burton Watson.
  1977
• Crisis and Conflict in Han China This volume illustrates the growth of two attitudes towards government in China during the first century B.C., the one progressive, realist and forward-looking, the other conservative, idealist and harking back to the past. It demonstrates the close relationship that existed between political decisions, intellectual policy and the choice of religious observances of state, whilst showing how personal ambitions and the intrigues of the palace were intimately involved with the interplay of these two basis attitudes.
  1974