Feng Jing

Life

In the first year of the Huangyou era (1049), under Emperor Renzong, he placed first in the jinshi examination. He placed first at the prefectural, metropolitan, and palace examinations. He is described as the last Song-dynasty candidate to attain all three first places and become a zhuangyuan.

He began his career as Jiangzuo jiancheng and assistant prefect of Jingnan, also rendered Jingnan Army. After returning to the capital, he served as Taichang cheng, in the Jixian Academy and the Southern Bureau of the Ministry of Personnel, helped compile the Qijuzhu, and was tested for appointment as zhizhigao. Because his father-in-law Fu Bi was in power, he went out as prefect of Yangzhou and then Jiangning to avoid suspicion; later recalled as a Hanlin Reader-in-Waiting, he inspected judicial cases in the capital, became Hanlin Academician and prefect of Kaifeng, and was subsequently sent to administer Taiyuan.

His career also included the San si du mo jian si, Right Correct Remonstrator, Academician of the Zizheng Hall, Grand Academician of the Jixian Hall, Pacification Commissioner of Shaanxi Circuit, Superintendent of the Herds, and Commissioner of Palace Establishments. When Emperor Shenzong came to the throne, he was restored as Hanlin Academician and transferred to Censor-in-chief; in the third year of Xining (1070), he was promoted to Deputy Chief of the Bureau of Military Affairs, became a vice grand councilor in the fourth year, and later served as Chief of the Bureau of Military Affairs (1076–1081).

In the central government he opposed Wang Anshi’s reforms, repeatedly arguing that their changes were misguided, and recommended Su Shi and Liu Ban to draft external edicts. After opposing the new policies, he was sent to Bozhou and then served in Weizhou, Chengdu, and Heyang; while in Chengdu he pacified the frontier tribes. The reasons given for his removal from Bozhou differ: one account attributes it to Lü Huiqing’s denunciation, while another connects it with Zhang Zao’s impeachment of Feng Jing for associating with Zheng Xia during the Zheng Xia affair.

After Emperor Zhezong’s accession, he was made military governor of Baoning Circuit and prefect of Daming, and was later transferred to the military command of Zhangde. In his later years he served as Commissioner of the Zhongtaiyi Palace with responsibility for lectures, then as Commissioner of the Southern Court of the Xuanhui Institute. He retired as Junior Preceptor to the Heir Apparent in the seventh year of Yuanyou. He died in the first year of Shaosheng at the age of seventy-four, was posthumously presented with the rank of Situ, and received the posthumous title Wenjian.

Family and associations

His father was Feng Shi, his mother Zhu, his grandfather Feng Yumou, and his great-grandfather Feng Bi; his elder brother was Feng Xiang. His wife was from the Fu family, and Fu Bi was his father-in-law; his son-in-law was Cai Mao, and his sons included Feng Chen, the eldest, and Feng Xun, the fourth. Marriage accounts differ: Wang Si is named as the father-in-law of a first wife, while Fu Bi is named as the father-in-law of the second and third wives.

His fellow successful candidate was Yao Pi. When Deng Xian established a private academy for instructing members of his clan and visiting students, Feng Jing and Zheng Xie both studied with him, and contemporary opinion praised them. While Feng Jing was Hanlin Academician and prefect of Kaifeng, he did not see the chancellor Han Qi for several months, leading Han Qi to regard him as arrogant; Fu Bi sent him to pay a visit, and Feng Jing replied, “You are the chancellor.”

His written exchanges included a sacrificial text he composed for Tian Kuang and another sacrificial text composed by Zhou Xingji. He sent a letter to Li Chang, received letters from Ouyang Xiu and Cai Jing, and received a reply from Wang Anguo. Zhou Bida wrote a postscript for him, and Zheng Xie was also associated with him through inscriptions, notes, and naming connected with buildings.

Works and literary associations

His works included the Qianshan ji, now lost, and a thirty-chapter collection of literary works and memorials titled the Wenji and Zouyi. Seven poems by him are preserved. Feng Jing once told Su Shi stories about the Yellow Crane Tower, prompting Su Shi to compose the poem “Li Gongze’s Request for a Poem on the Yellow Crane Tower, Including What I Formerly Heard from Feng Dangshi.”