Background

It is not known when Feng Yanlu was born, but as his older half-brother Feng Yanji was born in 903, he must have been born after. His birth location was likewise uncertain, but whereas Feng Yanji was described as "from Guangling" (廣陵, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) in Feng Yanji's biography in the Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms and Feng Yanlu's biography in the same work was silent, Feng Yanlu's biography in the History of Song described his ancestors as from Pengcheng (彭城, in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu) but his home as Xin'an (新安, in modern Huangshan, Anhui) — apparently coinciding with his father Feng Lingjun (馮令頵)'s service as the secretary of the bureau of salt and iron monopolies at She Prefecture (歙州, i.e., Xin'an), during Southern Tang's predecessor state Wu, suggesting that Feng Yanlu was born while, or around the time, Feng Lingjun served there. (Feng Yanlu's mother was described as Feng Yanji's stepmother, so Feng Lingjun probably married her after Feng Yanji's mother's death, although that is not completely clear.) While Feng Yanji and Feng Yanlu were half-brothers and would eventually be political allies, they did not have a good relationship, and neither did Feng Yanji with Feng Yanlu's mother.

In his youth, Feng Yanlu was known for his literary talent. During the reign of Southern Tang's founding emperor Li Bian, both he and Feng Yanji served on the staff of Li Bian's oldest son Li Jing. While serving at Li Jing's headquarters, Feng Yanji and Feng Yanlu had often advocated reversing the ban disallowing people from selling their sons and daughters into servitude, but Li Bian, agreeing with the advice of the official Xiao Yan (蕭儼) that that effectively would enslave the children of the poor in favor of the rich, disapproved. The official Chang Mengxi (常夢錫) often spoke to Li Bian against Feng Yanji, Chen Jue, and Wei Cen (魏岑), and Li Bian had considered removing them from Li Jing's staff, but had not yet done so by 943, when Li Bian fell seriously ill and thereafter died. Li Jing then poised to take the throne. Feng Yanji and Feng Yanlu were apparently put in charge of drafting the public will/final edict on Li Bian's behalf, and they inserted the provision allowing the sale of sons and daughters that they had advocated but Li Bian had disapproved of. Xiao submitted a report to Li Jing, pointing out Li Bian's prior disapproval. Li Jing reviewed Li Bian's archives and realized that this was the case, but decided not to strike that provision from the will, as it had already been published.

During Li Jings reign

Before exile

After Li Jing formally took the throne, he entrusted much of the governance to Chen. Feng Yanji, Feng Yanlu, Wei Cen, and Cha Wenhui (查文徽) were all in close association with Chen and influential in decision-making, and they were referred to by their detractors as the "Five Ghosts." Shortly after Li Jing took the throne, Feng Yanlu was promoted from his-then position of Libu Yuanwailang (禮部員外郎, low-level official at the ministry of rites (禮部, Libu)) to be Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人, a mid-level position at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng)) and imperial scholar at Qinzheng Hall (勤政殿). When the governor Du Changye (杜昌業) heard this, he lamented: "The state uses offices and honors to encourage its subjects. If one could, merely by being favored by the emperor, reach great positions, then how would one reward those who have accomplishments?" However, as Li Jing favored Feng Yanlu as talented, he did not consider the promotions as being too fast, and, as Feng, as Zhongshu Sheren, was in charge of drafting and issuing edicts on Li Jing's behalf, Li Jing would often make the pronouncement, "I am bestowing an edict on the scribe, Feng Yanlu!" Feng Yanlu would dance and take the edict, causing Li Jing to laugh. It was said that Feng Yanlu was often advocating aggressive military campaigns to try to make a name for himself. Feng Yanji questioned him, "If you are diligent and proper at your job, you will surely gain the emperor's favor and honors already. Why do you advocate danger to gain benefit?" Feng Yanlu responded, "I, your younger brother, cannot simply hide myself and wait to be chancellor through seniority!"

In 945, when Cha was commanding an army attacking Southern Tang's southeastern neighbor Min's then-capital Jian Prefecture (建州, in modern Nanping, Fujian), Feng Yanji, Feng Yanlu, and Wei, as his allies, all greatly advocated for his army to be well-supplied, such that it was said that the imperial treasury was entirely drained, and that the people of nearby prefectures — Hong (洪州, in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi), Rao (饒州, in modern Shangrao, Jiangxi), Fǔ (撫州, in modern Fuzhou, Jiangxi), and Xin (信州, in modern Shangrao) — particularly suffered. Cha was eventually able to capture Jian Prefecture and force Min's last emperor Wang Yanzheng to surrender, allowing Southern Tang to take over a substantial part of Min territory. However, Min's traditional capital Fú Prefecture (福州, in modern Fuzhou, Fujian, note different tone) was still in the hands of the warlord Li Hongyi, who was paying nominal allegiance to both Southern Tang and its northern neighbor Later Jin. When Chen volunteered to go see Li Hongyi to persuade him to give up his control of Fú, Li Hongyi was arrogant to him and refused. Chen subsequently forged an order in Li Jing's name, conscripting the troops of Jian, Fǔ, Xin, and Ting (汀州, in modern Longyan, Fujian) Prefectures and putting them under the command of Feng Yanlu so that he could lead a campaign against Li Hongyi. After Feng's letter to Li Hongyi to encourage him to submit was rejected by Li Hongyi, Feng headed toward Fú. He was initially successful in defeating Li Hongyi's general Yang Chongbao (楊崇保), and the Southern Tang forces soon put Fú under siege. Li Jing put the senior general Wang Chongwen (王崇文) in charge of the siege, while making Feng and Wei monitors of the army. While Wang was a renowned general, the campaign was hampered by the fact that Chen, Feng, and Wei were interfering with his authority, and the generals Liu Congxiao and Wang Jianfeng (王建封) were also disobedient of him. Li Hongyi subsequently sought aid from Southern Tang's southeastern neighbor Wuyue, which dispatched a fleet commanded by Yu An (余安) to try to lift the siege. When the Wuyue fleet arrived, its soldiers were initially not able to land because the Southern Tang forces were defending the coast to prevent their landing. Feng allowed them to land so that, in his mind, the Southern Tang forces could defeat them, after which Li Hongyi would feel compelled to surrender, despite opposition by the general Meng Jian (孟堅). Once the Wuyue forces landed, however, they attacked the Southern Tang forces with great ferocity, such that Feng could not resist them, and had to flee. When Feng fled, the entire Southern Tang army withdrew. Feng tried to commit suicide with his sword, but his attendant saved him from death.

In light of the defeat, Li Jing blamed the defeat on Chen and Feng Yanlu for the forged orders, and so he pardoned all of the other generals but considered executing them. However, when the official Jiang Wenwei (江文蔚) submitted an article of impeachment that severely criticized not only Chen and Feng Yanlu, but also Feng Yanji and Wei, Li Jing thought that Jiang was exaggerating and, in anger, demoted Jiang. He had Chen and Feng Yanlu delivered in stockade to the capital Jinling. After the senior chancellor Song Qiqiu requested punishment for himself as well for having recommended Chen to go see Li Hongyi, Li Jing, apparently relenting, ordered that Feng Yanlu be exiled to Qi Prefecture (蘄州, in modern Huanggang, Hubei) and Chen be exiled to Shu Prefecture (舒州, in modern Anqing, Anhui). This drew objections from Xu Xuan (徐鉉) and Han Xizai, pointing out that Chen and Feng Yanlu deserved death and that, apparently, Li Jing was sparing them due to intercession by Song and Feng Yanji, such that army discipline would be lost, but Li Jing did not listen to Xu and Han. (When Feng Yanlu was delivered to Jinling in stockade, Feng Yanji lamented to him, "You, my brother, are not willing to be a chancellor based on seniority, and this is the results." This led to a worsening of the fraternal relationship.)

After return from exile

At a subsequent point, after Li Jing had declared a general pardon, Feng Yanlu was recalled to the imperial government to serve as the director of palace supplies (少府監, Shaofu Jian). In 953, when Li Jing were to send several officials to survey and comfort the various prefectures in his realm, Feng was one of the ones set to be sent out. When the lower level official Xu Kai (徐鍇) (Xu Xuan's brother) submitted a petition urging him not to send Feng, arguing that Feng had committed great offenses in the past and lacked the talent for it, Li Jing, in anger, demoted Xu Kai and sent him to the eastern capital Jiangdu. After Feng returned from his mission, he was made Zhongshu Sheren. Later, he was made the deputy minister of public works (工部侍郎, Gongbu Shilang) and the deputy defender of Jiangdu.

In 956, during the middle of a campaign that Southern Tang's northern neighbor Later Zhou was waging against Southern Tang, the Later Zhou general Han Lingkun (韓令坤) made a surprise attack on Jiangdu and captured it. Feng Yanlu tried to evade capture by taking tonsure, wearing a robe for a Buddhist monk, and hiding at a Buddhist temple, but he was nevertheless captured by the Later Zhou soldiers. Later Zhou's emperor Guo Rong released him and made him an official in the Later Zhou government, either as an imperial attendant (給事中, Geishzhong) or the minister of ceremonies (太常卿, Taichang Qing).

In 958, after Southern Tang had capitulated — with Li Jing submitting as a vassal to Guo and ceding the Southern Tang lands north of the Yangtze River to Later Zhou — Guo sent Feng and another Southern Tang official that he had previously seized, Zhong Mo (鍾謨), back to Southern Tang as his emissaries, to deliver his bestowments on Li Jing (of an imperial robe, jade belts, and silk) and the Later Zhou imperial calendar. (At that time, Feng was referred to as having the Later Zhou office of ministry of husbandry (太僕卿, Taipu Qing).) After both Feng and Zhong returned to the Later Zhou court, Feng was given the office of deputy minister of justice (刑部侍郎, Xingbu Shilang). Shortly after, Guo returned Feng to Southern Tang, along with several generals whom he had captured. Li Jing made Feng the minister of census (戶部尚書, Hubu Shangshu).

In 960, the Later Zhou general Zhao Kuangyin overthrew Guo Rong's son and successor Guo Zongxun, establishing a new Song dynasty as its Emperor Taizu. Guo Rong's cousin Li Chongjin rose at Yang Prefecture (揚州, i.e., Jiangdu) but was quickly defeated by the Song emperor — after he sought Southern Tang aid but was refused by Li Jing. Still, after Song forces quickly defeated Li Chongjin and Li Chongjin committed suicide, the Song emperor postured that he might cross the Yangtze and attack Southern Tang. Li Jing successively sent Yan Xu, and then Feng Yanlu (along with Li Jing's son Li Congyi (李從鎰) the Duke of Jiang) to pay homage to the Song emperor to reaffirm his vassal status. When the Song emperor, in speaking to Feng, accused Li Jing of communicating with a rebel to Song, Feng, surprising the Song emperor, responded, "Your Imperial Majesty only knew of communications, but not that my Lord was in fact participating in the treason planning." When the Song emperor asked for elaboration, Feng responded:

The Song emperor continued to threaten to cross the Yangtze to attack Southern Tang. Feng responded:

The Song emperor laughed and responded, "I am merely toying with you, sir, not intending on hearing your persuasive speech." Further, at that time, the Song emperor was daily executing Li Chongjin's soldiers. Feng persuaded him that doing so was unjust when they were merely following Li Chongjin, and so he pardoned them. He subsequently rewarded Feng and allowed him to return to Southern Tang.

During Li Yus reign

Li Jing died in 961 and was succeeded by his son Li Yu. Li Yu sent Feng Yanlu — who apparently was going by the name of Feng Mi by this point — to submit tributes of gold, silver, silk, and colored textiles, and to report on his succeeding his father. Upon his return, he considered himself to have been accomplished on diplomatic missions. Li Yu held a feast in his honor in his palace — at which Li Yu not only personally poured wine for him, but also read poetry and played instruments in his honor, which a subject was supposed to decline in humility, but Feng did not. Li Yu did not take this against him, however.

In 962, Feng went on another mission to Song, and on this occasion, he requested that the Song emperor bestow to him an estate at Shu Prefecture (舒州, in modern Anqing). The Song emperor agreed.

In 971, Li Yu sent his brother Li Congshan (李從善) the Prince of Zheng on a diplomatic mission to Song. The Song emperor, while bestowing many honors on Li Congshan, detained him at the Song capital Daliang and did not allow him to return to Southern Tang. In 972, Li Yu, in fear, sent Feng to Daliang to beg that Li Congshan be allowed to return. When Feng reached the Song capital, however, he suffered a stroke, and it was sufficiently severe that he was unable to meet the Song emperor. The Song emperor sent imperial physicians to see him and returned him to Southern Tang. He died shortly after, after having possibly been made the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Chang Prefecture (常州, in modern Changzhou, Jiangsu).

Notes and references

• Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms, vol. 26.

• History of Song, vol. 478.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 283, 284, 285, 286, 290, 291, 292, 294.

• Xu Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 1, 2.

早年

馮延魯祖先來自彭城，唐末南渡，家住新安，雖然馮延巳是馮延魯的同父異母的哥哥，但他們之間關係一般。

馮延魯年輕時以其文學才華而聞名。南唐開國皇帝李昪統治期間，他和馮延巳均在李昪長子李瑤的元帥府任職。他們在元帥府任職時要求廢除禁止人民販賣兒女的禁令，但李昪同意官員蕭儼的建議，反對窮人賣子為奴。同時常夢錫經常在李昪面前指責馮延巳、陳覺和魏岑。李昪曾考慮將其調離李瑤身邊，但直到943年仍未行動。不久李昪重病而死。馮延巳和馮延魯負責代替李昪起草遺詔，並在其中插入了有關允許販賣兒女為奴的詔令。蕭儼向李瑤上書，指出李昪曾反對販兒女為奴。李瑤了解到實際情況確實如蕭儼所說，但決定不從遺詔中刪除該詔令。

李璟時期

福州包圍戰

李瑤正式登基後改名李璟，將大部分權力交給了陳覺。馮延巳、馮延魯、魏岑和查文徽都與陳有密切聯繫，並在決策方面具有影響力，被時人稱為「五鬼」。馮延魯也從禮部員外郎升為中書舍人、勤政殿學士。當杜昌業聽到此消息時，他感嘆：「國家設立官位和榮譽來鼓勵其臣民。但如果一個人能夠僅靠受到皇帝的青睞而達到高位，那麼又該如何這些獎勵有才華的人呢？」不過由于李璟欣賞馮延魯的才華橫溢，所以他並不認為馮延魯的升遷很快。馮延魯經常提議對外進攻。馮延巳質問他：「如果您勤奮認真，您的工作一定會得到皇帝的讚賞。您為什麼主張危險的舉動以獲取自己的利益呢？」馮延魯回答說：「我不能碌碌無為僅僅通過資歷來當上宰相！」

945年，查文徽指揮軍隊進攻閩國都城建州。查最終得以占領建州，並迫使閩國的最後一個皇帝王延政投降。然而，閩國的福州仍然在軍閥李仁達手中，他只是名義上臣服于南唐，並且與後晉也有聯繫。陳覺自告奮勇願意去說服李仁達放棄對福州的控制，但最終失敗。陳隨後偽造李璟的命令，讓馮延魯率領汀州、撫州、信州和劍州的軍隊進攻李仁達。馮延魯擊敗了李仁達的將領楊崇保，並將福州圍困。李璟又以永安節度使王崇文為東南面都招討使，指揮全部軍隊，以漳泉安撫使、諫議大夫魏岑為東面監軍使，馮延魯為南面監軍使，與陳覺一同進攻福州。但是陳、馮和魏以及其他將領留從效和王建封都不服彼此。李仁達隨後向吳越尋求幫助，後者派出了一支由余安指揮的水師前來支援，試圖解除南唐包圍。吳越水師抵達時，由於南唐軍在海岸守衛，吳越士兵最初無法登陸，但馮卻以為可以擊敗敵軍，允許吳越水師登陸。但是，吳越軍登陸後猛烈地向南唐軍隊進攻，以至于馮無法抵抗他們，不得不逃跑。馮逃離後，整個南唐軍遭到李仁達和吳越軍夾擊而潰敗。馮試圖用劍自殺，但被他的侍從阻止。

鑑於此次作戰失敗，李璟將失敗的原因歸咎于陳覺和馮延魯的偽造命令，並下令將陳覺和馮延魯押往金陵。李璟還寬恕了其他將領，並考慮將陳和馮延魯處死。馮延魯被押往金陵時，馮延巳對他感嘆：「你不是說不願碌碌無為地當上宰相嗎，這就是下場啊！」這句話導致了兄弟關係的惡化。不過針對福州包圍戰戰敗責任，江文蔚上書，不僅嚴厲批評了陳和馮延魯，還嚴厲批評了馮延巳和魏岑。李璟認為江在誇大其詞，一氣之下將江貶職。由於最初是宋齊丘推薦陳覺去說服李仁達，宋要求懲罰自己。李璟顯然對福州包圍戰之敗怒氣已消，因此下令將馮延魯流放到蘄州，陳覺流放到舒州。這引起了徐鉉和韓熙載的反對，他們指出陳和馮延魯應該處死，但李璟沒有聽從徐和韓的意見。

流放結束後

後來馮延魯又被召回朝廷擔任少府監。953年，李璟要派幾名官員去調查和安撫地方，馮就是李打算外派的人之一。不過徐鍇又上書，希望李璟不要外派馮延魯，並說馮在過去犯過重罪，而且缺乏才華。李璟大怒，並將徐鍇貶職。馮完成安撫地方任務返回朝廷後，被任命中書舍人。後來他被任命為工部侍郎以及東都副留守。

956年，後周將領韓令坤突然襲擊南唐東都江都，並將其攻占。馮延魯為試圖免於被捕，於是剃了頭髮，穿和尚袍，躲藏在佛教寺廟防止被後周軍隊發現，但後來還是被後周士兵俘虜。後周皇帝郭榮釋放了他，並任命他為給事中和太常卿。

958年，南唐將長江以北土地割讓給後周。後來郭將馮放回南唐。李璟任命馮為戶部尚書。

960年，後周將領趙匡胤通過黃袍加身建立了宋朝。郭榮的表兄李重進在揚州造反，但很快被趙匡胤擊敗。李重進尋求南唐援助，但被李璟拒絕。很快李重進在宋軍圍攻下自殺，此時趙匡胤還想渡過長江，進攻南唐。李璟先後派妹夫嚴續和馮延魯等人前往宋朝。趙匡胤指責李璟勾結叛亂分子，馮否認。不過趙匡胤最終沒有進攻南唐，馮也順利回到南唐。

李煜時期

李璟去世于961年，由其子李煜繼位。李煜派遣馮延魯（此時已更名為馮謐）攜帶金、銀、絲綢和彩色紡織品前往宋朝，並宋朝匯報南唐更換新君的消息。回國後，馮認為自己外交有功。李煜在宮殿舉行了一場盛大的宴會，不僅親自為馮謐倒酒，還為他念詩歌和彈奏樂器。

962年，馮再次前往宋朝，這一次，他希望趙匡胤能賜給他舒州田宅。趙匡胤同意了。

971年，李煜派遣其弟弟李從善前往宋朝。趙匡胤在授予李從善許多榮譽的同時，將其扣留在宋都開封，不允許他返回南唐。972年，李煜派馮出使開封，希望趙匡胤能釋放李從善回國。然而，馮到達開封時中風了，嚴重得無法與趙匡胤見面。趙匡胤派醫生前去看望他，並將他送回南唐。馮謐返回金陵後不久就去世了。

注釋和參考

• 《十國春秋》第一卷26

• 《宋史》卷478

• 《資治通鑑》卷283、284、285、286、290、291、292、294

• 《續資治通鑑》卷1、2