| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 封谞, 封諝, Fēng Xǔ |
| Other name | Phong Tư |
| INFORMATION | |
| Died | 184 |
| Death Reason | Executed by imperial decree for high treason and conspiracy with the Yellow Turban Rebels (黄巾军, Quân Khăn Vàng) (184 AD) |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Ten Attendants |
| Battles | Yellow Turban Rebellion (184 AD) |
Biography & Historical Record
Feng Xu (died 184 AD) was an influential eunuch, senior palace attendant (Regular Attendant / Zhongchangshi), and Chief Director of the Changle Palace during the late Eastern Han dynasty under Emperor Ling of Han. As a key member of the infamous Ten Attendants (Ten Eunuchs / Shi Changshi) faction headed by Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, Feng Xu wielded immense corrupt influence inside the imperial court.
In late 183 AD, as Zhang Jue’s Yellow Turban movement swelled into a massive nationwide rebellion, Zhang Jue sought to establish an internal fifth column inside the imperial capital of Luoyang to facilitate a coordinated siege from within. Zhang Jue dispatched his senior commander Ma Yuanyi with vast gold, silver, and treasures to bribe high-ranking palace eunuchs. Driven by insatiable greed, Feng Xu and his fellow eunuch Xu Feng accepted the bribes and actively conspired in the grand treasonous plot. Utilizing his position as Regular Attendant, Feng Xu acquired defense maps and security layouts of the imperial palace, agreeing to open the capital gates from inside on March 5, 184 AD, while seizing Emperor Ling during the external attack.
However, just prior to the planned uprising, Tang Zhou, a disciple of Zhang Jue, betrayed the conspiracy and secretly alerted the Han court. Grand General He Jin acted swiftly on Emperor Ling’s emergency orders, arresting Ma Yuanyi and executing him via dismemberment by chariots in the Luoyang marketplace. Imperial guards raided the inner palace, arresting Feng Xu and Xu Feng. With overwhelming physical evidence and treasonous correspondence seized, Feng Xu was convicted of high treason and executed in 184 AD. His treason provoked severe outrage from Emperor Ling against the remaining eunuchs, though Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong managed to escape punishment by weeping and shifting blame onto their deceased associates.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Feng Xu is introduced in Chapter 1 as one of the corrupt Ten Attendants whose treasonous collusion with Yellow Turban leader Zhang Jue accelerates the collapse of the Eastern Han dynasty. His bribery by Ma Yuanyi, secret plotting inside the inner court, and subsequent exposure by Tang Zhou serve as the crucial catalyst that triggers the nationwide Yellow Turban Rebellion and He Jin’s purge of the conspirators.
Feng Xu (封諝) — Literary Timeline
Bribed by Ma Yuanyi and Conspiring with Yellow Turbans
Accepts massive bribes of gold and silk from Ma Yuanyi alongside Xu Feng, agreeing to serve as internal conspirators to open Luoyang’s gates during Zhang Jue’s uprising.
Exposure by Tang Zhou and Execution
Betrayed by Tang Zhou; arrested inside the inner palace by Grand General He Jin’s forces and executed for high treason on Emperor Ling’s orders.
Key Relationships
- Family:
- ? — Unknown family lineage.
- Comrades / Allies:
- Zhang Rang & Zhao Zhong — Powerful leaders of the Ten Attendants eunuch faction.
- Xu Feng — Fellow Regular Attendant who co-conspired with Feng Xu to aid the Yellow Turbans.
- Ma Yuanyi — Senior Yellow Turban commander who bribed Feng Xu to coordinate the Luoyang coup.
- Zhang Jue — Founder and supreme leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
- Enemies / Opponents:
- Tang Zhou — Disciple of Zhang Jue who betrayed the treasonous plot to the Han imperial court.
- He Jin — Grand General of Han who arrested Ma Yuanyi and purged Feng Xu’s conspiracy.
- Emperor Ling of Han — Eastern Han sovereign whose court was undermined by Feng Xu’s treason.
For detailed historical records, archives, and official chronicles, explore Feng Xu on Wikipedia.
In Novel
Chapter 1
- Feng Xu (封谞, Fēng Xǔ): Feng Xu is one of the eunuchs associated with the Ten Attendants at Emperor Ling's court. Zhang Jiao secretly sends Ma Yuanyi to establish contact with Feng Xu so that the Yellow Turban movement can obtain an insider at court. When Tang Zhou betrays Zhang Jiao and reports the plot, the imperial government arrests Feng Xu and the other conspirators. His involvement shows how the Yellow Turban rebellion sought support inside the imperial palace.
Chapter 2
- Feng Xu (封谞, Fēng Xǔ): Feng Xu remains among the eunuchs implicated in the Yellow Turban conspiracy. The court's crackdown on the conspiracy helps expose the corruption and factional conflict surrounding Emperor Ling.
In History
Summary
- Feng Xu (封谞, Phong Tư) was one of the eunuchs associated with the late Eastern Han imperial court.
Period I — Court Eunuch
- Feng Xu belonged to the eunuch establishment surrounding Emperor Ling and was associated with the political influence of the palace eunuchs.
- His name appears in the context of the court faction that exercised substantial influence over imperial appointments and policy during the final decades of the Eastern Han.
Period II — Fall of the Eunuch Faction
- After He Jin attempted to eliminate the eunuchs in 189, the palace crisis escalated into the conflict that brought Dong Zhuo into Luoyang.
- Feng Xu was killed during the collapse of the eunuch faction.
Historical Record
- Feng Xu was historical and belongs to the documented group of palace eunuchs active under Emperor Ling.
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