Who is Feng Yan 冯衍?

Feng Yan 冯衍, a fu writer and Taoist of the Eastern Han Dynasty, was from Duling, Jingzhao (now southeast of Xi'an, Shanxi Province). 

He showed exceptional intelligence from childhood andextensively studied classic works. During Wang Mang's reign, he lived in seclusion and refused official posts. In the era of Emperor Guangwu of Han, he served as Magistrate of Quyang and later as an Inspector of Sizhi. However, he was demoted for associating with noble relatives of the imperial family, then lived in seclusion to protect himself and died in poverty. 

Philosophically, he proposed the concept of "valuing the Mysterious (Gui Xuan)", advocating the pursuit of emptiness, detachment from worldly affairs, and preserving the spirit in solitude—emulating the "Perfect Man" who attained the Dao through subtlety. He wrote in *Xianzhi Fu* (Ode to Manifesting Aspirations): "I admire Confucius for understanding destiny and highly respect Laozi for valuing the Mysterious. Which is more precious: virtue or the Dao? Which is closer: fame or the body? I reside in valleys and live in leisure, guarding loneliness to preserve the spirit. Zhuang Zhou fished (refusing high office), declining the prominent position of minister; Yu Lingzi irrigated gardens, resembling the semblance of a Perfect Man. One attains the Dao through obscurity, and gains enlightenment through poverty; departing from the dimness of dust, one matches the sublime integrity of Qiao Song (immortals)."

He emphasized that "valuing the Mysterious" was incompatible with civil governance and military achievements. He vehemently opposed war, military strategists like Sun Wu and Bai Qi, political tacticians like Su Qin and Zhang Yi who actively intervened in state affairs, as well as the domineering Qin Shi Huang and Li Si. He not only opposed the legalist theories of Shang Yang and Han Fei but also advocated abolishing the laws of ancient kings, regarding all ideas and actions that could build achievements as worthy of condemnation. 

He wrote (in the same ode): "I detest the spread of weapons and the rise of warfare; I would sink Sun Wu in the Five Lakes and behead Bai Qi at Changping. I abhor the crafty ones who disrupt the world and the perverse customs of political tacticians; I would banish Su Qin to the Huan River and imprison Zhang Yi in Ghost Valley. I lament the decline of moral education and the severity of penalties; I would burn Shang Yang's legalist methods and Han Fei's theories. I would eliminate the arrogance of Qin Shi Huang and exile Li Si to the borders; I would abolish the laws of ancient kings, for their disasters spread widely." He took the "True Man" who was detached from the world as the highest pursuit, advocating unrestrained freedom to nurture aspirations and seek immortality. He wrote: "My spirit roams the universe, my eyes gaze across the eight corners," "I leap the Green Dragon in the Blue Sea and raise the White Tiger on Golden Mountains; I hew rocks to build chambers and rely on the high sun to cultivate immortality. Divine birds soar over Hongya, while the Black Tortoise hides in the depths. My spirit wanders in the grand abode, upholding the mysterious and constant principles; I dwell in purity to nurture aspirations, which truly delights my heart," "I revere the virtues of the True Man and linger without departing."

Using the "Gui Xuan" ideology, he denied the qualitative determinacy of things, asserting that all things—including human thoughts and actions—were "without fixed principles in advance or retreat, unconstant in flexion or extension" (ibid.). Thus, he advocated "indulging aspirations tranquilly," adapting freely to the whims of nature in all movements. His biography is recorded in Volume 28 (Part 1) of *Hou Hanshu* (Book of the Later Han). He authored 50 works including fu, remonstrations, inscriptions, and discourses, most of which are lost. Ming-dynasty scholars compiled *Collected Works of Feng Quyang*.