Contents
Biography & Historical Record
Ying Feng (应奉, Ứng Phụng), courtesy name Shishu (世叔), was a legendary jurist, scholar, and senior minister of the Eastern Han dynasty. Originating from Nanyun County in Runan Commandery, he was the father of Ying Shao (应劭), the famed author of the Fengsu Tongyi, and grandfather of Ying Chang (应玚), one of the Seven Scholars of Jian’an.
Renowned from his youth for an astonishing intellect, Ying Feng possessed the legendary ability of “reading five lines at a glance” (日诵五行), committing thousands of pages of ancient statutes and commentaries to memory. Appointed Administrator of Wuling Commandery, he pacified local tribal unrest not through bloodshed, but by establishing schools, reforming the penal code, and governing with transparent benevolence.
Rising through merit to become the Minister of Justice (Tingwei) and Court Architect, Ying Feng was universally revered for his impartial judicial reviews, saving hundreds of falsely accused prisoners. He founded the intellectual and moral traditions that made the Runan Ying lineage one of the premier scholarly houses of the Three Kingdoms era.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Chapter 60 (Traditions of the Runan scholars): Long before the Three Kingdoms arose, upright jurists like Ying Feng illuminated the court of Han, their deep wisdom and compassionate justice passed down through generations of famous ministers.
Ying Feng — Historical & Literary Timeline
c. 110 AD
Intellectual Prodigy
Born in Runan; masters the Confucian canons and legal treatises with remarkable photographic memory.
c. 155 AD
Pacification of Wuling
Serves as Administrator of Wuling; promotes education and pacifies tribal populations with benevolent governance.
c. 165 AD
Minister of Justice of Han
Appointed Minister of Justice (Tingwei); resolves complex legal cases with impartiality before his passing.
Key Relationships
Family
- Ying Shao (应劭, Ứng Thiệu) — Son; Administrator of Taishan, prominent historian, and author of Fengsu Tongyi.
- Ying Chang (应玚, Ứng Dạng) — Grandson; celebrated poet, minister, and one of the Seven Scholars of Jian’an.
- Ying Qu (应璩) — Grandson; Palace Attendant and poet of Cao Wei.
Friends / Allies
- Scholars of the Eastern Han Court — Prominent Confucian authorities who praised Ying Feng’s legal ethics.
- People of Wuling — Southern populations who benefited from his civil and educational reforms.
Enemies / Rivals
- Corrupt Imperial Factions — Venal courtiers whose illicit exactions Ying Feng fiercely prosecuted.
Other
- Disciples of Runan — Students who preserved the legal and literary texts composed by Ying Feng.
In Novel
Chapter 60 (The wisdom of the ancients)
- Ying Feng (应奉, Ứng Phụng): Reviewing the imperial statutes beneath the palace lamps, Minister Ying Feng tempered the rigors of law with profound compassion, declaring justice to be the shield of the innocent.
Chapter 79 (Legacy of the Seven Scholars)
- Ying Feng (应奉, Ứng Phụng): The brilliant pens of Ying Shao and Ying Chang drew their earliest inspiration from the boundless learning that flowed from their ancestor Ying Feng.
In History
Summary
- Ying Feng (应奉, c. 110–165 AD), courtesy name Shishu, was a renowned Eastern Han scholar, Minister of Justice, and Administrator of Wuling, father of Ying Shao.
Year: c. 110–165 AD
- Celebrated for exceptional intellect (reading five lines at a glance) and exemplary judicial fairness as Minister of Justice.
Historical Record
- Hou Hanshu, Vol. 48 (Biography of Ying Feng): Contains a detailed biography recording his astonishing reading abilities, his peaceful governance in Wuling, and his judicial memorials as Minister of Justice.