Consort Feng Yuan

Consort Feng Yuan (馮媛, imperial title Zhaoyi (昭儀), died 6 BC) was an imperial consort during China's Han Dynasty. She was a favorite of Emperor Yuan. She was viewed largely positively for her heroism and (presumed) humility, and viewed sympathetically for her death at the hand of her romantic rival Consort Fu.

It is not known when Feng Yuan was born. Her father Feng Fengshi (馮奉世) was a famous general during the reign of Emperor Xuan, and continued to serve in a number of important posts in the imperial government thereafter. She had nine brothers and three sisters. Her brothers Feng Yewang (馮野王), Feng Jun (馮逡), Feng Li (馮立), and Feng Can (馮參) all later became important officials as well.

Feng Yuan became a consort to Emperor Yuan in 47 BC, the second year of his reign. She quickly became a favorite of his, along with Consort Fu. She bore him a son, Liu Xing (劉興), who was later made the Prince of Xindu in 37 BC.

While both Consorts Fu and Feng were imperial consorts, an incident occurred that would cause Consort Feng to be greatly praised, at Fu's embarrassment. In 38 BC, while Emperor Yuan was watching a fight between wild animals, accompanied by a number of his concubines (but apparently not by Empress Wang Zhengjun), a wild bear broke loose and tried to get out of the cage. All of the noble men and women present, including Consort Fu, fled the scene. Only Feng stepped toward the wild bear, which was killed at the last moment by imperial guards. When Emperor Yuan asked her why she did so, Consort Feng replied that she had heard that once a bear had caught one person, it would continue attacking just that victim and no-one else; because she was afraid that the bear would attack the emperor, she was willing to sacrifice herself. Consort Fu became greatly jealous of the praise that Feng received for this incident.

Consort Feng was never recorded in history as having had the same ambition that her rival Consort Fu had at displacing Crown Prince Liu Ao, the son of Empress Wang Zhengjun, with her son. This might have been because her son was younger not only to the crown prince, but also to Consort Fu's son Liu Kang (劉康), or it could have been that she was humbler and less ambitious.

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