Brief: This webpage explores the paradox of Feng Dao, a minister who served multiple emperors during China’s tumultuous Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Condemned by historians as shameless for his political survival, Feng Dao was also a man of deep compassion – refusing looted women, giving away his wealth to famine victims, and secretly farming for the sick. His story challenges us to reconsider what integrity means in an age of chaos, when the only way to protect the people was to remain standing amid wolves and tigers.
What does it mean that “the lesser hermit hides in the wild, while the greater hermit hides in the court”? In history, there was a man named Feng Dao who vividly exemplified this concept. However, he was severely criticized in historical records.
The Old History of the Five Dynasties stated,
“He served as prime minister under six emperors in four dynasties. Can this be considered loyalty? For a woman to marry two husbands is unfortunate, let alone three or more times!”
The New History of the Five Dynasties commented,
“He served nine emperors before and never remonstrated. He has no sense of shame.”
The Zizhi Tongjian said,
“One day they were enemies, and the next day they became monarch and minister. He could change his face and words without the slightest sense of shame. With such a lack of integrity, even if he had some minor virtues, they are hardly worthy of mention.”
Feng Dao was born at the end of the Tang Dynasty, rose to prominence at the beginning of the Five Dynasties, and died during the reign of Chai Rong, the last monarch of the Later Zhou Dynasty. He had experienced the entire chaotic era of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
What kind of person was Feng Dao? Let’s talk about his deeds. Feng Dao was from Hebei. In his early years, he was very learned and wrote excellent articles. Thus, he was appointed as a clerk by Liu Shouguang, the military governor of Youzhou. Later, when Liu Shouguang intended to become an independent warlord, Feng Dao, out of his sense of duty as a subject, would admonish him from time to time. But Liu Shouguang didn’t take his advice and even imprisoned him, planning to kill him. Fortunately, Feng Dao was secretly set free and managed to survive.
After that, he joined Li Cunxu and was appointed as the chief secretary. This position required him to be by the emperor’s side every day, recording his every word and deed. So when Li Cunxu went out to fight, Feng Dao would follow and live and eat with the soldiers, becoming their comrade – in – arms. After each battle, the soldiers would send him some women they had snatched. But Feng Dao never accepted them. If he really couldn’t decline, he would secretly take care of these women and help them find their families after the war. It was extremely difficult to uphold one’s integrity in such a chaotic era, especially for a man.
Later, when Feng Dao’s father passed away, he had to go home to observe mourning for three years. Coincidentally, there was a natural disaster in his hometown. Feng Dao gave away all his possessions to relieve the victims. His comrades – in – arms had not only given him women but also shared with him the money they had looted. So he was wealthy and didn’t have to worry about the disaster as he had enough food and drink. However, this wealthy man was willing to give everything to help the victims. He even led the way in farming in the fields to resist the disaster. If a villager was ill and couldn’t work in the fields, he would secretly finish the work for them at night. When someone found out and came to thank him later, he thought it was a trivial matter not worth mentioning.
What Feng Dao did was like a bright light in the chaotic era of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. Many warlords admired him and wanted him to come out of seclusion and serve them. So after the mourning period, Feng Dao immediately received an appointment and was promoted to a Hanlin academician. It was not Li Cunxu who appointed him, but Li Siyuan, who had usurped the throne. Li Siyuan had long heard of Feng Dao’s reputation and his deeds and often discussed the ways of governing the country with him. The next year, Feng Dao was promoted to prime minister. During the seven – year reign of Li Siyuan, the national policy of recuperating with the people was implemented, which was a relatively stable time for the common people in that chaotic period.
Later, Li Congke usurped the throne. Feng Dao, citing practical considerations, led the civil and military officials to open the city gates and welcome him. This is an act that was severely criticized by all later historians, who said he had no sense of shame. But don’t forget, it was a chaotic era. The glorious 300 – year – old Tang Dynasty had long since fallen, and no one knew whose world this was. Emperors changed too quickly. So Feng Dao became a person in people’s eyes who was submissive, ingratiating, and shameless. When you are powerless to change the whole world, you can only choose to compromise, because only by staying alive can you hope to change the world.
Just like what Feng Dao said to Yelü Deguang when Yelü Deguang destroyed the Later Jin Dynasty and entered Kaifeng. Yelü Deguang asked how to save the common people in the Central Plains. Feng Dao replied,
“Even if the Buddha came, he couldn’t save them. Only the emperor can.”
If you want to be the emperor of the Central Plains, you have to protect the people here. At this time, Yelü Deguang looked at the Khitan soldiers who were burning, killing, and looting everywhere. After thinking for a long time, he finally ordered them to stop.
You may notice that Li Siyuan, Li Congke, Shi Jingtang, Liu Zhiyuan, Guo Wei, and even the Khitan emperor Yelü Deguang, all of them were fierce and powerful generals. Why were they all willing to make Feng Dao their prime minister and respect him? There were reasons behind this. Feng Dao was a learned scholar. Of course, he knew what shame was, and he also knew how later generations would criticize him. But he still insisted on his kindness and did his best to protect the common people he could.
Song dynasty scholars once recorded two of his self – reflective poems. Although it’s unclear when they were written, they clearly demonstrate his life attitude. The first one is “An Impromptu Poem”:
“莫为危时便怆神，前程往往有期因。
须知海岳归明主，未省乾坤陷吉人。
道德几时曾去世，舟车何处不通津？
但教方寸无诸恶，狼虎丛中也立身。”
Regarding the era he lived in, Feng Dao saw the lurking dangers and the arduous times. However, he didn’t advocate being sad and resentful just because the times seemed hopeless. He believed that everything was within human reach, and one’s future depended on personal efforts. As a literati, he firmly believed that after a long period of decline, the world would surely recover, and an enlightened monarch who could save the people from suffering would appear sooner or later. He also believed that at any time, morality never left the era. As long as one had good intentions in their heart, they could stand fearlessly even in the midst of wolves and tigers. Here, we can see his understanding of the harshness of his living environment, with villains all around and powerful forces vying for power, far from an ideal society. But he compared himself to a good person, believing that as long as he had no evil thoughts in his heart, he had nothing to fear among the wolves and tigers.
The second poem is “The Way of Heaven”:
“穷达皆由命，何劳发叹声？
但知行好事，莫要问前程。
冬去冰须泮，春来草自生。
请君观此理，天道甚分明。”
This poem has the same stance as the previous one. In the officialdom, whether one is in poverty or prosperity is determined by fate. There’s no need to constantly sigh and be gloomy. He firmly believed that everything he did was beneficial to the country and the people, and personal gains and losses in the future could be completely ignored. The cycle of the universe follows its own inevitable principles. Winter gives way to spring, ice melts, and grass grows. The universe rotates, and all things are constantly renewed. This is the truth of nature. Don’t blame the times or fate. Work hard, do more good deeds. Heaven rewards hard work and kindness, and everything will come true.
From these two poems, we can roughly see Feng Dao’s life principles, which he seemed to adhere to throughout his life.
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