Feng Yi

Feng Yi

Feng Yi (year of birth and death unknown), female, Changle Xindu (now Jizhou District, Hengshui City, Hebei Province). In the Western Han Dynasty, she was a famous female politician and the first female diplomat in Chinese history.

In the fourth year of Taichu period (101 BC), Liu Jieyou, the granddaughter and Princess of Liu Wu, king of Chu, married Wu sunguo and made peace. He became Liu Jieyou's right-hand assistant and married Wusun Youda general. He made great contributions to strengthening the friendly relations between the Han Dynasty and the western regions, and won the respect of the people of the western regions.

Life of the characters

Follow the Lord to the West

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Huns of the Han Dynasty launched large-scale military counterattacks one after another. At the same time, in order to form an alliance against the Huns, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty married the most powerful Wusun state in the western regions (in today's Ili River Basin in Xinjiang).

In the sixth year of Yuanfeng (105 BC), Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty married Liu Xijun, the daughter of Liu Jian, the nephew of Jiangdu king, to the Wusun king.

After the death of liejiaomi, Liu Xijun married liejiaomi's grandson again according to the custom of Wusun state, and succeeded Xumi, the king of Wusun.

In the fourth year of Taichu (101 BC), Liu Xijun died of illness. Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty took Liu Jieyou, granddaughter of King Liu Wu of Chu, as Princess and married junxumi. As Liu Jieyou's maid, Feng Yi followed Liu Jieyou to Wusun kingdom.

Honorific Name: Mrs. Feng

Feng Yisheng is intelligent, knowledgeable, and good at writing official script. He comforts Liu Jieyou and is determined to live in Wusun and live up to his mission. It was only a few years before he was familiar with the language and customs of the western regions.

Soon after, following the order of the imperial court, Feng Yi visited neighboring countries on behalf of Liu Jieyou as a diplomatic envoy to promote the Enlightenment of the Han Dynasty. When the emperors and ministers of various countries saw that the Han Dynasty took women as envoys, they were generous, modest and good at words. They didn't even need to translate when talking with people. When they were surprised, they tut tut praised her and honored her as Mrs. Feng.

Lobbying Wu Jiu Tu

In the second year of shenjue, Xuandi (60 BC) of the Western Han Dynasty, Weng guimi died. Yuanguimi (the son of Princess Jieyou) failed to succeed kunmo. Wusun broke his promise and made yuanguimi his successor. Instead, he established nimi (the son of junxumi, known as crazy king in Hanshu), who had Xiongnu blood. The court of the Western Han Dynasty was dissatisfied. The alliance between the Western Han Dynasty and Wusun was terminated. Princess Jieyou, together with Han emissaries Wei Ruyi and Ren Chang, conspired to assassinate crazy king, but failed. The Western Han Dynasty intervened in Wusun's internal affairs for the first time, which eventually led to Wusun's internal strife.

In the first year of Ganlu, Emperor Xuandi (53bc), Wu jiutu (the son of Weng guimi and a Hun woman) rebelled and set up troops to kill Kuang Wang. Emperor Xuan sent General Xin Wuxian to fight against Wusun. Zheng Ji, the governor of the western regions, sent Feng Yi, wife of Wu sun you general, to persuade Wu Jiu Tu to surrender. When Wu heard this, he was very frightened and said nothing. Feng Yixiao said: "Han and Wusun are like one family. If the two countries go to war, the common people will suffer, and the general will be ruined. Please think twice." Wu jiutu knew that he was far from the Han Army's opponent, and finally gave in and said, "I'd like to listen to my wife's advice and give way to yuan guimi, but I'd like to ask the Han Dynasty to give me a title." Feng Yishuang agreed quickly and comforted him.

Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty was very happy to learn that Feng's mission had been completed. He only heard of Feng's name but did not see him. He ordered Feng to return home. When Feng Yi returned to Chang'an, his former capital, after 40 years' absence, Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty ordered his civil and military officials to meet him in the suburbs. After hearing the news, the people in the capital gathered unexpectedly to see the elegant demeanor of the female envoys. There were a lot of people and the roads were blocked. On that day, Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty summoned him in the palace and asked for details in person. Feng Yi advised Wu jiutu to give him a title to ease his mind. Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty praised her for her foresight and wisdom. He readily adopted her and appointed her as the right envoy. Zhu Ci and Qimen Gan Yanshou, who were visiting her, were the Deputy envoys and sent to Wusun again.

Taking the Sima brocade chariot and holding the Han Festival, Feng Yi summoned Wu jiutu to Chigu City, the residence of marquis Chang Hui of Changluo, and read an imperial edict. He established yuan guimi as Da kunmi (Wu sun Wang Hao) and Wu jiutu as Xiao kunmi, and granted the seal ribbon. Wusun kingdom was finally surrendered to the Western Han Dynasty, and since then, the Han Dynasty unified the whole western region. Later, the Han Dynasty divided the territory and people for the big and small kunmi, with more than 60000 households for the big kunmi and more than 40000 households for the small kunmi.

In the third year of Ganlu (51 years ago), yuan guimi, Liu Jieyou's eldest son, and Lin MI, his youngest son, died one after another. After yuan guimi died, his son xingmi ascended the throne. At that time, Liu Jieyou, who was nearly 70 years old, missed his hometown very much. So he wrote to Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, hoping to return to China before he died and be buried in the land of the Han Dynasty. Considering that she lived in a foreign land for most of her life, worked hard for her country, and made great contributions to the Han Dynasty, Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty sent someone to take Liu Jieyou and Feng Yi back to Chang'an together, and took care of Liu Jieyou's daily life as a princess. He also treated Feng Yi with good salary and courtesy. In the first year of Huanglong (49 BC), Liu Jieyou died of illness and was buried as a princess.

Another journey

Xingmi was weak in nature, and the situation in Wusun was unstable again because of the failure of governing the country after he succeeded. Feng Yi wrote to emperor yuan of the Han Dynasty and asked to be another envoy to Wusun town to fuxingmi. Emperor yuan of the Han Dynasty appointed 100 soldiers to escort Feng Yi to Wusun for the third time. Emperor yuan accepted Han Xuan's suggestion and sent high officials, big officials and big supervisors to assist xingmi, so that the Western Han Dynasty could further control Wusun.

See the book of Han, Volume 96, biography of the western regions, part 66

Main achievements

Feng Yi has courage and insight, extraordinary ability and foresight. She has both political talent and good diplomacy, so she enjoys a high reputation in the western regions. As a woman, she repeatedly served as the official envoy of the emperor, engaged in diplomatic activities in foreign countries, and made great contributions to strengthening the friendly relations between the Han Dynasty and the western regions. Throughout thousands of years of feudal history in China, it is also unique.

Historical evaluation

Ban Gu: Feng Yi was able to write history books, learned things, and tried to hold Han books as Princesses' envoys. He rewarded all the countries in the city. He was called Mrs. Feng.

Cai Dongfan: 1. When the brocade car is out of the fortress, it's a girl who is dedicated to the elder. After reading the history, he praises the Su Wu Festival. Men and women are beautiful. ② After Su Wu, there was lady Feng's Brocade chariot to keep the festival and comfort Wusun. This strange English appeared in the women's circle. It has been passed down through the ages, and it has become a habit to cherish the preference of sons over daughters.

Film and television image

2014 TV series "Princess Jieyou": Ye Qing plays Feng Yi.