Li Feng

Historical Record

Li Feng, styled Anguo, was the son of the Commandant of the Guards Li Yi, and entered office in his early years on his father's merit. During the Huangchu era, at the age of seventeen or eighteen he already enjoyed a reputation for purity in Ye, drawing the attention of men throughout the realm. When the Bright Emperor was in the Eastern Palace, Li Feng served as a Literary Officer; after the Bright Emperor ascended the throne, Li Feng won the emperor's notice because a defector from Wu mentioned the name "Li Anguo," and he was appointed Gentleman of the Yellow Gate, later transferred to Commandant of Cavalry and Attendant in Service. After the Bright Emperor died, he once served as Grand Coachman of Yongning, but because his reputation exceeded his substance, he could not fully display his abilities. During the Zhengshi era, Li Feng rose to Palace Attendant and Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat. During this time he often took leave on the pretext of frequent illness, but would briefly resume office just before a sick leave reached a hundred days (at which point, by regulation, his salary would be cut off), repeating this for several years. ^c:2420

Li Feng's son Li Tao married a princess, and though Li Feng outwardly declined, inwardly he did not greatly mind. His younger brothers Li Yi and Li Wei in the course of several years successively became commandery administrators. Li Feng once openly admonished his two brothers to cherish their honored positions. However, when the Lord of Sima Xuan (Sima Yi) was long ill, Li Wei indulged in drink and neglected affairs in the two commanderies of Xinping and Fufeng, and Li Feng did not check him, so people thought he was presuming on favor and growing arrogant. During the period when Cao Shuang held sole power, Li Feng remained neutral between Cao Shuang and Sima Yi, taking neither side. ^c:2420

After the Lord of Sima Xuan died in the fourth year of Jiaping, the post of Director of the Secretariat fell vacant, and the Grand General Sima Shi consulted the court officials, some of whom recommended Li Feng. Although Li Feng knew this post was not eminent, because he was tied to the imperial house by marriage and wished to attach himself to the supreme one, he gladly accepted. In the two years he served as Director of the Secretariat, the emperor Cao Fang often summoned Li Feng alone to talk, the contents unknown to others. When Sima Shi learned of the secret schemes between Li Feng and the emperor, he summoned Li Feng. Li Feng could not tell him the truth, and was thereupon killed by Sima Shi. ^c:2420

After Li Feng was killed, his corpse was sent to the Commandant of Justice, but the Commandant of Justice Zhong Yu refused to receive it on the grounds that it was "not a matter for a legal officer to handle." Only on Sima Shi's order was it finally accepted. When the emperor Cao Fang learned of Li Feng's death he wished to inquire into it, but the Empress Dowager, fearing Sima Shi, stopped him. Subsequently, Li Feng's younger brother, the Inspector of Yanzhou Li Yi, was also arrested. Li Feng, Xiahou Xuan, Zhang Ji, Su Shuo, Yue Dun, Liu Xian, and others, for plotting to depose Sima Shi, were memorialized by the Commandant of Justice Zhong Yu to be judged for the crime of great treason against the way. In the end, Li Feng, Xiahou Xuan, Zhang Ji, Yue Dun, Liu Xian, and others were all exterminated to the third degree of kin, their relatives exiled to Lelang Commandery. The three sons of the Senior Princess of Qi were spared the death penalty on account of the former emperor's surviving affection. ^c:2420

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Feng's image differs from the historical fact, and several characters of the same name appear—chiefly the Li Feng connected with Cao Fang and Sima Shi, and the Shu Han general Li Yan's son Li Feng.

During the period when Yuan Shu proclaimed himself emperor, Li Feng appears as a subordinate general of Yuan Shu. After Yuan Shu styled himself Emperor of the Zhong clan, he appointed Zhang Xun Grand General to lead an army of more than two hundred thousand in seven routes to campaign against Xu Province. Li Feng, together with Liang Gang and Yue Jiu, was appointed Advance-Urging Commissioner, charged with supporting the seven-route army. ^c:5684 This Li Feng is a member of Yuan Shu's group and is not the same person as the Li Feng of history.

On the Shu Han side, Li Feng is the son of the General of the Vanguard Li Yan. During Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions, Li Feng, by his father Li Yan's order, went to the Mount Qi camp to see Zhuge Liang, reporting Meng Da's plan to raise troops in response to Shu Han's attack on Wei. He presented to Kongming Meng Da's letter and informed him that Meng Da wished to combine the troops of the three places—Jincheng, Xincheng, and Shangyong—to take Luoyang directly and join forces with Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang was greatly pleased at this and richly rewarded Li Feng. ^c:2421 Thereafter, Zhuge Liang returned to Chengdu and appointed Li Yan's son Li Feng as Chief Clerk, in charge of logistical affairs such as stockpiling fodder and grain, drilling formations and discussing war, repairing weapons, and caring for the officers and men, in preparation for the Northern Expedition three years later. ^c:5685 This Li Feng is a Shu Han official, and is likewise not the same person as the Li Feng of history.

The Li Feng closest to the historical fact is, in the latter part of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the confidant of the Wei ruler Cao Fang who, together with Xiahou Xuan and Zhang Ji, secretly plotted to remove Sima Shi. After Sima Zhao returned his army to Luoyang, he and his elder brother Sima Shi monopolized the court's power, and the Wei ruler Cao Fang felt deeply uneasy about this. One day, Cao Fang held a secret discussion in the rear hall with the Grand Master of Ceremonies Xiahou Xuan, the Director of the Secretariat Li Feng, and the Grand Master of Splendid Happiness Zhang Ji (father of the Empress Zhang). Cao Fang wept bitterly, complaining that Sima Shi regarded him as a child. Li Feng begged His Majesty not to worry, declaring his willingness to gather heroes from the four quarters to exterminate Sima Shi. ^c:5686 Cao Fang bit his fingertip and wrote a blood edict, which he conferred on Zhang Ji, charging them by no means to leak it. Li Feng confidently declared that they were not the likes of Dong Cheng, and that Sima Shi could not compare with Wuzu Cao Cao. However, when the three of them took their leave through the East Flower Gate, they happened to meet Sima Shi. Sima Shi noticed that the three wore strange expressions, and questioned them about why they had been late leaving the court. Li Feng lied that he had been reading with the emperor and praised Sima Shi as like Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou. Sima Shi sneered, pointing out that they were in fact likening him to Wang Mang and Dong Zhuo, and demanded to know about their weeping in the secret chamber. Seeing the matter exposed, Xiahou Xuan sternly cursed Sima Shi for overawing the sovereign and intending usurpation. Sima Shi was enraged and ordered his guards to seize the three, and searched out Cao Fang's blood edict on Zhang Ji's person. ^c:12203 In the end, Li Feng together with Xiahou Xuan, Zhang Ji, and the others was killed by Sima Shi.

Key Relationships

* Cao Fang (enemy_of): In both history and the novel, Li Feng was Cao Fang's confidant and tried to help Cao Fang oppose Sima Shi's monopoly of power. Cao Fang placed great hopes on Li Feng, even charging him in the blood edict to act with caution. ^c:12203
* Sima Shi (enemy_of): Li Feng was Sima Shi's political opponent; in history, he together with Zhang Ji, Xiahou Xuan, and others secretly plotted to depose Sima Shi, and was finally found out and killed by Sima Shi. ^c:2420 In the novel, Li Feng directly took part in the plot against Sima Shi, was questioned face to face by Sima Shi, and was finally killed. ^c:12203
* Shu Han (serves): In the novel, Li Feng (Li Yan's son) once served Shu Han, acting as his father's envoy to report Meng Da's movements to Zhuge Liang, and serving as Chief Clerk in charge of Shu Han's logistical affairs. ^c:2421, ^c:5685 (unique to the novel)
* Yuan Shu's Faction (serves): In the novel, another Li Feng was once a subordinate general of Yuan Shu, serving as Advance-Urging Commissioner and taking part in Yuan Shu's military campaign against Xu Province. ^c:5684 (unique to the novel)
* Xiahou Xuan: In both history and the novel, Li Feng secretly plotted against Sima Shi together with Xiahou Xuan. They were political allies, jointly facing Sima Shi's threat. ^c:2420, ^c:5686
* Zhang Ji: As Cao Fang's father-in-law, Zhang Ji, in both history and the novel, was a core figure in the plot to remove Sima Shi. They schemed together and were finally executed together by Sima Shi. ^c:2420, ^c:12203

Signature Scenes

* Plotting to depose Sima Shi: This is Li Feng's most signature scene in both history and the novel. In history, Li Feng together with Zhang Ji, Xiahou Xuan, and others plotted to seize the occasion of an investiture of an imperial consort to kill the Grand General Sima Shi and replace him with Xiahou Xuan. ^c:2420 In the novel, this scene is depicted more dramatically: Cao Fang held a secret discussion in the rear hall with Li Feng, Xiahou Xuan, and Zhang Ji and wrote a blood edict, while Li Feng declared his willingness to eliminate the villain for His Majesty. ^c:5686
* The confrontation with Sima Shi and being killed: In history, Sima Shi got wind of his scheme, requested to see Li Feng, and Li Feng, unaware of the trap, went and was killed. ^c:2420 The novel depicts in detail Li Feng, Xiahou Xuan, and Zhang Ji's confrontation with Sima Shi outside the East Flower Gate. Li Feng tried to bluff through with words, but Sima Shi saw through his heart, finally exposed their plot, ordered the blood edict searched out, and executed the three. ^c:12203 This scene profoundly displays Li Feng's loyalty and Sima Shi's cold cruelty.
* Serving as Shu Han Chief Clerk: In the novel, Li Yan's son Li Feng was appointed Chief Clerk by Zhuge Liang, in charge of logistical preparations for the Northern Expedition. He stockpiled fodder and grain and repaired weapons, providing solid support for Zhuge Liang's military operations. ^c:5685 (unique to the novel)
* Reporting Meng Da's movements to Zhuge Liang: In the novel, Li Feng (Li Yan's son) went to the Mount Qi camp to report to Zhuge Liang Meng Da's plan to raise troops in response to Shu Han's attack on Wei, facilitating Zhuge Liang's use of Meng Da. ^c:2421 (unique to the novel)