Feng Yun (; died May 14, 934?) was an official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state known as the Later Tang, serving both as chancellor and chief of staff (Shumishi) during the reigns of its second emperor Li Siyuan and Li Siyuan's son and successor Li Conghou.
Background
It is not known when Feng Yun was born, but it is known that he was from Taiyuan. All that was recorded in history about his origins was that his father Feng Zhang—given variously as 馮璋 or 馮章—was the doorkeeper for Li Siyuan, the future Later Tang emperor. In Feng Yun's childhood, he was understanding and intelligent, and Li Siyuan liked him greatly. Later, when Li Siyuan served as a military governor (Jiedushi) under his adoptive brother Li Cunxu—unclear whether referring to a commission while Li Cunxu still used the Tang dynasty-bestowed title of Prince of Jin or after Li Cunxu claimed imperial title as emperor of Later Tang—Feng became his liaison officer at the imperial court.
During Li Siyuan's reign
In 926, Li Cunxu was killed in a mutiny at then-Later Tang capital Luoyang. Li Siyuan, who had earlier rebelled against Li Cunxu, quickly arrived at Luoyang thereafter and claimed imperial title. Sometime after Li Siyuan took the throne, he made Feng Yun a protocol officer (中門使, Zhongmenshi) and director of palace affairs (宣徽使, Xuanhuishi).
In 928, when Li Siyuan made his then-oldest-surviving son Li Congrong the military governor of Hedong as well as the defender of its capital Taiyuan, he made Feng the deputy defender of Taiyuan, apparently in actual command. It was said that Li Congrong was arrogant in his youth and not paying proper attention to governance. Li Siyuan felt compelled to send, among his own associates, a man whom he believed Li Congrong respected (the man's identity is lost to history) to serve on Li Congrong's staff to try to positively influence him. The man informed Li Congrong that his younger brother Li Conghou had a much better reputation and that he should better himself so that his reputation can at least match Li Conghou's. Li Congrong was displeased by the advice, and informed this to his officer Yang Siquan (). Yang subsequently threatened the man, claiming that man was helping Li Conghou to overtake Li Congrong in succession. The man, in fear, informed the threat to Feng. Feng informed Li Siyuan, and Li Siyuan called Yang to his presence in order to disassociate him from Li Congrong, but, on Li Congrong's account, did not punish Yang. When Feng was subsequently recalled to the imperial government to again serve as the director of palace affairs, he warned the key officials in charge of government that Li Congrong had a harsh character and was acting frivolously, and needed good counsel. Shortly after, Li Congrong was recalled from Hedong to serve as the mayor of Henan Municipality (i.e., the Luoyang region) and the commander of the imperial guards, and Li Conghou, who previously held both titles, was made the military governor of Hedong, effectively swapping positions with Li Congrong.
In 930, Feng was made the defender of Taiyuan, and apparently also the military governor of Hedong. He later served as the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang, Henan). In late 932, he was recalled from Zhongwu to again serve as director of palace affairs, and was also made the acting director of the three financial agencies (taxation, treasury, and salt and iron monopolies). In 933, Li Siyuan was prepared to make him a chancellor—usually, with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi ()—but as this would violate naming taboo for Feng (as his father was named Feng Zhang), Li Siyuan gave him the unusual designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Erpin () as chancellor, and also made him full director of the three financial agencies.
By that time, Li Siyuan's chiefs of staff, Fan Yanguang and Zhao Yanshou, both were apprehensive of Li Congrong, and wanted to leave their posts to avoid confrontations with him. Despite Li Siyuan's displeasure (as he felt that they were abandoning him in his illness), he first allowed Zhao to leave to become the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), replacing him with Zhu Hongzhao; and later also allowed Fan to leave to serve as the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei), replacing him with Feng.