Family Background and Early Life
Feng Ba's grandfather Feng He (馮和) was ethnically Han Chinese and was said to have settled down in Shangdang Commandery (上黨, roughly modern Changzhi, Shanxi) in the aftermaths of the conquest of the northern half of Jin during the reign of Emperor Huai of Jin by Han Zhao. Feng Ba's father Feng An (馮安) later served the Western Yan emperor Murong Yong as a general. When Western Yan was destroyed by the Later Yan emperor Murong Chui in 394, Feng An's household was forcibly moved to Helong (和龍, also known as Longcheng (龍城), in modern Jinzhou, Liaoning), where Feng Ba grew up, apparently under heavy Xianbei influence, for his nickname Qizhifa suggested Xianbei origin. He had three younger brothers, all of whom admired heroic behavior and largely ignored social restraints, but Feng Ba himself was considered to be careful and diligent, managing his household well. During Murong Bao's reign, he became a general. He came to respect Murong Bao's adoptive son Murong Yun the Duke of Zhaoyang, and they became great friends.
Later, in 407, during the reign of Murong Bao's cruel and capricious younger brother Murong Xi, both Feng Ba and his brother Feng Sufu (馮素弗) somehow offended Murong Xi, and they hid themselves in the countryside. They concluded that they would eventually be found and killed anyway, and therefore resolved to overthrow Murong Xi. They reentered Longcheng, then capital, in secret, and then, when Murong Xi left Longcheng to bury his wife Empress Fu Xunying, who died earlier that year, they rose within the city with the assistance of their cousin Feng Wani (馮萬泥) and the generals Sun Hu (孫護) and Zhang Xing (張興). Because Feng Ba and Murong Yun were friends, he persuaded Murong Yun to serve as their leader, and they quickly captured the palace and closed the city gates. Murong Yun was then declared Heavenly Prince.
Murong Xi returned to Longcheng and settled in outside, at Longteng Chateau, preparing an assault on the city. At this time, the imperial guard soldier Chu Tou (褚頭) fled to him and informed him that the imperial guards were ready to turn against Murong Yun as soon as Murong Xi attacked. However, for reasons unknown, Murong Xi panicked at this news and fled. His general Murong Ba (慕容拔) tried to maintain the assault against Longcheng and was initially successful, but as the troops began to realize that Murong Xi had fled, they collapsed, and Murong Ba was killed by Feng Ba's soldiers. Later that day, Murong Xi was found, wearing civilian clothes, in a forest, and he was captured and delivered to Murong Yun. Murong Yun personally read him his crimes, and then beheaded him and his sons.
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