Feng Deyi - During Emperor Wen's Reign

During Emperor Wen's Reign

In 589, Emperor Wen's forces destroyed Chen, reuniting China. In 590, with people in the Chen territory unaccustomed and aggrieved by Sui law, there were agrarian rebellions in much of former Chen territory, and Emperor Wen sent the major general Yang Su to quell the rebellions. Yang Su made Feng Deyi a secretary of his, and was impressed by Feng's calmness, particularly after an accident in which Feng was almost drowned but remained calm after the incident. Later, after he quelled the revolts, he was made chancellor, and he retained Feng on staff.

In 593, Emperor Wen put Yang Su in charge of constructing his summer palace Renshou Palace (仁壽宮, in modern Baoji, Shaanxi). Yang Su made Feng his assistant, and they constructed a magnificent palace, at much human and material cost. After the palace was completed in 595, the frugal Emperor Wen visited the palace and was initially displeased at its magnificence and human cost, rebuking Yang Su. Yang Su was fearful that Emperor Wen would punish him, but Feng correctly predicted that when Emperor Wen's wife Empress Dugu Qieluo arrived at the palace, Yang Su would not only not receive punishment, but would be rewarded. That indeed happened, and when Yang Su, impressed with Feng's prediction, asked him the reason, Feng responded:

The emperor is frugal by nature, and therefore he was angry when he first saw the palace. But he is attentive to the empress' words. The empress, being a woman, favored beautiful things, and I knew that once this palace pleased the empress, she would change the emperor's mind.

Yang Su was impressed with Feng's analysis and praised him. Further, while Yang Su was proud of his own abilities and often found ways to insult others, he respected Feng and often requested Feng's opinions on the matters he needed to resolve as chancellor. He often touched his seat and stated, "One day Master Feng will have this seat," and he recommended Feng to Emperor Wen, who made Feng a mid-level official, Neishi Sheren (內史舍人), within the legislative bureau of his government (內史省, Neishi Sheng).