Feng Yu () (died 952/953?), courtesy name Jingchen (), was a Chinese politician of the Later Tang, Later Jin, and the Liao dynasties of China. He was powerful during the reign of Later Jin's second emperor Shi Chonggui, as Shi's Empress Feng was his sister, and he became both chancellor and chief of staff (Shumishi). After Shi was defeated and taken captive by Liao's Emperor Taizong, Feng was taken to Liao as well and died there.
Family background
It is not known when Feng Yu was born. His family was from Ding Prefecture (定州, in modern Baoding, Hebei), but it is (based on his father's career) unclear whether he was born there. His father Feng Meng () was the liaison officer for Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered at Ding) to the Later Tang court early during the reign of the second Later Tang emperor Li Siyuan. Feng Meng was described to be intelligent but wicked, and he gained the favor of Li Siyuan's powerful chief of staff An Chonghui, and was eventually promoted to be the deputy defender of Yedu (鄴都, in modern Handan, Hebei). When Li Siyuan's son-in-law Shi Jingtang later became the defender of Yedu in 928, he became friendly with Feng Meng, and decided to take Feng Meng's daughter as the wife for his younger brother Shi Chongyin, whom he had adopted as a son. Shi Chongyin died early, however, and Lady Feng became widowed. (The historical sources are not in accord as to whether Feng Yu was older or younger than she was; Feng Yu's biography in the Old History of the Five Dynasties described her as a younger sister, as did her biography in the New History of the Five Dynasties; his biography in the New History of the Five Dynasties, however, described her as an older sister.)
During Later Tang and/or early Later Jin
It was said that Feng Yu took the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class multiple times, but was unable to pass. When Feng Yun served as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), he invited Feng Yu to serve as his secretary. Feng Yu later served as an imperial censor with the title of Jiancha Yushi (); he later served as Libu Langzhong (), a supervisory official at the ministry of rites (禮部, Libu); and then as an assistant to the director of salt and iron monopolies. (It is unclear whether Feng Yu's progression of offices would be still during Later Tang, or after Shi Jingtang had overthrown Later Tang and founded Later Jin as its emperor.)
During Shi Chonggui's reign as Later Jin emperor
In 942, Shi Jingtang died and was succeeded as emperor by his adoptive son (biological nephew) Shi Chonggui. Shi Chonggui had long been attracted to Feng Yu's sister Lady Feng, and married her shortly after succeeding to the throne. In 943, he further created her empress. She soon became heavily involved in his governance. As the empress' brother, Feng Yu's power also rose quickly, as he became Zhongshu Sheren () and became in charge of drafting imperial edicts. However, as he himself lacked the necessary skills to do so, he often had another Zhongshu Sheren, Yin Peng (), draft the edicts for him. Apparently in short order, he became the military prefect (團練使, Tuanlianshi) of Ying Prefecture (潁州, in modern Fuyang, Anhui), and then quickly promoted to be imperial scholar at Duanming Hall and deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang), becoming often involved in Shi's policy-decision process.